Daria Howard, M.A. ‘23, is in her second year of the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF), a highly selective leadership development program where fellows work for a federal agency. Students can apply during their graduate school program in the Early Fall Semester but cannot begin the fellowship until post-graduation. Following her graduation from GW with a masters in global communication with a concentration in public diplomacy, she is currently a digital outreach specialist for the International Trade Administration (ITA) through PMF.
In this position, she manages the ITA’s social media, video, and photography. She works with different offices and teams to promote conferences, events, and trips that highlight the work that is being done.
Howard said the courses she took at Elliott helped prepare her for her current position. “My coursework was very helpful and relevant to my work now,” she said. “Particularly the Public Diplomacy class I took with Professor Kabra. A lot of the assignments and topics that we learned in that class are very relevant to the work I do.”
Since the PMF is a two-year program, fellows are able to explore what interests them in the field and what does not. Howard said that she is still exploring what her niche might be.
Howard worked at the United Nations in the Department of Global Communication as Public Information Assistant prior to her time at Elliott, which sparked her interest in pursuing public affairs as a career.
“I still feel quite strongly about communications and public affairs, but I’m definitely learning that that kind of work can look quite different based on the position you hold. You can do anything from multimedia work to press relations to writing and editing. As a PMF, I just focus on learning and exploring and seeing what I like more or less,” she said.
The fellowship is intensive, requiring 80 hours of training a year and the successful completion of their “performance plan,” which must receive a good rating according to their website page. Some PMF’s are able to maintain their positions permanently following completion of the program.
Howard emphasized what a big commitment the program is and recommended that applicants take the time to ensure that they are choosing the office and position that would be the best fit and provide the support needed to help them reach their professional goals.
“PMF is a great program, and you will definitely get a lot out of it,” she concluded.