student life – Elliott360

June 8, 2023July 5, 2023

Elliott Student was Awarded the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship

Payton Beaumier, who recently graduated from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University, was awarded a 2023 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship following a highly competitive nationwide contest.

The Pickering Fellowship, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, supports extraordinary individuals who want to pursue careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. Beaumier was chosen out of 600 outstanding candidates.

Beaumier, who grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, said that since high school, she’s dreamed of having a career that would allow her to work towards advancing human rights on a global scale.

One of her teachers in high school once said, “What makes this country great is little people doing little acts of love.” Beaumier said it is a quote that continuously sticks with her and serves as a source of motivation to dedicate her life to public service.

After completing her graduate program, Payton will become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. She hopes to serve as a political officer working to address matters of human security and strengthen U.S. relations with countries across the globe. Payton credits her time and experience at GW for setting her on this trajectory.

When Beaumier arrived at GW, she was searching for a way to turn her passions into a career, and GW provided an incomparable sense of direction and an environment for curiosity and growth. She stated, “I had amazing academic and experiential learning opportunities at GW. It is a wonderful place to jumpstart your interests.” Specifically, she expressed her gratitude for the unique courses she took, her engaging and influential professors, the Career Services Center, and her time as part of the Elliott School Dean’s Scholars Program.

While at GW, Payton served as the recruitment officer for the Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority and was president of the Women in International Security Branch at GWU.

She participated in the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program and interned with the Bureau of Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, focusing on international narcotics and law enforcement affairs. She has completed internships at the White House with the Gender Policy Council, the U.S. Department of the Treasury with the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Payton became aware of her selection for the Pickering Fellowship during her time as an intern for the White House Gender Policy Council, and she aspires to continue advocating for gender equity and equality in foreign policy during her career.

This fellowship will allow Beaumier to pursue a two-year master’s degree in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service. It will also connect her to extensive professional development opportunities, including internships, mentors, and skills training.

As part of the program, Beaumier will work at the U.S. Department of State for their domestic internship, and the U.S. Department of State will send her overseas to intern in a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to get hands-on experience with U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Foreign Service.

“I am excited for the opportunity to dedicate my future and my career to promoting peace and supporting our citizens abroad while living a life of public service.”

January 30, 2023March 20, 2023

Student Org Fair at Elliott

In case you missed it! The Elliott school recently hosted the Spring 2023 Student Org Fair. Students were able to go table to table and discover just what the 20 Elliott student orgs on campus have to offer. In addition to the more familiar orgs, three new student organizations have been recognized and added to the roster! These include the Onero Institute, the John Quincy Adams Society and the GW DC student Consortium on Women Peace and Security.

The Onero Institute is a youth-driven, nonprofit research organization that wants to develop the next generation of leaders and foreign affairs experts by actively bridging the divide between young people and the academic community and by better engaging youth and the world community on international issues. They offer support and a platform for aspiring young professionals to improve upon and share their work. The Onero Institute places special emphasis on creating intergenerational dialogues and discussing underrepresented and youth issues. This chapter of the Onero Institute seeks to engage the GW and Washington, D.C. communities with the aforementioned mission and strives to empower the voices of students and young people.

The John Quincy Adams Society (JQAS) is an international affairs-related student organization focused on building a new generation of U.S. leaders who understand the limits of power, will keep America out of unnecessary wars, and refrain from attempts at social engineering in countries halfway across the globe. JQAS at GW aims to help college students advance, both intellectually and professionally, while promoting a broader and more strategic conversation about America’s approach to international affairs.

The DC Student Consortium on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) is a student-led organization that aims to—in collaboration with the US Civil Society Working Group on WPS (U.S. CSWG)—promote awareness of the implications of women and gender in security and foreign policy. They strive to ensure that policymakers around the globe are aware of the importance of gender issues in these disciplines and the need to institutionalize a feminist approach when solving critical issues surrounding peace and security.

It’s never too late to get involved with student organizations at the Elliott School. Check out these three new orgs or any of the other 17 Elliott School student organizations on campus. Getting involved with student organizations is an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded individuals that share a common interest. https://studentlife.gwu.edu/student-organizations

November 2, 2022November 21, 2022

Three, Two, One — Network!

At a special speed-networking event held on October 19 at the Elliott School, 20 forward-
thinking Elliott students had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with high-powered alumni
who serve on the Elliott School Board of Advisors.

Speed networking combines the speed-dating model with business networking – allowing for
brief, targeted conversations with a number of professionals. The Elliott students were asked to
meet in pairs with board members in five-minute intervals, forging connections with nearly a
dozen executives – who also encouraged the students to stay in touch after the event.

Participation for students was first come first served; the eight undergraduates and 12 graduate
students in the room had been the first to reply to an all-school invitation to the event.

Students had a range of reasons for participating. Professional development was number one,
understandably. “It’s rare that you get a chance to speak with people that accomplished in their
fields,” said one student.

Medha Prasanna, a second-year graduate student, also was eager to gain deeper perspective
into the Elliott School. “I wanted to meet the people shaping the long-term vision of the
school,” she said.

At 11 a.m., students and board members gathered in the State Room on the seventh floor of
the Elliott School. There was an energetic buzz in the room as the students, in teams of two,
took seats next to individual board members, then, when the timer went, rotated to the next
member.

Any anxiety – for students and board members alike – was quickly dispelled, according to Ethan
Vosper, a senior concentrating in security policy. “It was a very welcoming, experience. They did
a really good job of putting us at ease,” he said.

Thomas Nielsen, a graduate student who plans to start his career working in international
trade, was there to hear first-hand accounts of what an Elliott School degree can lead to,
especially from those in his field. “I got that,” he said. “A lot of the advice was related to my
interest in private-sector business. A majority of the members had done exactly that.”

Nielsen – a member of the GW Track and XC teams – found the speed-networking format
especially effective. “It eliminated the small-talk aspect of networking,” he said.

What were the key takeaways from the event?

For senior Ethan Vosper, the “biggest thing [I learned] is not being afraid to put yourself out
there. When you’re a college student the idea of networking can be daunting, but don’t be
afraid to reach out to a person whose work interests you.”

In a similar vein, board members encouraged students to approach their careers – and their job
searches – with open minds. “I was encouraged to take risks and apply for jobs that don’t
necessarily match up with the international affairs field and direction,” Nielsen said.

Another important piece of advice, according to the students: don’t underestimate the value of
an international affairs degree; the world needs more individuals trained to work in an
interdisciplinary space.

As one board member told Vosper, “You can teach a person how to do the job, but you can’t
teach a person to be interested in history.”

September 27, 2022October 31, 2022

Elliott Student Spotlight: Elise Bourmatnov

The Elliott school is honored to welcome in the new class of 2026 for the 2022-2023 academic year. With an incoming undergraduate class of just under 550 students and a graduate class of just over 250 students. We decided to catch up with a first year Elliott student Elise Bourmatnov to see how students are adjusting to life at GW.

What made you choose GW?

When I was making my college decision it was a question between staying in state or going all the way out to DC and in the end I chose GW mostly for academic reasons and for new opportunities. It was hard to choose to live so far away, but the city atmosphere was always exciting and there wasn’t a program that really catered to my interests in Seattle

What school were you in between?

I was in between the University of Washington and GW. I had two sisters that went there one just graduated with a public health degree and my other sister is a junior at the moment and she is studying psychology.

Are you interested in Greek life?

Yes, both of my sisters went through the greek system in Washington and I think interested in joining greek life here.

I’m pretty sure I want to join the panhellenic sororities. I don’t have a favorite yet but I’m interested to look into them and see which one I would like to be in, especially during formal recruitment in mid-January.

What’s your favorite thing you have done in DC so far?

I think the most exciting thing I have done was taking a White House tour. I actually had to contact my congressional representative about 3 months in advance to request the tour. I took a red eye here and went straight to the White House so it was pretty tiring, but it was really cool and I got lots of good photos.Also, going around Georgetown was super cute also there was a lot of shops and food, so that’s definitely some place you have to go if you are in DC

What’s the best food you have had here?

I have had the best food in Western Market. There is a shawarma spot I went to with my friends and it was super good. I had never tried it before and it was so delicious and at a good price too.

What’s on your bucket list?

If there are more opportunities for activism, demonstrations and that sort of stuff it would be really interesting to be a part of.

Do you have any favorite or interesting classes so far?

I think my education here has been general so far just doing history, economics, French, and international affairs. French is definitely a challenge because at my high school we did not have our classes instructed in the french language, but here class is entirely in French. There is a learning curve, but it’s making me improve a lot in French and especially in speaking.

I had also never taken an economics class before but so far it’s interesting. The math component is a nice break from the rest of my classes which are reading focused. Of course international affairs is the most interesting class because my professor Michael Brown is super passionate and engaging.

Anything that surprised you now living as a student at GW?

I definitely feel more connected with the city. While I was touring I thought that because I was on a college campus it would be very enclosed. However I actually feel I’m always leaving campus and finding new restaurants with new things to do. I love all of the beautiful architecture and monuments that have not gotten old yet.

What is the social scene like at GW in your opinion?

Some people say there are no parties at this school, however I have seen an article or two saying that this is a party school. In my experience it’s kinda in the middle, there’s definitely some night life but it’s not crazy. Because we are in the middle of the city there is a bit of a space limitation. I have signed up for George’s army and I am excited to watch basketball and other sports throughout the year.

What future goals do you have in Washington?

I currently have a federal work study job in the public affairs office of Elliot. I am still figuring out my concentration within international affairs at the moment so, I don’t quite know what internships I would like yet. I am considering a concentration in international development or international economics.