Author: Anneliese Raynolds

Sahar is pursuing a major in International Affairs with a double concentration in Comparative Political, Economic, and Social Systems and International Politics and a Double Minor in Political Science and Psychology. Her passion for South Asian politics and researching the impacts of the digital age have led her to incorporate both fields into her research. Sahar’s project examines the social media strategies of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party in their most recent campaign and election cycles. She hopes to connect this research to the broader academic conversation on the impacts of disinformation campaigns and Internet-driven political polarization within countries experiencing the destabilization and erosion of democracy.

Outside of the Dean’s Scholars Program, Sahar is interning with Just Communities of Arkansas, a nonprofit organization seeking to promote social justice initiatives through youth-centered educational programming. Sahar also serves as the Social Media Chair for Sigma Iota Rho, the Elliott School’s gender-inclusive international affairs honor society, as well as the Co-President for Allied In Pride, GWU’s largest LGBTQ+ interest and advocacy organization.

Fletcher graduated from GW in the fall of 2021 with a BA in Asian Studies and minors in Philosophy and Korean. While a member of the 2020-2022 cohort he researched changing US perceptions of the DPRK since the fall of the last major bilateral treaty in 2003. While at GW he managed he was director of the Justice Journal, a member of the Parliamentary Debate Society, and on the steering committee of GW Students for Bernie. He is currently a candidate for the MA in the University of Chicago’s Division of the Social Sciences, taking coursework with the departments of History and Political Science and the Committee on Social Thought. In the long run, he will pursue a PhD in Political Science with a focus on US foreign policy in Cold War East Asia.

Caroline graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in Global Public Health, with a particular focus on agriculture. As a member of the 2020-2022 cohort, she researched women’s participation in agroecology initiatives and organizations in Peru. After graduation, Caroline moved to Chicago and now works in financial services management consulting. 

Payton Beaumier is pursuing a major in International Affairs with concentrations in Conflict Resolution and Security Policy. She is particularly interested in examining terrorist activity and military operations throughout the African region. Her research for the Dean’s Scholars Program focuses on the process of deradicalization and reintegration of child soldiers from Boko Haram in Nigeria. Currently, Payton serves as a research assistant for Professor Dr. Ernest Ogbozor, conducting research on conflict in Nigeria. Previously, she was a Robina Franklin Williams intern at the Council on Foreign Relations. At GWU, Payton is a member of the Global Bachelor’s Program and the Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority.

Sahar is pursuing a major in International Affairs with a double concentration in Comparative Political, Economic, and Social Systems and International Politics and a Double Minor in Political Science and Psychology. Her passion for South Asian politics and researching the impacts of the digital age have led her to incorporate both fields into her research. Sahar’s project examines the social media strategies of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party in their most recent campaign and election cycles. She hopes to connect this research to the broader academic conversation on the impacts of disinformation campaigns and Internet-driven political polarization within countries experiencing the destabilization and erosion of democracy.

Outside of the Dean’s Scholars Program, Sahar is interning with Just Communities of Arkansas, a nonprofit organization seeking to promote social justice initiatives through youth-centered educational programming. Sahar also serves as the Social Media Chair for Sigma Iota Rho, the Elliott School’s gender-inclusive international affairs honor society, as well as the Co-President for Allied In Pride, GWU’s largest LGBTQ+ interest and advocacy organization.

Sivahn is studying International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict Resolution and a particular interest in deeply divided societies. Her research with Dean’s Scholars focuses on understanding how nonviolence functions in deeply divided societies such as Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, and South Africa. Outside of the classroom Sivahn is a member of the Global Bachelor’s Program and a policy intern at the Alliance for Middle East Peace.

Elad graduated from GW with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict Resolution and a minor in Geographic Information Systems. He is Co-founder and Executive Director of the Onero Institute, an entirely youth-driven nonprofit research organization that seeks to bridge the gap between youth and the professional community in international affairs. In the Dean’s Scholars Program, his thesis focused on migration dynamics between the United States and Israel, examining rhetoric from Jewish organizations in two historical periods to determine key themes of continuity and change. He is originally from New York and is interested in Israel studies and the wider Middle East, geography, climate and environment, and peace studies. In his free time, he enjoys traveling to new places, playing basketball, and spending time with his dog, Bamba. 

Cyrena graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, a concentration in Conflict Resolution, and minors in Geographic Information Systems and French Literature, Language, & Culture. As a member of the 2020-2022 cohort Dean’s Scholars Program, she interviewed members of the Rwandan Tutsi diaspora to explore the effects of the gacaca community court system on the forgiveness process between diaspora Hutus and Tutsis in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.

During her time at GW, Cyrena served as a peer advisor for first-year Elliott School students, an intern with the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Foreign Influence: Election 2020 project, and an analyst with Miburo Solutions, a research and consulting firm that detects and counters extremism and disinformation campaigns in the digital sphere. Cyrena currently lives in Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, France, where she works as a teaching assistant for middle and high school English students.