In high school, her passion for international politics, economics, history and social sciences grew into a career goal and lifelong mission to promote cultural understanding, tolerance and cooperation across borders. After graduating from George Washington University, she earned the Rangel Fellowship and received a master's degree in Arab Studies at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Her first post was in Sanaa, Yemen where she served as a Political Officer working on human rights, political party relations, counter-terrorism and child trafficking. She found her work in promoting critical issues such as human rights and women's empowerment to be highly rewarding. She served as program manager for grants that made a real impact on the ground, including one that successfully incorporated human rights into the police academy curriculum.

Today, already fluent in Arabic and French, Hala is serving as a Vice Consul in Hong  Kong, for which she trained in Mandarin Chinese . Her goals for her Foreign Service career include promoting education, women's rights and empowerment, economic development, and poverty alleviation and bridging diplomatic gaps between the United States and other countries.

Hala's experiences and education began with her passion to spread understanding throughout the world, and were advanced by Charles B. Rangel Program. “The program opened a great door into the intriguing world of the US Foreign Service.” she said. “This opportunity not only provided a scholarship for a master's degree, but more importantly allowed me to effectively carry out the greater goal of promoting cultural understanding, tolerance and cooperation across borders.”

In addition to valuing her congressional internship and the subsequent internship at the U.S. embassy in Dakar, Senegal, Hala appreciated the bond formed with her fellow Fellows. “The experience of living with fellow Rangels established a great bond that has been carried into the Foreign Service,” she said. “It is a rewarding program which, while assisting you financially with graduate studies, prepares you for an intriguing, honorable and rewarding career that will change the course of your life forever,” she said.

According to Breanna, being an FSO gives her "the ability to serve my country, the potential to help change lives, and the ability to travel and live in different countries, cultures and societies." She was able to make a positive impact during her first assignment in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where she served as the Political and Military Officer. She found the work fulfilling and diverse and believed it gave her the opportunity to exercise leadership and develop new skills. Among her many accomplishments was helping to expand cooperation with the government of Burkina Faso on UN issues and coordinating U.S. military training programs and donations.

Breanna said that she is proud to serve as an example of an African American woman to the rest of the world. Ultimately, she hopes to "make a positive impact on the way women of color are viewed not just within the Foreign Service, but by people from other countries as well." Working with the Defense Ministry at her first post gave her the opportunity to do just that. "I participated in Defense Ministry meetings where I was often the only woman in the room," Breanna said.

Above all, Breanna values the counseling and the financial support she received as a Rangel Fellow. The Rangel Program introduced her to current and former diplomats, Members of Congress and FSOs abroad. Without the worry of paying for school or a finding a job after graduation, the Rangel Program gave her the ability to fully concentrate on her studies while in graduate school at American University. To this day, she still keeps in touch with the Rangel Program staff and all of her colleagues in the 2004 Rangel cohort as they all work toward making the Foreign Service more diverse and representative of all Americans.

"The Foreign Service is the career that I always dreamed of but never really knew existed," Brandon said. "The work is exciting and rewarding – with endless possibilities to make a difference in people's lives." Now, as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) , Brandon looks back on his path that led him to the Foreign Service and to the Rangel Program. After seeing the connection between his commitment to service and learning about the Foreign Service, becoming an FSO became his top priority. For Brandon, the Rangel Program was a great resource for finding out what life is like in the Foreign Service, as well as the role that both the State Department and Congress play in foreign policy.

As a Rangel Fellow, Brandon did a congressional internship in Washington and attended Georgetown University. In addition, his overseas internship in Taiwan between his first and second years of graduate school, made a significant impact on him. "My internship allowed me to work on issues of great importance to Washington, such as the "Trafficking in Persons" report and the 2008 Taiwanese presidential and legislative elections." He visited a detention center for human traffickers and met with Taiwan officials responsible for revising the laws. "Knowing that I was part of the process that would eventually change how the government treated the very women I saw in that detention center had a profound impact on me," he said. After this experience, Brandon concluded that he "made the right career choice." Returning with one more year of graduate school at Georgetown University, Brandon was able to apply the lessons he learned to his studies and to his future career in the Foreign Service. Brandon served in Sheyang, China for his first tour, followed by an assignment at the United Nations and one working as a Political officer in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In addition to his overseas internship, Brandon's most valued aspect of the Rangel Program was his mentors. "I am a much more critical thinker, detailed planner and competent professional because of the mentoring relationships," he said. "I would totally recommend this program to anyone who is interested in growing both personally and professionally in a tailored program that helps one to develop the necessary skills to succeed."

"I decided to apply for the Rangel Program because I believed it would provide me with the tools I needed to prepare for a career in the Foreign Service," she said. Erika graduated with a BA in International Business from Howard University in 2007 and a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University in 2009. During her undergraduate years, she studied at the University of Ghana, Legon and served as an intern in the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Her experiences as an undergraduate and graduate student have contributed to her professional success, but the Rangel Program has given her so much more. In addition to the "genuine investment" in the lives and careers of the Fellows that she says comes from the Rangel Program staff, Erika most valued the legislative component of the program. During the summer before the start of graduate school, Erika interned for Senator Joseph Biden on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, having the best internship experience imaginable. With the understanding that comes from working in Congress, Erika feels prepared to bring her classroom and real-world experiences to the Foreign Service.

To prospective fellows, Erika said that she "would absolutely recommend the Rangel Program."  Currently stationed in Yaounde, Cameroon with her husband and two daughters, Erika is pursuing a career as an Economic Officer where she can contribute to the development of Africa through strengthening the trade and investment relationship between the United States and Africa. Committed to service, Erika also looks forward to volunteering in the communities in which she works.

Aqueelah first learned about the Foreign Service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru where she worked with Foreign Service Officers who were in what she considered an amazing career. "[I] was fascinated by their work, opportunities to travel and interests in policy implementation," she said. Accepted into the Rangel Program in 2007, Aqueelah was able to pursue a Masters in Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She also as served as an intern in the Office of Representative Donald Payne, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health and in the U.S. Embassy in Panama City, Panama.

Aqueelah and her colleagues formed a particularly strong bond with one another and with the program staff that has remained with them. While Aqueelah attended graduate school in Washington, D.C., where the Rangel Program is based, the 2007 Rangel Fellows were spread throughout the country. But the bonds they formed were strong enough to endure long distances. Now spread around the globe on everyone's first assignments, Aqueelah truly appreciates the Rangel Program for providing lifelong mentors, friends and experiences.

This 2003 Rutgers University graduate and 2009 Georgetown University graduate is on the political career track because she "enjoys public service," she said. "I have a strong interest in human rights and social equality." With a strong interest in Latin America, where she said income disparities are a major challenge, Aqueelah is hoping to make a difference through her new job and life as a Foreign Service Officer. She is very excited about stretching her experiences by serving her first tour in Indonesia, a part of the world that is of great interest to her.

"The Rangel Program is right for me because it has given me the opportunity to learn more about the ways Congress affects the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. The Rangel Program has also shown me the various facets of diplomacy through presentations on trade and NGOs. More importantly, the Rangel Program has connected me to a network of experienced FSOs who are more than willing to guide me during my preparation for the State Department."

As part of his fellowship, Greg worked for the Chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and Global Environment in summer 2008. In the summer of 2009, Greg was the only intern at the U.S. embassy in Rangoon, Burma during the high-profile trials of Myanmar opposition leader (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) Daw Aung San Suu Kyii and an American citizen who had visited her compound uninvited, sparking the detentions. Because these trials generated enormous international interest and condemnation, Greg was able to support the Embassy's efforts to cover events in Rangoon. While he was the only intern, he was not the only Rangel Fellow. He worked with Chelsia Hetrick, a 2005 Rangel Fellow serving as a Foreign Service Officer in Rangoon. "I realized that democracy building is a long and challenging task that requires patience and commitment," Greg said.

Now that he has completed both of his internships, Greg completed his master's degree in public affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School at the University of Texas in Austin and joined the Foreign Service in the summer of 2010. He is currently working in New Delhi, India after a first assignment in the Office of Cuban Affairs in Washington, DC.  As a Foreign Service Officer, he hopes not only to contribute to U.S. foreign policy but also to correct misconceptions about America. In representing the diversity of America he hopes to show people around the world "a side of the U.S. they did not know existed."

In her senior year of college, Vi was selected to become a Rangel Fellow and accepted admission to the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). As a Rangel Fellow, she took advantage of being immersed in world of policy-making as an intern on Capitol Hill and explored the congressional role in U.S. foreign policy. She then interned at U.S. Embassy Hanoi where she helped analyze Vietnam's political dynamics through engagement with U.S. and Vietnamese officials and non government organizations. She graduated with a master's degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Proficient in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, Vi studied Japanese at the Foreign Service Institute and is now serving in her first post as a U.S. diplomat in Osaka, Japan.

Admiring others Rangel Fellows, Vi values the personal and professional connections she has with her fellow budding diplomats. “The network of fellows, both in my cohort and from other cohorts, provides the support and the resources I rely on countless times,” she said. Offering her time and advice to new Rangel Fellows is also rewarding to Vi, as she sees the value of building strong ties to those around her. Overall, she said that the Rangel Program played a supportive role in her journey to the Foreign Service and achieving her goal to help write a better history for the students of tomorrow.

After his experience in Korea, Patrick applied for and received the 2010 Rangel Graduate Fellowship and is now a second year grad student at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. For Patrick, the Rangel Program was the perfect fit because of his upbringing and his culture. "The Native Hawaiian culture is about stewardship and family. The Rangel Program parallels that in many ways. The program provides opportunities for excellent mentorship, professional development and this is done all in a family setting. The Rangel Program is all about family, whether it be with our director, mentors or other fellows."

During the summer of 2011, Patrick spent his overseas internship in Seoul, South Korea working in the Public Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy. While there, he assisted in the development of programs for community outreach to college students. He also got the opportunity to travel to various places in Korea giving speeches to school-age Koreans about volunteerism and American Politics.

Patrick is so excited to embark on his Foreign Service career in the summer of 2012. In his opinion, it is a career that combines many different things. "The Foreign Service is for those of us who are eternal learners. A great Foreign Service Officer needs to be able to continually learn on subjects like history, politics, economics, international relations, culture and much more. I love learning, and having a career that is fast paced and constantly changing is perfect for me."

Patrick hopes that his presence as a Foreign Service Officer will not only bring recognition to his native Hawaiian people but also bring greater visibility to minorities in the United States. "America is a very diverse place, and I hope that through my work at State I can change the image and perception of how others view the U.S. America is diversity and through my career I would like to reconfirm that."

After graduating Portland State University in 2009 with a degree in Criminal Justice and working for a few years, Jacob realized that a career as a Foreign Service Officer would provide him the greatest opportunity to succeed in his commitment to public service, to his family, to his tribe and to the United States. Jacob believes that many of our international issues and conflicts today come from a lack of knowledge about differences in culture, religion and political beliefs. “As a Foreign Service Officer, I hope to help build, within the international community, an increased capacity for civil dialogue and cooperation, and to instill a desire to learn of and understand other cultures.”

Jacob is now a second year graduate student at American University's School of Public Affairs. Jacob believes that the Rangel Program and the Foreign Service understand the value of diversity and hopes that his presence as a Native American Foreign Service Officer will help to open the door of this career for other members of his tribe to follow. “I wholly believe in and understand the quality of ideas, thoughts and values Native Americans can contribute to the international community.”

Dominic graduated from Allegheny College in 2005 with a Bachelor in Political Science. That same year he was awarded the Rangel Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship allowed him to dual master's degrees in public administration and international relations at Syracuse University's Maxwell School and started him off on a path to a rewarding Foreign Service career. “The Rangel Program provides those interested in joining the Foreign Service with incredible experiences and opportunities. The internships I did through the program readied me for career of ever-changing locations, cultures, and issues.”

One of Dominic's most profound experiences in the Foreign Service was being a Consular Officer on duty in Haiti when the deadly earthquake of 2010 struck. The consular team at the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince evacuated more than 15,000 American citizens and assisted thousands more. For Dominic, this experience demonstrated how American diplomats serve the core interests of the American people in times of crisis. “There's nothing more incredible than helping fellow Americans overseas who are in need. I love leaving work each day knowing I made a difference in others' lives.”

Over the course of Dominic's Foreign Service career he has served in Haiti, Zambia, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the Bureau of Consular Affairs and as a Rangel Fellow intern in the Republic of Georgia. Dominic believes the Rangel Program was right for him because “it made me part of a family of dedicated and diverse future and former Foreign Service Officers. The staff and faculty who support the program fully believe in the program's ability to help new Rangel Fellows become the best possible U.S. diplomats.“