Meet Rangel Fellows
2022 Fellows
Abiodun
Adeoye
Abiodun Adeoye was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to the United States in 2009. He graduated from Salisbury University in May 2020 with degrees in History and Political Science. Abiodun has interned for Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and the United Nations, founded Salisbury’s first undergraduate research journal, and established a United Nations Regional Center of Expertise on campus. In graduate school, Abiodun hopes to study public policy. He is currently serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Kyrgyzstan, and his languages include Yoruba, Swahili, Russian, and Kyrgyz.
Cynthia Isabel
Avalos
Cynthia Isabel Avalos is a graduate of UCLA in political science and sociology. Cynthia is a bilingual, native Spanish speaker from Norwalk, CA. She currently serves as an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism practitioner at the San Mateo County Community College District in California. Cynthia has interned in various government organizations domestically and abroad, including the U.S. Mission to the U.N. in Geneva, Switzerland, and the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece. She held fellowships as a UCLA Law Fellow and USC Predoctoral Fellow.
Salamata
Bah
Salamata Bah was born in Bronx, NY but spent her childhood in Conakry, Guinea. In 2020, she graduated from Pomona College with a double-major in International Relations and Asian Studies. With an interest in Korean, she was selected for the State Department's Critical Language Scholarship, which allowed her to study Korean in Gwangju, Korea. Later, she returned to South Korea two more times, first as a study abroad student at Yonsei University and currently, as an English Teacher in Yeosu, Korea. She speaks Korean and Fulani.
Anna
Baker
Anna Baker is from Somerville, NJ and graduated from Rutgers University in 2019 with a degree in Animal Sciences. Anna completed a Critical Language Scholarship in Meknes, Morocco where she studied Modern Standard Arabic and the Moroccan dialect, Darija. She later travelled to Spain to work as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Santiago de Compostela. Since August 2020, Anna has been teaching high school biology in Nablus, Palestine.
Crystal
Card
Crystal Card is from Winchester, NH, and received her bachelor's degree from Smith College in 2016. Crystal taught conversational English in India as a Fulbright Scholar and was also selected as a TEDx Speaker in 2019, speaking about wealth inequality, specifically issues impacting those in rural poverty. Crystal has worked in the non-profit sector throughout her professional career and looks forward to continuing a career in public service as a Foreign Service Officer. Crystal has varying levels of proficiency in French, Bangla, and Hindi.
Isabella
Castro
Isabella Castro of Miami, FL is a proud first generation Peruvian-American. She is a senior Burnett Scholar at the University of Central Florida who will earn an honors bachelor's degree in International and Global Studies with minors in Diplomacy and French. Her experience interning with the International Visitor Leadership Program through Global Ties Miami, as well as her service work in Nicaragua, Haiti, and Ecuador, has inspired her passion in pursuing a career as a Foreign Service Officer. Isabella speaks Spanish, French, and Quechua.
Irving
Cortes-Martinez
Irving Cortes-Martinez is a Mexican-American immigrant from Medford, OR. He graduated from Union College where he majored in Political Science and Latin American & Caribbean Studies. During his time at Union, Irving studied in Brazil, Argentina, and Senegal. Irving also interned at the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. After graduation, Irving served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Malaysia. Now he works as a paralegal at the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago. Irving’s languages include Spanish, French, Portuguese, and some Malay.
Cassandra
Cronin
Cassandra Cronin grew up outside of Atlanta, GA and received her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College, where she double majored in Peace and Justice Studies and Spanish. She studied abroad in Japan, Cuba, Italy, and Spain and interned at the Stimson Center as a Conventional Defense Research Intern, after she completed the Summer Peacebuilding Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Cassandra now works as the Political Associate at Foreign Policy for America. She speaks Spanish and Italian.
Michael
Cruz
Michael Cruz is a native New Yorker who studied Political Science and minored in Public Policy at the City College of New York. He studied abroad in Brazil, South Korea, and participated in a service-learning project in urban farming in the Dominican Republic. Michael also interned for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as an Immigration and Foreign Affairs Intern. He is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Peru as a Youth Development Facilitator. Most recently, Michael was a Placement and Assessment Specialist at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. selecting future Peace Corps volunteers. Michael speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
Denzel
Degollado
Denzel Degollado was born and raised in the Philippines. He currently lives and works in New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree in International Relations and French & Francophone Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where he held leadership positions and was a POSSE Foundation Scholar. Currently, he is an Associate in the Strategic Communications practice of Finsbury Glover Hering in New York City. He speaks English, Tagalog, and French. Degollado is interested in the intersections between security, development, and multilateral cooperation and hopes to further explore these topics in graduate school and as a Foreign Service Officer.
Harkismat
Dhaliwal
Harkismat Dhaliwal grew up in Danville, CA and graduated from Wellesley College in 2021. She studied Political Science and Economics with a concentration in Comparative Politics. She studied intensive Urdu through the Boren National Security Scholarship. Kismat has interned and worked with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Brookings Institute’s Foreign Policy Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and worked as a SikhLEAD Fellow. Kismat hopes to serve as a Political or Economic Officer and explore her interests in international security, defense cooperation, non-proliferation, and human rights. Her languages include Spanish, Urdu, and Punjabi.
Keightley
Dudgeon
Keightley Dudgeon is from Crestwood, KY. She graduated in May 2019 with a major in Arabic and minor in Teaching English as a Second Language from Western Kentucky University. She has various internship and study abroad experiences, and she worked in Morocco through the Fulbright Program. Since her return, she started full-time work at Kentucky Refugee Ministries as a Citizenship and ESL Instructor. Keightley is interested in pursuing a degree in International Relations or International Development with a focus on immigrant/refugee policy. Her languages include Arabic, Spanish, and Moroccan Darija.
Matthew
Eng
Matthew Eng is from West Orange, NJ and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the George Washington University with his bachelor's degree in International Affairs and Political Science in 2020. Matthew interned for retired Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen and worked for the Peace Corps' Office of Global Health and HIV, the Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, and the International Republican Institute. In the Foreign Service, Matthew hopes to work on democratic governance and security issues, particularly within the Indo-Pacific region.
Oscar
Escobar
Oscar Escobar hails from Orlando, FL and graduated from Emory University with a degree in International Relations and East Asian Studies. Oscar studied abroad in Seoul and has worked in the nonprofit and civil society spheres, including working on peace and reconciliation issues in the Korean peninsula. Oscar’s languages include Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, and Korean. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in public administration or international affairs. Oscar wants to join the Foreign Service to advance people-to-people exchanges.
Cydney
Gardner-Brown
Cydney Gardner-Brown is a native Detroiter and 2021 alumna of the University of Michigan where she obtained a degree, with honors, in Public Policy. Cydney held several notable internships, including a summer in the office of Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence and another at the Detroit Justice Center. She intends to pursue a degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Urban Policy and Development. She spent time in Costa Rica, Senegal, and France studying abroad and for service projects; she is proficient in Spanish.
Jennifer
Gonzalez
Jennifer Gonzalez is a Nicaraguan-American who was raised in Paterson, NJ. A first-generation college graduate, she graduated from West Virginia University where she double majored in Political Science and International Studies. Jennifer has worked with the Peace Corps as a Secondary School Educator, AmeriCorps VISTA as a VISTA Leader, and Fulbright as an English Teaching Assistant in Costa Rica. Jennifer hopes to learn about ethics, peace, and human rights and how to apply these principles as a Foreign Service Officer. She speaks Spanish, Chichewa, and French.
Alexandra
Greig-Duarte
Alexandra Greig-Duarte is Brazilian-American and grew up in Oakland, CA. She spent her formative years at an international school in Uganda where she discovered her interest in development and diplomacy. Alexandra has a B.A. in Global Studies from the University of California- Santa Barbara and a certificate in International Affairs and Strategies from Sciences Po, Paris. She now works in Washington, D.C. at a nonprofit working in global development and intends to study security policy with a geographic focus in Sub-Saharan Africa during her graduate studies. Her languages are French and Spanish.
Emily
Harris
Emily Harris spent the majority of her childhood in South Texas. She obtained her B.A. in International Studies with a concentration in Political Science and a Hispanic Studies minor at Pepperdine University. Emily currently works in the International Programs Office at Pepperdine University and intends to study Public Policy and Global Affairs in graduate school while continuing her love for language learning. Emily is proficient in Spanish and Portuguese.
Jenna
Iskandar
Jenna Iskandar, from Fairfax, VA, graduated in May 2021 from the College of William & Mary where she majored in International Relations and Chinese Language & Culture. She interned at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou and worked as a research assistant, researching armed responses to global mobilization and with AidData. Jenna studied Mandarin and was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship for it; she is also proficient in French. In graduate school, she hopes to continue studying Mandarin, U.S.-China relations, and delve deeper into security studies.
Craig
Joiner
Craig Joiner was born and raised in Florida. He completed his undergraduate studies at Rice University, where he received a degree in Materials Science and Asian Studies. Craig volunteered in Argentina, China, and Japan before studying abroad at Keio University in Tokyo. Craig speaks Japanese, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese. Craig hopes to deepen his understanding of the political and economic structures of foreign nations while acquiring the technical skills necessary for a successful career in diplomacy. Craig is a proud Questbridge Scholar, Gates Millennium Scholar, and now Rangel Fellow!
Gabriel
Kornas
Gabriel Kornas is from Seattle, WA but grew up partly in Doha, Qatar. He graduated in 2019 with a BA in International Studies and a minor in Law, Societies, and Justice from the University of Washington. Gabriel interned with the Department of State’s Bureau of Administration and the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman, in addition to working part-time at the YMCA of Greater Seattle. He previously studied Arabic and Spanish. Since graduating, Gabriel has worked in the University of Washington’s Office of Federal Relations. He plans to pursue a Master of Public Administration.
Brandon
Lee
Brandon Lee, from Indianapolis, IN, graduated in December 2021 from Florida International University and majored in International Relations and minored in Economics and Business Analytics. During his undergraduate studies, he interned at the United States Department of the Treasury in the Office of International Development Policy. He studied Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole. In the fall, Brandon will pursue a master’s degree in international economic policy.
John
Lillegard
John Lillegard was raised in the rural town of Stanford, MT and attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and German studies. He currently works as a legal administrative specialist for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. John taught English for two years with the Peace Corps in Ukraine and later served in the Montana Conservation Corps as a youth crew leader. John interned on Capitol Hill with Senator Steve Daines. John speaks German and Ukrainian and has also studied Russian and Swedish. He intends to pursue a Master’s in International Relations.
Sarah
Lind-MacMillan
Sarah Lind-MacMillan was adopted from Anhui, China, and grew up in Minneapolis, MN. She currently attends Lewis & Clark College, where will receive a degree in International Affairs with honors. Sarah has interned with government sectors, including USAID and the U.S. Department of State. She also interned with the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council and volunteered with Mano a Mano in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Sarah’s language skills include proficiency in Mandarin. She hopes to pursue a regional specialization in East and Southeast Asia. Sarah looks forward to continuing her research in human and labor rights, global economic justice, and humanitarian intervention.
Sean
Massa
Sean Massa is from San Jose, CA and is of Mexican, Japanese, Native Hawaiian, and Apache heritage. He holds degrees from UPenn, Yale, and the University of Hong Kong. Sean led indigenous advocacy and interfaith programming through the Penn Greenfield Intercultural Center, was the Diversity & Inclusion Chair of the Yale GPS Senate, and studied abroad in Vietnam, South Africa, and Brazil. He was a Princeton in Asia fellow and interned with the United Nations in Indonesia. In the Foreign Service, Sean hopes to promote democracy and LGBTQ+ rights abroad. He speaks Bahasa Indonesia, Spanish, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Mandarin, and basic Cantonese.
Sophie
May
Sophie May, born and raised in Cheektowaga, NY, has dreamt of serving her country as a diplomat since she started interning at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. She studies Political Science, French, and History at the University of Buffalo, where she will be graduating in May 2022. She works as a French teacher for the Alliance Française and as a Research Assistant for the Political Science and Romance Language Departments; her languages are French, Russian, and German. In her free time, she likes to read, do embroidery, and do yoga. Sophie would like to study U.S. national security issues pertaining to Russia.
Daniela
Mengesha
Daniela Mengesha was born in Ruse, Bulgaria and grew up in Houston, TX. She is a Posse Scholar from the University of Virginia, majoring in Foreign Affairs and minoring in Middle Eastern Studies. She interned at the Justice Center for Legal Aid in Amman, Jordan and for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Daniela’s languages include Bulgarian, Spanish, and Arabic, but she is excited to learn more as a Foreign Service Officer. She hopes to obtain a master’s degree in public policy.
Sabrina
Mohamed
Sabrina Mohamed was born and raised in Boston, MA. She relocated to Washington, D.C in October 2020 to complete her fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sabrina is a Salem State University alumna, where she studied Political Science, Sociology, and Healthcare Studies. Sabrina has interned on Capitol Hill for representative Seth Moulton's office and served on various e-boards during undergrad. Sabrina hopes to study Conflict Resolution/Peace Keeping in graduate school.
Mayeen
Mohammedi
Mayeen Mohammedi is a Hyderabadi Indian-American who grew up in Southern California. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico before moving to the Gambia, West Africa to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer. She has worked at the United Nations Department of Safety and Security, the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, and the 1947 Partition Archive. Mayeen now works for Peace Corps HQ. She has lived in Ecuador, South Korea, the Gambia, and the Caribbean and speaks Hindi/Urdu, Sarahule, and conversational Spanish. Mayeen has traveled to 44 countries and aspires to be the first Muslim woman to visit every country in the world.
DeJorie
Monroe
DeJorie Monroe, from Columbia, SC, studied Spanish Language and Literature at the University of Notre Dame. She was selected as an Orr Fellow and worked in various roles, including the Consulting Sales Director at Genesys in Indianapolis, IN. She was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching grant and worked in Mendoza, Argentina. She currently teaches Spanish Literacy, Math, and Science in a Dual Language Immersion Program and is excited to pursue her interests in international education and international affairs. DeJorie speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic.
Maia
Moore
Maia Moore is from Tuscaloosa, AL, but currently resides in Chicago, IL. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Economics and Chinese Studies from Valparaiso University. She was a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar to Hangzhou, China and interned for the Foreign Internship Program, working in Washington, D.C. and Tokyo, Japan. She was a Fulbright Scholar and served in Taitung, Taiwan. She speaks Mandarin and Spanish. Maia works as a Program Assistant at a Chicago-based non-profit focused on racial equity and bridgebuilding efforts.
Eunice
Muchemi
Eunice Muchemi hails from Silver Spring, MD by way of Nairobi, Kenya. She graduated from the University of the South in 2019 with a B.A. in International and Global Studies with minors in Politics and Women and Gender Studies. She studied abroad in Ghana and interned at the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention in Uganda. Her languages are Kiswahili and French. She works in Accenture’s Consulting Public Service Practice and was an AmeriCorps Summer Associate at the South Cumberland Plateau in rural Tennessee.
Ramatu
Muhammed
Ramatu Muhammed is a Ghanaian-American from the Bronx, NY. She studied Political Science and International Studies at the State University of New York at Potsdam, and she participated in the Charles B. Rangel Summer Enrichment Program. She interned at the Permanent Mission of Fiji and the UNDP’s Office of Latin America and the Caribbean. She works as an English Language Assistant in Spain. She plans on pursuing a Master of Arts in International Relations with a focus area in Culture and Technology. She speaks Akan-Twi, Hausa and is learning Turkish and Spanish.
Lauren
Newman
Lauren Newman is a St. Martin, MS native who graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2020 with majors in International Studies and Arabic. She studied abroad in Jordan and spent a year in Morocco as a Boren Scholar. Lauren co-founded Mississippi Votes and has also interned with the Carter Center's Democracy Program. She speaks Moroccan Darija Arabic, Levantine Arabic, and Modern Standard Arabic. Lauren plans to study public policy in graduate school with a focus on peace and conflict, democratization, and climate change.
Kelly
Nguyen
Kelly Nguyen is from Annandale, VA, and graduated in 2020 with a dual degree in Political Science and International Studies with double minors in Spanish and Gender, Sexuality, Women's Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has interned for Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida and the Virginia’s House of Delegates, and she is currently working for the International Rescue Committee. She hopes to earn a Master's in International Relations. Kelly speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and some Vietnamese.
Akaysha
Palmer
Akaysha Palmer is a proud Jamaican-American from the Bronx, NY. She
graduated from Seton Hall University in May 2022 with a B.S. in Diplomacy and
International Relations, with minors in Economics and Spanish. Akaysha has
interned at the Office of the Mayor of NYC, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations,
and has completed the Public Affairs and International Relations Fellowship at
Princeton University. Akaysha plans to obtain a master's degree in public policy, specializing in economic development within the Western Hemisphere and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is proficient in Spanish.
Marco
Ramos
Marco Ramos was born and raised in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He studied at the University of Rochester, majoring in International Relations and minoring in Chinese and Legal Studies. Marco has held various internships, worked with the Organization of American States during the 2019 Bolivian general elections, and is currently working as a paralegal at the Covington & Burling law firm. Marco hopes to expand his knowledge of international law, international organizations, and foreign policymaking during his graduate education. Marco speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese.
Cornelius
Sanford
Cornelius Sanford was born in Houston, TX but grew up across rural Kentucky. He attended the University of Louisville and double majored in Psychology and Pan-African Studies. Cornelius interned for Kentucky Refugee Ministries and Americana, and he attended the Public Policy and International Affairs Program at UC Berkeley as a Law Fellow. He held two policy research internships in Cape Town, South Africa, and he is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Madagascar as a TEFL Educator. He hopes to pursue International Affairs and Diplomacy in his graduate studies. His languages include Malagasy, Spanish, and some French.
Barghav
Sivaguru
Barghav Sivaguru was born in Chennai, India and grew up in Mahomet, IL. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with degrees in Political Science and Communications, with minors in Arab Studies and Informatics. He interned with several other organizations in fields ranging from healthcare to consulting, including with the Middle East Institute, where he works now. Barghav spent a year studying Arabic and interning in Amman, Jordan as a Boren Scholar. He speaks Tamil and Spanish.
Rashida
Thomas
Rashida Thomas is a magna cum laude graduate of Trinity (Washington) University. A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, she taught English in Ukraine. Domestically, she has worked as a middle school teacher, Interim Director of Special Projects, and is currently a Program Manager at an education non-profit. Rashida is a proud New Yorker who credits the city for her love of culture and its many expressions. As a volunteer, she frequently collaborates in opportunities for youth, senior, and underserved populations. Rashida’s plans for graduate studies center International Affairs and Conflict Management, with a focus on practicing dispute resolution globally.
Darla
Torres
Darla Torres is a Cuban-born Miami native. She studied at Williams College, graduated with a degree in Mathematics, and did most of her work-study teaching Spanish and Science. She worked in South Korea for three years as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. She worked at an elementary and middle school, and she finished her last year of the grant at the Seoul Science High School. Darla hopes to channel her passion for education and cultural exchange to connect with others abroad and in her work as a Foreign Service Officer. Darla’s languages include Spanish and Korean.
Maximo
Ulloa
Maximo Ulloa is a proud Chilean-American from Miami, FL. He graduated summa cum laude from Florida International University with dual degrees in Political Science and International Relations and certificates in National Security, European and Eurasian Studies, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Maximo has held positions in various government organizations, and he is currently a Legislative Aide in the Florida House of Representatives. Maximo hopes to study International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. He is bilingual in Spanish and is learning German.
Talisa
Woodroffe
Talisa Woodroffe is a proud Barbadian-American from Brooklyn, NY. She attended SUNY Buffalo State and graduated in May 2016 with a B.A. in Political Science. After graduating, she volunteered with FEMA Corps, providing disaster relief in the Southeast region of the US. She went on to teach English as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gansu, China, where she gained some proficiency in Mandarin. She also speaks Spanish. In graduate school, Talisa hopes to focus her studies on humanitarian assistance and sustainable development.
Joy
Woods
Joy Woods is a native of Greensboro, NC and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2021 with a BS in International Business and a BA in Political Science. Joy studied abroad in Nagoya, Japan and has also interned at the U.S. Department of State's Office of Japanese Affairs as a political intern. Joy is a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Scholar and is very excited to expand her research in political economy in grad school. Joy speaks Japanese; in addition to Japan, Joy has also traveled to Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Airin
Wu
Airin Wu is from Los Angeles and studied Political Science at the University of California San Diego. She interned at the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles, the Peace Corps, the Scottish Parliament, and worked at various legal and compliance settings. She has also worked on disaster relief teams, volunteered, and tutored refugees through various projects. In graduate school, Airin is interested in studying the intersections of technology, international security, and policy. She currently speaks Japanese but is hoping to improve her Mandarin as well.