This year, PAF received a record-breaking number of applications. With the dedication of numerous University faculty, staff, the PAF advising team, and PAF fellows and alumni,, we selected five individuals who demonstrate promising commitments in their academic pursuits while displaying leadership in their internships and/or student organizations. In addition to their great academic and professional achievements, they have also shown a consistent devotion to volunteering and contributing to their community.
We are thrilled to announce the PAF 2017~19 cohort: Matthew Basista, Gabriela (Gaby) Madrid, Helen Christy Powell, Emily Somberg and Ian Tang.
Matthew received his B.A. from the Elliott School and he is pursuing his Master’s in Security Policy Studies. His dream job is to become a professor at the U.S. Military Academy.
Gaby received her B.A. from the Milken School of Public Health and she is pursuing her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC). Gaby intends to continue her legacy of building a community for first-generation college students through her role as a PAF.
Helen graduated with a B.A. from the Elliott School and she is pursuing her Master’s in the Elliott School’s Security Policy Studies program. She is fascinated with the confluence of security and diplomacy, and her dream job is to be a Political Affairs Officer at the State Department. She loves the city of D.C. dearly despite growing up in a small town in Western North Carolina.
Emily Somberg graduated with a B.A., double majoring in International Affairs and French Language and Literature. She is pursuing her Master’s in Anthropology. Her dream job is to be an Urban Anthropologist and an Art Museum Curator. She is also an avid literature reader and aspires to become a novelist herself one day.
Ian Tang graduated from the Elliott School and is pursuing his Master’s in Public Policy from the Trachtenberg School. His love for technology and human rights has inspired him to become a Human Rights Officer.
Read more about the incoming PAFs in the GW Today article. Thank you again to all the PAF alumni who helped with the selection process!