Every year, the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program brings the best undergraduate students to the nation’s capital for a six-week program that provides experiential opportunities towards a career in international affairs. This past summer, Leohana Carrera, a government and international politics major at the Schar School of Policy and Government, earned her spot in this prestigious program.
The Rangel Summer Fellows experience was a game-changer for Carrera. During the program, she attended courses at Howard University and dived into the world of international affairs by meeting and interacting with foreign affairs professionals and programs.
“The program enabled me to connect with the most talented and diverse individuals who are doing amazing things around the world,” says Carrera. “I met people who are world citizens, speak a plethora of languages, and are focused on making their careers truly impactful.”
Carrera, a first-generation college student from Guatemala, was exposed to foreign affairs courses during her junior year at George Mason University. She attests to the quality of her Schar School courses in international politics, which she affirms gave her an understanding of real-world current affairs that proved crucial during the program’s rigorous application process. She also credits her professor, Dr. Sonja Taylor, noting that she motivated her to apply for the fellowship. She also thanks her advisor, Dr. Anne Ludwick, who helped her prepare for the application.
“The opportunity to hear from leadership around D.C. and to see how politics play out in the nation’s capital was a real-world experience,” says Carrera. “The program definitely changed me, as it did not just prepare me professionally, but it also exposed me to a network of supportive individuals that enabled me to have a better sense of what careers exist in the field of international affairs.”
What advice does Carrera have for fellow students who wish to make the most of their undergraduate experience?
“I would say for them to step out of their comfort zone, to step into spaces that will make them uncomfortable, because this will lead to personal development,” says Carrera. “Connect with your professors and find mentors. Commit to self-growth and do not stick to anything that is not enhancing that.”
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Applications for the 2018 Summer Enrichment Program are now open and are due on February 1, 2018. For details, visit https://www.rangelprogram.org/summer-enrichment-program.