LOS ANGELES – Loyola Marymount University graduate Yolanda Nosakhare, who was selected in 2019 for the prestigious Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship program, has successfully completed the fellowship and received her appointment as a Foreign Service Information Management Specialist. Her first post as an IMS is the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China.
As a FAIT Fellow in the 2019 cohort, Nosakhare received academic funding from the U.S. Department of State for her junior and senior years at LMU. She also completed two summer internships, professional development courses, and received mentorship during the FAIT Fellowship program. Nosakhare, a member of LMU’s class of 2021, is a first-generation American and first-generation college student.
Nosakhare says she pursued the FAIT Fellowship program because it provided the opportunity to exercise her “passion for diplomacy and interest in technology” while providing the academic funding she needed to finish college.
“The FAIT Fellowship helped me get through school financially at a time when I needed it the most,” says Nosakhare. “It also provided me the comfort of knowing that I would have a career when I graduated, unlike many of my peers during the pandemic. I’ve also gained some remarkable mentors that I plan to keep around for many more years to come.”
Read a Q&A interview with Nosakhare on FAIT’s Diplomatic Roots blog.
Designed to attract the best tech talent to the Foreign Service that reflects the country’s diversity, the FAIT Fellowship program values varied backgrounds, including ethnic, racial, gender, and geographic diversity. Members of minority groups underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and individuals with financial need, are encouraged to apply.
FAIT Fellows receive up to $37,500 annually in academic funding from the Department of State for two years (the junior and senior years of an IT-related undergraduate degree program or a two-year IT-related master’s degree program). Additionally, students participate in two summer internships with stipend support – one in Washington, D.C., and one at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad – as well as professional development training. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer internships have been transitioned to virtual internships.
After completing the FAIT Fellowship program and meeting State Department requirements, Fellows receive appointments as Foreign Service Information Management Specialists and begin careers using their technology skills to support U.S. diplomacy abroad.
This announcement originally appeared online at https://www.faitfellowship.org/ and was shared on social media at https://www.facebook.com/FAITFellowship, https://www.instagram.com/fait_fellowship/ and https://twitter.com/FAITFellowship.
