The Pickering & Rangel Fellows Association (PRFA)

✨ Countdown to the PRFA Gala: just 15 days to go! 🎉 Don’t miss your chance to shine and connect with your colleagues in style. Grab your tickets now and get ready for a night of fun, laughter, and unforgettable memories! 🌟

🏅✨ AFSA is proud to announce this year’s recipients of the Constructive Dissent Awards! Congratulations to Mariya Ilyas from the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, whose exceptional leadership and advocacy have made a significant impact. Her efforts in promoting inclusive policies and fostering dialogue during challenging times exemplify the spirit of constructive dissent. We’ll celebrate PRFA’s very own Mariya Ilyas at the AFSA awards ceremony on October 16, 2024. 🌟👏

🚀✨ PRFA members recently had the privilege of visiting the National Defense University! It was an enlightening experience, providing valuable insights and fostering important connections. Thank you to NDU for the warm welcome and engaging discussions.

Congratulations Patricia Scroggs for being selected as the 2024 recipient of Foreign Service Champions Award!!!

🌆🌟 Time to rep your city! Whether you’re from bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, charming Boise, or anywhere in between, show us your city pride in the comments below. Let’s celebrate the diversity and vibrancy that make each city unique! 🏙️🌍

⚾🌟 Our annual outing to the baseball game was a home run! 🎉 Check out these awesome photos capturing the fun, camaraderie, and team spirit. Here’s to memorable moments and building connections beyond the office! ⚾📸

🌟✨ Three of our talented Pickering Fellows attend this year’s Chief of Mission Conference! 🌎👥 It’s a testament to their dedication and expertise in diplomacy. Let’s cheer them on as they represent excellence in our profession! 🎉👏

Ambassadors Ana Escrogima, Julie Chung, and Joey Hood

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Mariya Ilyas is a political-coned officer currently serving in the Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Mariya previously served as the Non-Immigrant Visa Chief at the U.S. Embassy Doha, Qatar and as Vice Consul at the U.S. Embassy Amman, Jordan. Prior to joining the U.S. Foreign Service as a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow, she taught English as a Fulbright Scholar in Antalya, Turkey and worked as a data analyst at Liberty Mutual Insurance, a Fortune 100 company. Mariya has held internships at The White House, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy Bangkok, and the Population Reference Bureau. She launched a journalism program in her native Pakistan as a recipient of the national Davis Projects for Peace Award and completed the Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship at Princeton University. Mariya holds an MA in security studies and global maritime studies from Tufts University’s The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a BA in mathematics from Bowdoin College. Mariya is the co-chair of American Muslims and Friends at State, a board member of Muslim Americans in Public Service, and serves on the Bowdoin Alumni Council. She is proficient in Arabic, Urdu, and Hindi and conversational in Turkish and Spanish.

Lester Asamoah is an Economic Officer with the Office of Japanese Affairs (aka the Japan desk) where he covers multilateral economic cooperation, Japan's digital economy, and space affairs. His previous assignments were as an Economic Officer at U.S. Embassy Jakarta and as a Consular Officer at U.S. Embassy Mexico City. Prior to entering the U.S. Foreign Service, he interned at U.S. Embassy Hanoi and the Department of State’s Operations Center as a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow.

Lester has a M.A. in International Development from American University, and a B.A. in International and Area Studies from the University of Oklahoma. He is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and is both a proud Oklahoman and proud first-generation Ghanaian-American. He speaks Spanish and Indonesian and has previously studied Arabic.

Share your favorite PRFA memories!

From fellowship experiences to community events, let's take a trip down memory lane. Don't forget to mention why supporting PRFA is important to you.

When Pickering and Rangel Fellows meet up, it’s always a good time. Congratulations to all Fellows who have participated in the program!!!!

Garvey Pierre started his State Department career in 2014 as a Political Officer and has since completed a Consular/Political rotation at Embassy Mexico City and a Consular/Economic rotation at Embassy Quito. After a one-year tour as a Watch Officer at the Operations Center, Garvey completed a three-year tour in Bogota as Deputy Chief in the Rule of Law Division. He is now in the process of returning to Washington as P Special for the G7. Prior to the Foreign Service, Garvey served as a Teach for America corps member in Miami, FL and as Assistant Director for the Upward Bound program in Boston, MA. Garvey was born in Boston and grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti where he lived for 15 years. He completed his undergraduate degree at Georgetown Univeorsity and received master’s degrees from Columbia University and the University of Miami. Garvey is fluent in oFrench, Spanish, English, and Haitian Creole.