School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University

Today we’re highlighting Beverly Holton (SFS’29), who’s been spending her interning in the DC office of Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). 🇺🇸

In her role, Holton works on national security and foreign relations issues with Duckworth’s legislative team. She has contributed to several legislative research projects focused on the war with Iran, allowing her to explore constitutional law and the international politics of historical relations with Iran and Gulf allies. Additionally, her interactions with constituents have developed her communication skills when engaging in dialogue with individuals holding differing viewpoints.

“My job is not to argue but to listen, understand and record, which has made me take the space to deeply comprehend political views that I would usually jump to oppose,” she says.

Ethiopia’s ongoing conflicts have intensified debates over citizenship, national identity and belonging. While violence has escalated in recent years, the roots of today’s crisis lie in a series of pivotal political transitions that continue to shape the country’s future.

We spoke with SFS Professor Lahra Smith and alumna Bethania Michael (SFS'19, MSFS'22) about their January 2026 article, which explores these “critical junctures” in modern Ethiopian history and what they reveal about the country's current challenges, misconceptions about the conflict and possible paths toward resolution.

Read more:

SFS professor and alumna partner to examine critical junctures shaping Ethiopian national identity | School of Foreign Service | Georgetown SFS Professor Lahra Smith and alumna Bethania Michael (SFS'19, MSFS'22) examine key turning points shaping Ethiopian identity, citizenship and conflict.

Luke Madden (SFS’28) is spending his interning at The Atlantic Council Middle East Programs. 🌐

Madden is a 2026 Paul F. Pelosi Scholar. Empowering exceptional SFS sophomores and juniors with transformative public service opportunities, the Paul F. Pelosi Scholars Initiative (PSI) helps students build professional skills, connect with leading practitioners and scholars and gain hands-on experience to prepare for careers in public service. In his role, Madden supports the constituent parts of the center in hosting events, conducting research and assisting in administrative duties.

“Having the opportunity to discuss the major questions of the day, especially in a region as important as the Middle East and North Africa, with those who have actually shaped outcomes there has brought my SFS studies to life in a way only practical experience can,” he says.

The word “pogrom” is most often associated with anti-Jewish violence in the Russian Empire and later in N**i Germany. In his new book “American Pogroms,” SFS Professor Daniel Byman (Georgetown Security Studies Program) applies the concept more broadly, examining episodes of organized violence against minority groups throughout U.S. history.

We spoke with Byman about the book, which explores state-sanctioned and mob violence against Mormons, Catholics, Chinese immigrants, Black Americans and other communities—and what these overlooked chapters in U.S. history reveal as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.

Read more:

“American Pogroms” looks to U.S. past for education & warning about mob violence | School of Foreign Service | Georgetown SFS Professor Daniel Byman discusses his new book, American Pogroms.

Anita Tun (SFS’27) is spending her interning in Vienna, Austria, at the International Organization for Migration (IOM - UN Migration). 🇦🇹

Tun is a 2026 Paul F. Pelosi Scholar. Empowering exceptional SFS sophomores and juniors with transformative public service opportunities, the Paul F. Pelosi Scholars Initiative (PSI) helps students build professional skills, connect with leading practitioners and scholars and gain hands-on experience to prepare for careers in public service. In her role supporting the labor mobility division, Tun works on issues related to private sector partnerships, human rights, labor exploitation, remittances and labor migration.

“As a business and global affairs major, my studies have helped me understand how the public and private sectors can work together, and at IOM, I have seen firsthand how that collaboration can improve outcomes for migrants,” she says.

Congratulations to Abigail Koch (SFS’27), who received the 2026 Intelligence and National Security Alliance’s Reinventing Geospatial Scholarship! Koch has applied her counterproliferation interest to analytic work for Project Maverick’s China Desk and the Institute for Science and International Security and is charting a course toward a career in the intelligence community.

Read more:

2026 INSF Scholarship Recipients The Intelligence and National Security Foundation (INSF) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 undergraduate and master's scholarship program.

is still going strong! Today, we highlight Adeena Hossain (SFS’27), a Georgetown University in Qatar student, who’s here in DC conducting her senior thesis research on transnational college students’ perceptions of American autocratization. She’s also a government affairs intern at the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

In her role at CAIR, Hossain works on advocacy efforts with the Muslim-American community, including tracking legislation as it moves through Congress and compiling resources that support the Muslim-American community in becoming more engaged with local and federal politics. She’s also experienced first-hand how grassroots organizations and nonprofits interact with government institutions, where they fit into the policymaking process and how community advocacy can actually shape public policy.

“It’s been interesting to see how the dynamics I learn about in my classes at the SFS actually unfold in real time and how decisions made in Washington ripple outward, affecting local communities and influencing broader global conversations,” she says.

Cross-cultural dialogue is a cornerstone of the Georgetown SFS experience—and for students like Henry Albrecht (SFS'28), it extends far beyond the classroom.

As a 2025-2026 Global Citizenship Fellow (The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs), Henry spent months engaging in virtual conversations with peers from Jesuit universities around the world before traveling to Rome for an immersive study experience. Through these conversations, he gained firsthand insight into the power of listening across differences and the possibilities for international cooperation.

We spoke to Albrecht about how the program—and Georgetown's Jesuit values—are shaping his perspective on global citizenship, diplomacy and a future in international politics.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4bjvWdi

Carmela Cadja (SFS’28) is spending her as a forced displacement strategic outreach intern at the World Bank Group. 🌍

Cadja is a 2026 Paul F. Pelosi Scholar. Empowering exceptional SFS sophomores and juniors with transformative public service opportunities, the Paul F. Pelosi Scholars Initiative (PSI) helps students build professional skills, connect with leading practitioners and scholars and gain hands-on experience to prepare for careers in public service. In her role, Cadja writes a blog series on international perspectives on solving forced displacement and supports day-to-day office operations.

“I learned that a curious mindset, including questioning decisions and ideas, was the best way to gather insight on issues relating to forcibly displaced people and the broader international system,” she says.