Latin-American Studies

Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service, and its Centre for Latin American Studies, is undeniably, one of the nations most prestigious institutes for gaining knowledge on foreign relations. I have a keen inclination towards international relations and Latin American Studies, largely attributable to the events and experiences in the course of my life. I believe my knowledge, inquisition and interest on the subject to be the key reason in being awarded a coveted fellowship for graduate studies by the Fellowship board recently.
I am an American citizen by birth with an ancestry that can be traced back to Italy and Mexico. I have been brought up by a single parent with low earning capacity in a border town in Mexico.  After coming of age, I came back to US to pursue my higher education and realize my dream of a career in foreign services. I received my B.S. in Economics in 2009 from the University of Arizona. I also had the opportunity to undertake Grad-Level classes in international relations, U.S. Foreign Policy, U.S. War and Diplomacy, International Organizations and International Political Economy (3.6 GPA).   Subsequently, I worked with two US embassies  Papua New Guinea and Mexico. Currently, I am holding a position as a Management Analyst with the U.S. Department of Defense. Recently, I have also received a job offer from Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)  Strategy and Policy Section. I wish to undertake part time employment with DTRA while pursuing my studies at Georgetown. Additionally, my fellowship with the US Department
Foreign State Service will provide me the funding to cover up my expenses for the next two years.

My experiences of living in two very different neighboring countries has played a major role in promoting my interest in Latin American Studies and a career in Foreign Services. It has nurtured my desire to live in diverse foreign locations and to learn different cultures. I am extremely adaptive. My early years in Mexico have taught me to live comfortably in varied conditions and circumstances.  I have an aptitude for languages which takes me one step closer to fulfilling my dream. I am well versed with English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Italian, and Melanesian TokPisin.

US has close economic ties with Latin America. Many US multinationals have operations in Mexico and other Latin American countries. I have successfully undertaken several internships with different agencies to deepen my knowledge on federal Government. For instance, I did an economic analysis on the automotive industry for the American Consulate in Monterrey. In the course of my research, I learned the expansive impact of multinational automotive companies.  If American automotive manufacturers suffer economically, tremendous negative effects on employment in Mexico can be observed. This, in turn results in collateral effects on emigration.

During my graduate studies, I would like to focus on matters related to transnational business.  I am sensitive not only to the higher level political aspects but to the lower level human aspects as well.  In my view, International relations not only involve nations with economic and cultural differences, but also human beings. The present financial uncertainty and turbulent global markets make Latin America even a more important target study area now.  The need for experts with analytical insight and ability to explore these matters further has never been greater. With my background and diverse international and professional experiences, I seek to be an active learner and participant in this institute. I am certain that your program will equip me with the necessary information and tools to facilitate my professional goals in this domain.