NTC Senior will realize her career dreams with a Rangel Fellowship
Senior Ayanna Hill is on her way to realizing her dreams thanks to the support she will receive from the Rangel Graduate Fellowship.
Through a highly competitive nationwide process, the Rangel Graduate Fellowship program selects and prepares outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. Fellows receive financial support for two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities. Fellows who successfully complete the program and Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers.
“Ayanna is an amazing example of the type of student the Rangel Program seeks - motivated, high-achieving, and, most importantly, committed to public service and serving her fellow Americans. She has demonstrated these qualities through her extracurricular activities, coursework, and pursuit of other U.S. Federal Government opportunities, including service as a Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) intern with the U.S. Department of State. I look forward to welcoming Ayanna into an amazing career in the Foreign Service as a peer and colleague after her graduate school studies!”
– Shane Hough, Diplomat in Residence – Central South (AR, LA, MS, OK),
U.S. Department of State.
For Ayanna this is a realization of the goals she set before entering Tulane and which she consistently pursued.
“My desire to join the foreign service began in high school as I grew to love the profession that blended my interest in international affairs with my passion for public service. When I entered college, I chose to pursue as many avenues as possible to prepare me for a career abroad, leading me to the then Diplomat in Residence for the Central South, J. Nathan Bland. He introduced me to the Rangel Fellowship early in my freshman year, and through working with him over the course of the next 2 years I learned about all the benefits of programs like Rangel and so much more the Department of State had to offer. He not only inspired me to pursue this award but has also supported me through many application cycles over the years.”
– Ayanna Hill
The Rangel award comes on the heels of another success for Ayanna. In spring 2024, the Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Program selected her to participate in an intensive seven-week Junior Summer Institute. The program is hosted by some of the top graduate policy schools in the nation and provides students with the knowledge and network to succeed in the field of public service. Through it, Ayanna is eligible for further financial support if she applies to graduate schools that are members of the PPIA consortium.
Through hard work, determination, and years of dedication to her goal, Ayanna is breaking new ground for her family by receiving the Rangel Fellowship.
“It truly feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I have worked so hard over the past four years to prepare myself for a career in this field and now I have finally achieved a pathway to it. I truly am so grateful that I have been given this opportunity. Winning this award gives me the opportunity to change the legacy of my entire family. I will not only be the first person to attend graduate school, but also the first person to travel or work abroad. With this award I can finally pursue my dreams of joining the foreign service, and a strong beginning to my longstanding career as a public servant.”
– Ayanna Hill
Winning a spot in the Public Policy & International Affairs Program Junior Summer Institute and the Rangel Graduate Fellowship was also a direct result of Ayanna’s commitment to the rigorous application process. Newcomb-Tulane College’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Advising provided guidance and support.
“I have spent many days and even nights working with those in the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Advising to perfect my application. Not only did they provide ‘another set-of-eyes’ once I finished my applications, but they also guided me when I felt lost about what to include. When I felt lost, they reminded me of everything I have accomplished and reinvigorated my confidence during such a difficult application process. I cannot thank Edith Wolfe and Thomas Spencer enough for the support they have given me not only throughout this application process, but over the past two years as I have been a consistent visitor in their offices.”
– Ayanna Hill
Rangel Fellows are committed to serving their country and promoting positive change globally allowing Ayanna to continue to exemplify Tulane’s motto, “Non sibi, sed suis” or “Not for oneself, but for one’s own.”
