I can't believe it's already been five years since I graduated from John Cabot! When I graduated in 2015, I headed to an internship at the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Following that, I completed my MA in International Studies from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and then my Master of Public Administration from Cornell University, in Ithaca. I stayed pretty active on campus at both universities as treasurer of two organizations and the Co-President of Cornell Women in Public Policy. I've also been pretty consistent with my volunteer work and connected to my alma maters.
The last two years I was selected as a 2018 & 2019 Forbes Under 30 Scholar. What I loved most about this conference is that Forbes does a great job of bringing together the best and brightest minds across all industries. I'd say my research in diversity, inclusion, and systems thinking "put me on the map." I led the team as semifinalists in the 2018 Forbes JPMorgan Chase Hackathon in 2018. I encourage more students to explore the opportunity! I'm a member of the DC Chapter of For(bes) the Culture, an affiliate group for African-Americans connected to Forbes as well.Today
Now I'm back in my hometown of Washington, DC as a fellow with the White House Initiative for HBCUs. I really enjoy connecting diverse students to new opportunities and contributing to education policy, especially geared toward historically black colleges and universities. I'm currently exploring my options with different federal agencies. I was also recently elected as a board member to a great organization that I've been involved with for years, Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA). As for 2020, I plan to volunteer more in the city and hopefully make it back to the JCU gala in the fall!
John Cabot's Lasting Impact
JCU set me on a trajectory very different than my friends and colleagues who took a traditional route to post-secondary education. Washington DC is saturated with foreign policy and IR students from DC universities or ivy league schools who all have similar college experiences. The intrigue alone that most employers and colleagues have about my degree from Rome, Italy brings an instant conversation starter and serious interest.
Now being in the "real-world" I see the value of my decision to attend JCU paying off. Attending school in Rome for four years increases competencies that I just don't see from students who didn't study abroad. In my experience, things that come easily to me now do not come so easily to friends who haven't lived outside of their home country. Things like learning how to adapt to new environments, having cultural sensitivity, and patience during potential frustrating situations are a few things that come to mind. I feel competent and prepared in my field because of JCU where I received a solid foundation and support from JCU faculty who I still stay in touch with.
Alexandria Maloney
Class of 2015
International Affairs Major
Hometown: Washington D.C
