Alumna Fardosa Hassan named Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow

Fardosa Hassan, a 2023 graduate from the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies at Grady College and financial planning from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, was selected for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, the Pickering Fellowship prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State. UGA has had a total of five Pickering Fellows—including the three this year—since the program began in 1992.

In addition to Hassan, the UGA recipients this fall are Clemencia El Antouri, a senior from Covington and Feben Teshome, a senior from Norcross.

“Clemencia, Feben and Fardosa represent well the mission of the Pickering Fellowship program,” said Elizabeth Hughes, a student affairs professional in the Morehead Honors College who works with students pursuing major scholarships in the Foreign Service sector. “They exemplify leadership and commitment to international cooperation. We look forward to seeing how these outstanding students will use their diverse talents to forge positive relationships between the United States and the rest of the world.”

The Pickering Fellowship offers recent graduates a unique opportunity to promote positive change in the world through a five-year commitment to the Foreign Service after graduate school. Upon successful completion of a two-year master’s degree program and fulfillment of fellowship and Foreign Service entry requirements, fellows have the opportunity to work as Foreign Service Officers with the U.S. Department of State.

The Pickering Program typically awards 45 fellowships of up to $42,000 annually for a two-year period for tuition, room, board, books and mandatory fees for the completion of a two-year master’s degree in an academic field relevant to the work of the Foreign Service.

Fardosa Hassan graduated from UGA with bachelor’s degrees in entertainment and media studies from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and financial planning from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. A first-generation Somali American who was born in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya and immigrated to Clarkston at the age of eight, she brings a unique perspective to her studies and future career.

Currently, she is an AmeriCorps member serving at the New American Pathways, a refugee resettlement organization.

“I am honored and elated to be awarded the Pickering Fellowship and excited to embark on a new way of life as a public servant,” Hassan said.

During her time at UGA, Hassan produced, directed and wrote several short films. Her first film, “Zone 5B,” received an official selection at the 2023 Student World Impact Film Festival (SWIFF). She also served as a Grady College Ambassador.

UGA’s major scholarships office, housed in the Morehead Honors College, works closely with all students across campus as they apply for national, high-level scholarships. For more information, visit https://honors.uga.edu/scholarships/external-scholarships/.

Author: Stephanie Schupska, schupska@uga.edu

Editor: Sarah Freeman, freemans@uga.edu