How did you find out about this scholarship opportunity? How was the selection process?
I learned about the Hinrich Foundation Global Trade Leader position through MSFS’s financial aid resources site. Once I had completed my application for MSFS, the admissions office let me know that I would also be eligible to apply for this scholarship. Hinrich’s selection process was lengthy, but relatively straightforward. I first applied by filling out an application form and writing a short essay about my interest in international trade, which was screened by Georgetown’s admission’s office. After being selected by Georgetown as one of the finalists, I completed two rounds of interviews with various leaders at the Hinrich Foundation and was selected as this year’s Global Trade Leader from Georgetown.
How do you think your previous work experience prepared you for this scholarship?
Being a Global Trade Leader obviously entailed having some prior experience with trade. My role prior to coming to MSFS was one where I spent the majority of my time contextualizing developments in politics and economics for investors, which obviously over the past few years involved a lot of trade news. This experience, combined with prior training in economics, allowed me to translate my interest in international trade to a more academic exploration, both in MSFS, and in various activities sponsored by the Hinrich Foundation.
Why is understanding sustainable global trade important and what motivated you to apply for this scholarship?
Initially, this scholarship seemed a way to deepen my exposure to global trade issues as I moved from the private sector deeper into the policy world. As I have become more involved with the Hinrich Foundation, it has also opened up additional opportunities to engage with the global trade community, network with other practitioners, and become more fully immersed in issues I care about. The very point of sustainable trade is creating a more durable trading system—both from an environmental standpoint because climate change is an existential threat to the way our economy currently works, and in creating a more resilient system of trade that can continue to offer the benefits of increased trade to more people.
What do you intend to concentrate on while at MSFS? What are your interests in your studies?
While in MSFS, I am pursuing the Global Business Finance and Society Concentration, focusing on international trade and investment policy.
In what way do you think being a Hinrich Global Trade Leader Scholar will help you in your professional career after MSFS?
Being a Hinrich Foundation Global Trade Leader has already benefited me professionally. Through Hinrich’s network, I connected with a practitioner in the field who I will be interning for this coming term. Over the summer, Hinrich foundation assembled a team of myself, the other Global Trade Leaders, and a few students from the Hinrich Master’s in Global for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific’s Policy Hackathon on Model Provisions for Trade in Times of Crisis and Pandemic, where our paper was selected as one of the notable outstanding submissions. My involvement with the Hinrich Foundation will only increase in the coming months as a member of their leadership commission, and through several upcoming skills challenges.
To learn more about how to apply to the Hinrich Foundation Global Trade Leader Scholarship register for our next information session on January 6, 2021 at 9:00pm EST. You will hear from an MSFS Admissions representative; Alex Boome, Hinrich Foundation Program Director; and Hannah Anderson, first year student in MSFS.