MSFS Representatives, or “the Reps”, are elected at the beginning of each academic year and are an integral part of the MSFS community. Throughout the year, the Reps facilitate and initiate a variety of events and student activities, including MSFS Winter Ball, International Night, Fall Fest, and more. This year, the Reps team comprises nine students, four of which are second-years.
Category: Featured News, News, Student Spotlight
Title: Meet the New 2023-24 Reps!
Date Published: October 5, 2023
Abe Ahmad (MSFS ’25)
An ardent Rock and Roll fan hailing from the Detroit area, Abe Ahmad is concentrating in Global Politics and Security and is passionate about U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Wayne State University, majoring in Public Affairs. For the past year, he has served as a research assistant to his mentor, Ambassador David Hale, at the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program, where he has helped spearhead the Lebanon Ideas Forum and assisted him with his upcoming book on American diplomacy in Lebanon. In addition, Abe is passionate about the role Congress plays in foreign policy, and has recently concluded a summer internship with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Abe is serving as a Representative to ensure that one of the MSFS Program’s largest cohorts is not only adequately represented to ensure their needs are met but also to script a chapter of MSFS excellence that echoes through time. He speaks Arabic and enjoys attending concerts, stand-up comedy shows, and learning to play the electric guitar.
Cade Carter (MSFS ’24)
“Hi! My name is Cade Carter, and I am a second year from Denver, Colorado, concentrating in Global Politics and Security. I am especially interested in analyzing the geopolitical risk of nation-states concerning their capacity for investment. During my free time, I operate my small mergers and acquisitions company and scroll through Pet Finder for dogs I want but know I cannot yet adopt.”
Adham Fattah (MSFS ’25)
Adham is a first-year GPS concentration with an interest in the Middle Eastern Studies certificate. He went to the University of Michigan where he received his B.A. in Public Policy. He’s interested in Great Power policies towards countries in the MENA region, as well as economic and security relations inter-regionally. He’s a speaker of Arabic and French and wants to continue using his cultural background to deepen his understanding of Middle Eastern affairs. For fun, he enjoys playing violin and piano, watching soccer and tennis, and playing video games.
Clarissa Guglielmelli (MSFS ’25)
“My name is Clari Guglielmelli and I am a first year rep from the class of 2025. I’m a recent graduate of California Polytechnic State University, where I studied history and political science. At Georgetown, I plan to concentrate in Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA). I enjoy researching cybersecurity and humanitarian issues, especially related to refugees and internally displaced persons, through the application of logistic regression models and Bayesian statistics. A fun fact about me is that while in California, I love downhill longboarding.”
Catherine Hodgson (MSFS ’24)
Catherine Hodgson is an MSFS candidate with a concentration in Global Politics and Security. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in 2022 from New York University with majors in Economics and Politics and minors in Russian & Slavic Studies and History. Prior to MSFS, Catherine interned with the Foreign Policy Research Institute tracking security and integration efforts in the Baltics and the Institute for the Study of War on their Russia portfolio. Catherine is interested in continuing to explore the threat posed by hybrid conflict, nuclear proliferation, and security dynamics in Central and Eastern Europe. In her free time, she enjoys playing the viola, gardening, and amateur fossil hunting. As a student rep, she hopes to foster a sense of community and engagement between members of the MSFS cohort, faculty, and alumni.
In-Hwan “Helen” Heo (MSFS ’24)
In-Hwan “Helen” Heo, hailing from Davis, California, is an MSFS 2024 candidate concentrating on Global Politics and Security at the Walsh School of Foreign Service. Her interests focus on public diplomacy and U.S. relations with Northeast Asia. At MSFS, she has interned with the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs at the Pentagon. There, she wrote talking points for the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the NATO Youth Summit and coordinated with the U.S. Department of State to connect international leaders to Department of Defense personnel. She previously worked as a Business Manager at 1MILLION Dance Studio in Seoul, South Korea. In her spare time, Helen enjoys dancing, watching nostalgic TV shows with a cup of coffee, and stress-cleaning.
Katie Plywaczewski (MSFS ’25)
Katie is a first-year candidate in the Master of Science in Foreign Service program, concentrating in Global Politics & Security and pursuing a certificate in Eastern European Studies. Originally a native of Chicago, she spent the previous 5 years in Nebraska, graduating with a B.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2022. Before coming to Georgetown, she worked for the United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime, and was involved in multiple criminal justice organizations such as the American Society of Criminology and the Juvenile Justice Institute. Her areas of interest include criminal justice reform, specifically international prison rehabilitation, and public policy in Poland and Eastern Europe. Katie is optimistic about her time as a student, and as a Rep, in MSFS as she hopes to create an inclusive and dynamic space for her colleagues. A fun fact about Katie is that she is a professional baker, her specialty (& personal favorite) being cheesecake!
Philipp Sandmann (MSFS ’25)
Philipp is a former (and sometimes current) political journalist who was born in Bonn, which – fun fact – at the time was still the capital city of Germany. He grew up in Munich and Berlin and studied in London. Before Georgetown, Philipp worked as a presenter and reporter for German television, where he interviewed politicians and activists. At MSFS, he will focus on international development and he hopes to become an expert in the fields of refugees/migration as well as energy security. Philipp is excited about being a representative for his cohort and he will take this role very seriously.
Maximo Ulloa (MSFS ’24)
“My name is Maximo Ulloa and I’m a second-year Chilean-American MSFS student from Miami, Florida. After working in Florida politics for a few years, I joined this amazing MSFS community to help me plan a future in a hopefully lengthy career in the Foreign Service. For research, I’m interested in studying all things related to the TransAtlantic relationship, Latin America, nuclear weapons, and whatever new issue becomes my niche after each class. I can often be found at live events, a concert venue, or the 7th-floor study lounge working on an assignment or chatting with some of you. I’m looking forward to helping this team thrive and doing all we can to establish a strong foundation for this year and the years ahead for future Reps.”
