Originally from Tbilisi, Georgia, Mariam is a dual-degree (BSFS/MSFS) student. She is pursuing a concentration of Science, Technology and International affairs with a focus on security and defense. She serves as one of the representatives on the MSFS student government body and is an executive board member of Professionals in Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Affairs (PREEA) club.

Prior to MSFS, Mariam was an undergraduate student at Georgetown University in Qatar, majoring in International Politics with a minor in Economics. Living in the Middle East for three years exposed Mariam to a culture vastly different from her own, and further fueled her interest in international security and strategy. In recent years, Mariam has worked at the U.S. Embassy in Doha, the Georgian Embassy in Washington D.C., as well as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Mariam speaks fluent Georgian, Russian, English and French, and intermediate-level Spanish.

Mariam's academic interests revolve around transatlantic relations, nuclear security and the emerging challenges faced by multilateral organizations, such as the EU and NATO. She is keen on studying the U.S. foreign policy and the country's approach to upholding stable strategic environment with its major competitors. In the future, Mariam hopes to build her career in policy-making and diplomacy.

"I chose MSFS because it is undoubtedly the leader in the field of international affairs and has a one-of-a-kind cohort of students, faculty and administration. The program introduced me to people from all around the world who have years of valuable experience in foreign service, which means that I get to learn as much from my peers as I do from my professors. MSFS courses have an excellent balance of theory and practice: the concepts we read about in textbooks today are tested in class simulations and tabletop exercises tomorrow. Small class sizes is another unique aspect of the program, as it allows students to form meaningful connections with each other as well as with professors. One year into the program, I can confidently say that MSFS was an ideal choice for my personal and professional development."