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Bonnie Daley Wins Pickering Fellowship
Bonnie Daley, a sophomore diplomacy and world affairs major at Occidental College, has been awarded a highly competitive Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship that will help her pursue a career with the U.S. Department of State.
The award – one of 20 given to undergraduates across the nation – will cover tuition, room and board during Daley’s junior and senior years, and her first year of graduate school. Pickering fellows must commit to earning a graduate degree in international studies, as well as serve a minimum of 4 ½ years as a State Department Foreign Service officer.
Daley is the first Occidental student to win a Pickering Fellowship. As a fellow, the Camarillo resident and Rio Mesa High School graduate will take part in a seven-week summer institute during her junior year that consists of coursework in economics, calculus and policy analysis, with exercises to develop oral and written communication skills.
Daley will also be required to complete domestic and overseas internships with the Department of State. She plans to pursue a career as an officer in the Foreign Service. Officers staff American embassies, consulates and missions worldwide. Their responsibilities include policy analysis, implementing U.S. immigration and nationality law, and promoting trade.
“The Pickering Fellowship will allow me to develop the knowledge and experience necessary for success in the field of diplomacy, and prepare me to work closely with foreign governments to have a direct impact on American foreign policy,” Daley said. “Most importantly, I want to discover other cultures by living them, and, from this understanding, form lasting ties between nations.”
The fellowship program is funded by the Department of State and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.