On February 19th, 2026, the Young Initiative had the privilege of hosting the inaugural Young Initiative Fellow, Ankushi Mitra, for a student-focused event that allowed for discussion of research, grad school, and broader impact.
Mitra is a PhD student at Georgetown University whose research focuses on refugees, migration, and rights in Kenya and Tanzania. Drawing on her specific fieldwork, she emphasized to students the critical need for local understanding and authentic connection when conducting research on the ground.
The informal discussion with Mitra covered a range of topics, allowing students to ask questions and explore freely. Mitra began by outlining her extensive experience in International and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs and IOs), conveying how she transitioned from education to the workspace and back again. Students were especially interested in picking her brain about skills and advice on which internships to pursue to secure meaningful jobs upon graduation. Acknowledging the difficulties of the current job market, Mitra reassured students that practically every generation has faced similar economic anxieties. She advised them to focus on seeking the best opportunities, keeping their heads down, and working hard consistently.
Mitra argued that, to her, one of the most valuable things for an international relations, diplomacy, and world affairs student to do is to develop skills outside their direct field. She emphasized the importance of higher-level economics courses and research methods, especially if you want to go into a field that necessitates that experience. While jobs in human rights and advocacy organizations may not require these skills, they can help you stand out, especially when applying for hard-skill-specific roles or seeking crossover opportunities into consulting, IO, and government roles.
This prompted a discussion of the Diplomacy and World Affairs (DWA) major at Occidental College—its strengths and shortcomings. Specifically, students outlined the department’s lack of research methods courses, the absence of a dedicated "diplomacy" focus, and the extremely few overlap classes with other programs. Mitra added important insight, conveying that students should be thoughtful, pursue specificity, and seek out courses that may address these shortcomings–such as through other departments’ class offerings and taking courses at other schools alongside Occidental. She reaffirmed that having those skills and being able to articulate them is still incredibly valuable. She also advised that students should raise these questions and concerns with the department and engage in dialogue on these topics.
Finally, Mitra offered valuable advice for those seeking master's degrees or PhDs, drawing on her own experience. She argued that students should not seek a PhD or a master's straight out of college, but rather focus on developing their own values and understanding of what they want to do. She urged students to ask themselves: What do you like? What do you care about? As Mitra outlined, a PhD program is a long investment, and you don’t want to leave it with a degree you realize you won’t actually use.
Because a PhD is no guarantee of a job—whether in academia or other sectors—she argued that students should know what they actually want to pursue and what they want to contribute to the world.
She concluded with her own vision for life after her PhD, including aspirations such as a UNDP job offer and leading her own research team. On a practical note, she also advised students to apply for PhD programs to secure full financial support for their continued education. Mitra demonstrated that while the job market may be uncertain, grounding your career in your values is the surest way to carve out a meaningful path.