Junior Fellows work as research assistants to senior scholars whose projects include nuclear policy, democracy and rule of law, energy and climate issues, Middle East studies, Asia politics and economics, South Asian politics, Southeast Asian politics, Japan studies, and Russian and Eurasian affairs.The fellowship provides a one-year full time position at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, D.C. during which Junior Fellows may conduct research, contribute to op-eds, papers, reports, and books, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony and organize briefings attended by scholars, activists, journalists and government officials.We are pleased to announce our nominees for the 2021 Gaither Fellowship are Angelica Evans ‘20, Vanessa Hidalgo Hernandez ‘21 and Juan Diego Prada ‘20.
Angelica Evans is an international studies and Russian double major from Comanche, Texas. Evans is a Terry Scholar, National Hispanic Scholar, and graduate of the International Studies and Liberal Arts Cornerstone Honors programs at Texas A&M. During her time at Texas A&M she was heavily involved in the MSC. Evans traveled with the MSC in July 2017 with the MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar and later in January 2019 with the MSC J. Wayne Stark Northeast Trip. She was also a member of the L.T. Jordan Institute for International Awareness and served as Development executive for the committee her sophomore year. She was a member of the First Baptist Church Bryan college ministry. Angelica has studied abroad in Russia twice, in summer 2019 on a faculty-led study abroad with Brett and Olga Cooke, and recently in the spring of 2020, studying at Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Angelica plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in the U.S. Foreign Service.
Vanessa Hidalgo Hernandez majored in international studies and minored in Spanish. She lives in Fairfield, TX but is originally from Juarez, Chihuahua! Vanessa moved to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 7! She loves to learn about foreign languages, culture, politics, history, literature, and art! She is currently learning French and plans on learning Arabic in the future. After graduation, Vanessa plans on building professional experience before pursuing a Master’s in Near Eastern studies. With a background and passion for reading and writing, Vanessa’s goal is to work in the Middle East as a political and broadcast journalist.
Juan Diego Prado, originally from Caracas, Venezuela, is a Texas A&M graduate with a Bachelor of Science in political science and a minor in French. While at Texas A&M, Prado was a part of the MSC L.T. Jordan Institute for International Awareness, where he supported the organization’s goals to promote international awareness on campus through events that showcase specific issues from around the world. He served on the committee for the Venezuelan Student Association that brought the Venezuelan ambassador to the U.S. to Texas A&M for a forum on the current crisis persisting in the country. Prado also studied abroad in Europe with the university’s European Summer Academy, a program that focuses on exploring the complexities of the EU through courses, trips to government institutions, and presentations with EU officials.
Following his graduation, Prado was part of Texas A&M’s Public Policy Internship Program for Washington DC during the fall of 2020. During his semester with PPIP, he interned with the Congressional Office of Michael McCaul, Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Prado co-founded the Venezuelan Student and Professional Alliance with three other Venezuelan Aggies, an organization with the purpose of providing young Venezuelan’s in the U.S. with a platform that aids the transition from the academic phase to the vocational world. Prado hopes to continue his education with a Master’s in international relations and hopes to one day work for an intergovernmental organization or NGO that promotes economic development and international cooperation.
Congratulations to our nominees! If you are interested in applying to the Gaither Junior Fellows program or another nationally-competitive scholarship or fellowship, please visit https://tx.ag/NatlFellows.