Washington Week introduces students to alumni in foreign affairs
April 9, 2024
UNC Global Affairs
Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts visits with students at the UNC Global Affairs Washington Week reception with alumni.
Tar Heels explore solutions to shared global challenges over spring break
“There is just something special about being a Tar Heel,” Jennifer Davis ’94, ’97 (JD) said. “People feel it and it just resonates in them and out of them.”
Davis is a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, currently posted in Washington, D.C. Over the university’s spring break, she and many other Carolina alumni welcomed 24 undergraduate students from UNC-Chapel Hill for the Diplomacy Initiative’s second annual Washington Week.
In Washington, students met with Davis and other policymakers working in the federal government, in the private sector and for non-governmental organizations to learn about careers in foreign affairs. The Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs organizes Washington Week, drawing on the vast network of Carolina alumni working in the capital to provide students with career insights. The experience is funded through the Chancellor’s Global Education Fund, with minimal cost to participants.
Annika Deshpande ’26 attended Washington Week last year and returned this year as a student leader.
“Our alumni are very passionate and very willing to help fellow Tar Heels,” Deshpande said. “I have stayed in touch with several people I met through Washington Week, and a couple of them have become professional mentors.”
This year, students visited the U.S. Department of State, the Pentagon, the Mexican Embassy, the Institute of International Education, the United States Institute of Peace, the Carnegie Endowment for the Institute of Peace (CEIP) and Deloitte.
“Washington Week is incredibly dynamic,” Lily Potthast ’25 said. “Every site we visited allowed me to better understand our nation’s complex diplomatic infrastructure and gave me the opportunity to learn directly from the committed, passionate people whose work impacts millions around the globe every day.”
A networking reception helps the Washington Week students, along with students in the Honors Seminar on Public Policy and Global Affairs, to connect more deeply with Carolina alumni in Washington. This year, more than 50 alumni attended. Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts and Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Chief Global Officer Barbara Stephenson spoke.
“Washington Week offers students a taste of the thrills and challenges of working in foreign affairs,” Stephenson said. “Carolina alumni, who are so committed to their alma mater and the next generation, open doors across Washington and create a special Carolina experience.”
Davis and Morgan O’Brien ’01 have been part of Washington Week both years. They also serve as judges in Carolina’s annual Policy Brief Competition. Both programs focus on helping students build the skills used by policymakers to address global challenges.
This year’s Policy Brief Competition Awards Ceremony happens during the Diplomacy Initiative’s Forum on Skills in Global Careers. Carolina students are invited to attend the ceremony and a networking reception with alumni, April 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the FedEx Global Education Center.
O’Brien, an industry liaison for the U.S. Department of State, believes the Diplomacy Initiative is important for students exploring a career in foreign affairs. He said he is happy to play a part in making it happen.
“Chapel Hill is a special place,” he said. “My time studying there was one of the most important times of my life. Of course, I want to give back to a place that gave me so much.”
Davis agrees there is value in these experiences and added that the exchange is mutually beneficial.
“We can share what it’s like to be in the Foreign Service or working in diplomacy,” Davis said. “And in return, we find hope working with these students. It’s a great relief to see such brilliant students — this next generation of leaders — who are ready to take the baton.”
Washington Week allows Tar Heels to exchange ideas and expand their networks. It provides opportunities for students to meet professionals in foreign affairs, and Carolina alumni get to bring more Tar Heels to Washington.
“I think what people in Washington are hungry for is smart, thoughtful people who have had a rigorous and open-minded place to explore and learn,” Davis said. “We need those kinds of minds in Washington now more than ever, and Chapel Hill is full of them.”