Name: Mariya Ilyas

Recipient Year: 2017

Major: International Affairs

Description: Mariya  is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Tufts University, where she is studying international security, global maritime affairs, and conflict resolution. Mariya aspires to serve her country and be a voice for underrepresented groups when she joins the U.S. Foreign Service as part of the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship.Mariya is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, and organizes programming around these topics. She is also an avid writer and uses travel blogging as a tool for cultural diplomacy—to foster dialogue, exchange perspectives, and increase understanding of foreign cultures.Prior to Fletcher, Mariya worked in both the public and private sectors: teaching English in Turkey (Fulbright Scholarship) and Pakistan ; interning at The White House, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Embassy Bangkok. Mariya graduated in 2013 from Bowdoin College, where she majored in mathematics and minored in sociology and government.

School Name: The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University

Sponsor: Afzal Family Foundation

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariyailyas/