Washington Week introduces students to alumni diplomats

Washington Week allows Tar Heels to exchange ideas and expand their networks. 学生会见外交事务方面的专业人士, and Carolina alumni introduce 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,94岁的詹妮弗·戴维斯说, ’97 (JD). “We need those kinds of minds in Washington now more than ever, and Chapel Hill is full of them.”

戴维斯是美国大学的.S. Foreign Service Officer, currently posted in Washington, D.C. 在大学的春假上, she and many other Carolina alumni welcomed 24 undergraduate students from UNC-Chapel Hill for the 外交倡议的 第二届年度 社交周.

在华盛顿, students met with Davis and other policymakers working in the federal government, in the private sector and for nongovernmental organizations to learn about careers in foreign affairs. 负责全球事务的副教务长办公室 组织华盛顿周, 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 全球 教育 Fund, 以最小的成本参与者.

安妮卡·德什潘德26岁 去年的华盛顿周刊 今年又以学生领袖的身份回来了.

“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.”

今年，学生们访问了美国.S. 国务院, 五角大楼, 墨西哥大使馆, 国际教育协会, 美国和平研究所, the Carnegie Endowment for the Institute of Peace 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 公共政策与全球事务荣誉研讨会, to connect more deeply with Carolina alumni in Washington. This year, more than 50 alumni came and heard remarks from Lee H. 罗伯茨, 卡罗来纳州的临时校长, 还有芭芭拉·斯蒂芬森, vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer.

“Washington Week offers students a taste of the thrills and challenges of working in foreign affairs,斯蒂芬森说. “卡罗莱纳的校友, 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.

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.”