submitted by kundell@augsburg.edu
Abdulkadir Sharif has been awarded a 2021 Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship following a highly competitive nationwide contest (45 students selected). The Pickering Fellowship supports extraordinary individuals who want to pursue a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. The Director of the Fellowship Program, Lily Lopez-Mcgee Ph.D., stated, “We are truly thrilled and excited that Abdulkadir will be joining the Pickering Fellowship Program. He demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership and commitment to service during his time at Augsburg. These experiences bode well for his success through graduate school and in the Foreign Service as well. I look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish in his career.”
Abdulkadir Sharif graduated from Augsburg with a major in international relations and political science. He was a Boren Scholar in Tanzania, a Gilman Scholar in South Africa and Namibia, participated in the Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship at Princeton University and was awarded a Fulbright ETA to Malaysia. He has interned with the Namibia Institute for Democracy as a research assistant and at the MN State Capitol for a law firm. Abdulkadir speaks Somali and Swahili.
The Fellowship will support Abdulkadir through a two-year graduate program to receive a master’s in International Affairs. It will also provide extensive professional development opportunities, including internships, mentors, and skills training. As part of the Pickering Program, Abdulkadir will have an internship based in Washington, D.C. working with the U.S. Department of State in summer 2022. In the summer of 2023, he will work overseas and to gain hands-on experience with U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Foreign Service. Upon graduation, Abdulkadir will become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, embarking on one of the most challenging and rewarding careers of service to his country. He will work to promote peace and prosperity around the world.