Shamim Garcia (CGS ’18, Pardee ’20, ’22) Appointed Presidential Management Fellow at the Department of State
After a rigorous application and assessment process, Shamim Garcia (BA IR ’20, MAIA ’22) has been placed as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) at the United States Department of State.
“I was lucky to have great relationships with my professors at Pardee and value having a mentor whose guidance and feedback I trust. The mentorship aspect of the PMF program was a huge draw for me since I benefited so greatly from that during my time at Pardee,” said Shamim when asked to comment on her placement. “The PMF Program also gives Fellows the opportunity to complete at least one rotation in a different office or agency throughout the two-year duration of the fellowship. As a recent graduate, the rotations are particularly exciting for me as I’ll be able to gain new experiences in different branches of the federal government and can even consider completing a rotation abroad.”
Shamim learned about PRM’s work from Ambassador Mark Storella, Pardee School Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and Director of the African Studies Center, in his course IR 544 Solving Humanitarian Crises. In it, students studied the core values of humanitarianism, analyzed international humanitarian law, learned about the instruments used to support durable solutions, and gained insights from Storella’s reflections on his extensive career in the U.S. foreign service.
Storella’s course, which Shamim described as “one of my favorites at Pardee,” tied very closely to her personal experiences, which ultimately drove her to pursue this opportunity in the State Department’s civil service. “My family immigrated to the United States in the late 1980s from Honduras and their experiences as immigrants undeniably shaped my worldview from my personal values to my career aspirations,” she commented. “My placement at PRM combines my research interests in Central America and migration studies with my personal drive of serving refugee and migrant communities. I am beyond excited to work with like-minded individuals who are similarly driven by humanitarian ideals.”
“Shamim not only won an extremely competitive Presidential Management Fellowship but also landed placement in one of the most hotly sought-after bureaus at the Department of State, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration,” said Storella of her achievement. “Shamim distinguished herself as a student in our class on humanitarian crises and now is putting her skills to work to advance American humanitarian policy in some of the most challenging hotspots around the world. It is so encouraging to see that some of our best students like Shamim are dedicating themselves to humanitarian work. I have every confidence she will be a leader in policy and principle in the future.”
When asked what advice she had for fellow Pardee School students on pursuing a career in civil service, Shamim said to take advantage of the Graduate Assistantship opportunities available and ask Pardee faculty about their career experiences as they will candidly reflect on both the rewarding and challenging aspects of a career in diplomacy.
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The PMF Program is the Federal Government’s premier leadership development program for advanced degree holders across all academic disciplines. Since 1977. the PMF Program has matched outstanding graduate students with exciting Federal opportunities. It has gone through several changes over its 40+ year history, but its essential mission remains the same: to recruit and develop a cadre of future government leaders from all segments of society. Learn more about the program on the PMF website.