MA Certificate of Merit Global Affairs

Shireen is graduating with her MA in Global Affairs with a specialization in Economics and Development. Throughout her time with Global Affairs, she completed graduate fellowships with both the economic think tank Mercatus, as well as with the UN advocacy organization United Nations Association of the National Capital Area. She was also able to travel to University of Oxford to complete a semester abroad whilst learning under the tutorial system and studying specialized coursework, designed based on her interest on political economy with a regional focus in West Africa. She would like to thank Dr. Cortney Hughes Rinker and Ms. Virginia Holm for their integral support throughout the program, and Dr. Niklas Hultin and Dr. Byunghwan Ben Son for their valuable mentorship, and Dr. Matthew West for his 605 class which built her confidence and skills to be able to create a rigorous research proposal and find her academic interests. One of her favorite memories is presenting her capstone research at the Cultural Studies Student Symposium, which she would like to thank Dr. Paul Smith for assisting her with her abstract and encouraging her to pursue.

Deja Grays earned her Master’s Degree in Global Affairs, specializing in Public Management and Governance, from George Mason University. During her studies, one of her most impactful experiences was in the course GLOA 615, led by Professor Laura Sauls, which included a diplomacy lab that culminated in presenting findings to the Department of State on combating illegal gold mining in the Amazon. This hands-on experience provided Deja with valuable insight into the intersection of policy, diplomacy, and environmental issues.

Another standout memory for Deja was attending Mason Day with her CLIE coworkers, where she had the opportunity to enjoy the performance of artist JT and celebrate with friends. As she looks ahead to the future, Deja is focused on planning her wedding and pursuing a career in environmental policy. She expresses her heartfelt gratitude to her parents for their unwavering support throughout her journey in Washington, D.C.