We are pleased to introduce UMD’s four new Summer 2018 International Policy and Diplomacy Fellows – Thomas Chalothron, Darjan Karanfilovski, Brianna Palmer, and Olivia Peterson – who started today at the UMD office in Washington, D.C., and will intern through mid-August.
Thomas Chalothron is from Brooklyn. New York. He attends the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he studies International Affairs, Global Security & Conflict Resolution, Public Health Sciences with a concentration in Global Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Political Science with minors in Biology and History. At UMass Amherst, Thomas is a member of the Model United Nations Club, Running Club, and serves as a Tour Guide/Undergraduate Admissions Representative for prospective students and families. He has a passion for international affairs specifically, foreign policy, human rights, cybersecurity, infectious diseases, national security, the environment and non-profit work. After graduating UMass he hopes to continue his education to pursue a Masters and J.D. and pursue a career in the realm of international relations, working on global health, security, and peace efforts. He is looking forward to working with UMD as an International Policy and Diplomacy Fellow, moreover expanding and reinforcing his knowledge about Macedonia and global affairs.
Darjan Karanfilovski was born in Skopje, Macedonia. He currently lives in the DC metro area and is studying at the University of Maryland-College Park. He is pursuing a degree in Philosophy and hopes to integrate this subject into his graduate studies. He came to UMD to learn more about the Macedonian political situation. He hopes the program will help him become more aware of issues back home and prepare him for a career in DC. He travels back to Macedonia about once a year and visits a new part of the country every time. The issues he is most interested in are Macedonia’s economic problems and poor public health conditions. When not working or studying he likes to explore the DC music scene.
Brianna Palmer is a sophomore at Eastern Kentucky University studying Political Science and Criminal Justice. She was born in Richmond, Kentucky where she graduated with honors from Madison Central High School. During her time at Madison Central she competed on their Mock Trial team where she developed a passion for law.
While at EKU, she has become very involved on campus. She serves as a captain of EKU’s Mock Trial Team, Secretary for the Student Government Association, and coach of the Clark-Moores and the Madison Central Mock Trial Teams. She is also a member of Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, Alpha Gamma Delta, and an intern for Davis Law in Richmond, Kentucky. She was recently selected to be the EKU representative and speak at the Rally for Higher Education in February 2018. Brianna also recently received a scholarship to The Washington Center where she will spend 10 weeks this summer in Washington D.C. interning as a fellow with the United Macedonia Diaspora. After graduating with her undergraduate degree, she plans to continue her education and pursue law school. As a fellow at UMD she hopes this opportunity will provide her insight about International Law and diplomacy while also becoming more familiar with different cultures.
Olivia Peterson is from Tacoma, Washington. She is a rising junior at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California and studies International Relations. At her school, she is a member of Delta Zeta Sorority and an active participant in Campus Ministry attending retreats, service trips, and lecturing at Mass.
This summer she is participating in the Academic Internship Program through The Washington Center, which encompasses the fellowship at UMD as well as an academic course in Middle East Politics. After graduation, she wishes to complete a year of service and live abroad. She hopes that this fellowship will introduce her to a better understanding of non-profit work and give her the experience to move forward professionally. She looks forward to developing her knowledge of international relations, foreign policy, Macedonia and the surrounding region.
To learn more about UMD’s internship program, click HERE.