Trinity Magazine

Trinity is the official Alumnae/i magazine of Trinity in Washington, DC. Published four times a year, the magazine chronicles current campus news and updates from our ever-growing community of Trinity graduates.

Winter/Spring 2007

Global Perspectives From Trinity
Senior Leah Martin Awarded Prestigious International Fellowship

Senior Leah Martin Awarded Prestigious International Fellowship
This issue of TRINITY magazine focuses on the global perspectives and experiences of alumnae, faculty and current students. This theme is especially appropriate for senior Leah Martin who, this spring, is one of just 10 students nationwide to be awarded the prestigious Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship.
 

Martin’s interest in a U.S. Foreign Service career was sparked by an academic study trip to China. A political science major, Martin was in the first cohort of student scholars in Trinity’s Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence. Through the program she had the opportunity to travel to China for academic study in 2005.
 

Two years later, her dream of a career in the U.S. Foreign Service is being realized through the distinguished Rangel Fellowship. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the highly-competitive fellowship seeks to attract and educate outstanding young people to pursue a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. The Rangel Fellowship provides up to $28,000 annually for tuition, room, board and a stipend for a two-year master’s degree in international affairs; each fellow is then assigned a three-year appointment as a U.S. Foreign Service officer.
 

“My Trinity education, and all of the opportunities that I have had here, prepared me for this exciting next step in my education and my career,” says Martin.
 

A native of New Orleans, Martin is president of Trinity’s Student Government Association. Beyond the classroom, she has completed several internships to expand her skills and experience, including a paid internship with the Committee for Homeland Security in the U.S. Congress and an internship that turned into a paid position at NGP Software, a political consulting company. In summer 2006, Martin participated in the Charles B. Rangel Summer Enrichment Program.
 

Martin plans to enroll in a master’s program at the University of Denver, which has a renowned graduate program in international studies. In addition to her scholarship, the Rangel Fellowship will provide Martin with a Congressional Fellowship. In the summer between her two years in a master’s program, Martin will be appointed to an embassy; she hopes to be in Cairo “because it is the center of Middle East diplomacy,” she says. After earning her master’s degree, Martin will enter into the U.S. Foreign Service.
 

“The focus at Trinity on education for global leadership has been very meaningful for me,” says Martin. “At Trinity, we are compelled to have a world view. The focus on ethics in my Trinity education is also very important to me and that is something that I plan to carry forward in my diplomatic assignments. I believe it is critical that we in the U.S. uphold ethics in our foreign policy. Because we are a superpower, we have a social responsibility, yet in many situations, that seems to be forgotten. Infusing ethics in foreign policy is where I feel I can have the greatest impact.”
 

Martin credits Trinity’s professors for “shaping what I have been able to achieve academically and professionally. Everyone here at Trinity supports me. I don’t know of another place where so many people want you to succeed. That’s why students choose to come here. My professors have really challenged me to do my absolute best work and that’s very motivating.”
Martin also appreciates and values the academic skills that she has sharpened while at Trinity. “My writing and verbal communication skills have become much stronger,” she notes. “I am confident that my ability to write and present a succinct, analytical briefing will be valued in my foreign service career.”

~ Ann Pauley, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

• Giving Students the Right Tools
  Dean Anne Henderson on what a student needs to succeed in today’s world.
• A Life of Travel for Marjorie Marilley Ransom ’59
  Working for the foreign service, and collecting silver and beads of the world.
• Students Weigh in on Trinity’s Global Education
  Trinity’s international students tell their stories.
• Teaching for the World
  Faculty reflect on educating students for global leadership.
• Alumnae Profiles
  Three alumnae are passionate about their international careers.
• Sr. Seton Cunneen Fellows: a First-Person Perspective
  Junior Chrissy Palmer details her experiences at the Spanish Catholic Center as part of her fellowship.