Princeton senior receives Rangel Fellowship in international affairs

Princeton University senior Brittany Hardy has been awarded a Rangel Fellowship to pursue a master's degree focused on international affairs as preparation for a career in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Hardy is one of 20 students selected for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship from across the country. The program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service and those with financial need. 

Hailing from Arizona by way of Gary, Ind., Hardy is concentrating in religion and pursuing certificates in African American studies and Spanish. During her junior year, she studied in Athens and completed independent work on religious and political attitudes toward Muslim immigrants in contemporary Europe. Last summer, she returned to Greece to attend the Mount Menoikeion Summer Seminar organized by Princeton's Center for Hellenic Studies. While there, she worked with nuns at the Hagios Loannos Monastery to learn about their culture. During her senior year, she traveled to Kingston, Jamaica, to conduct research for her thesis on the Rastafarian movement and perceptions of Bob Marley's influence. 

The fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State and managed by the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University. Hardy, who is in the process of selecting a master's program, is planning to study global policy studies or public diplomacy. As part of the Rangel Fellowship, Hardy will work for the U.S. Congress on issues related to foreign policy. In the summer of 2015, she will work in a U.S. embassy in preparation for her career in the Foreign Service.