Gabr Fellows 2018

American Gabr Fellows

Allison Feikes
Legislative Assistant, Congresswoman Barbara Comstock
Hometown: La Porte, Indiana; Age: 26
Allison Feikes is a Legislative Assistant at the U.S. House of Representatives, handling an extensive portfolio that includes foreign affairs and defense policy. Prior to this position, Ms. Feikes sought multiple opportunities to expand her international knowledge. She completed a Fulbright Scholarship in Canakkale, Turkey and worked at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium. She is a member of CISV International, a UNESCO nonprofit peace organization that aims to educate and inspire action for a more just and peaceful world. She holds a Masters in International Economics and European and Eurasian Studies from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Bachelors in Political Science and International Affairs from the Mahurin Honors College at Western Kentucky University.

8th August 2018

Lauren Ziegler
Legislative Assistant, Office of Congressman Brian Babin
Hometown: Orlando, Florida; Age: 29
Lauren Ziegler is a Legislative Assistant in the office of Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36). In this role, she is responsible for legislative activity for a number of policy issue areas, including foreign affairs, homeland security and immigration, health care, and education. After graduating from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Lauren spent time working at a public relations firm where she built strategic communications plans and crafted content for dozens of clients. Lauren then pursued her interest in policy and politics and moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked for a large law and advocacy firm prior to coming to Capitol Hill.

8th August 2018

Sarah Walker
Associate, Glover Park Group, Government Relations Division
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri; Age: 25
Sarah Walker is an Associate in the Glover Park Group’s Government Relations Division. As a member of the International Affairs team, she specializes in foreign policy, trade and national security matters. Prior to joining GPG, Sarah worked at the Podesta Group as a member of its International and Public Relations sectors. There, she supported clients including foreign governments, international entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies. Previously, she coauthored the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor, a weekly publication produced by the Education for Peace in Iraq Center. Before moving to DC, Sarah worked at a military academy through the French Department of Defense while studying politics and art history in southern France. During a stint in Ecuador, she directed a microfinance initiative to foster local entrepreneurship and taught English classes. Sarah earned a bachelor’s degree in International Cultures and Politics from Vanderbilt University.

8th August 2018

Hayley Rose
Program Associate, International Development Non-Profit
Hometown: Bethel, Ohio; Age: 25
Hayley Rose is a Program Associate working in international development, with a specific focus on women, peace and security, and gender-based violence in the Middle East and North Africa region. Hayley has experience working on issues such as local governance, refugees and migration, and women’s legal empowerment, with a growing interest in stabilization and peacebuilding. Prior to working in the nonprofit world, Hayley interned with the Middle East Institute’s Languages and Regional Studies Department and worked as a Project Assistant in international trade policy. As an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia, Hayley combined a B.A. in Foreign Affairs with internships and research assistantships in international rule of law development, Palestinian law and jurisprudence, participatory governance, public policy, and congressional relations. Hayley graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia in 2015, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

8th August 2018

Julie Yang
Consultant, International Public Relations, Ladies Professional Golf Association
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Age: 33
Julie Yang was most recently Manager for International Public Relations for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) where she continues to serve as a consultant. Prior to the LPGA, Julie was Senior Manager for Korea and Japan in the International Division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She also worked in the Washington Bureau of the Asahi Shimbun and the Seoul Bureau of the Wall Street Journal. Julie is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University where she studied English literature and political science. She received her Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and was the 2017-2018 recipient of the eBay Policy Scholar Fellowship. Julie is also a 2018 Fellow for the CSIS Taiwan-U.S. Policy Program.

8th August 2018

Wes Rogerson
Officer for Global Health Advocacy, United Nations Foundationc
Hometown: Ashburn, Virginia; Age: 28
Wes Rogerson is an Officer for Global Health Advocacy at the United Nations Foundation (UNF) responsible for grassroots and direct advocacy efforts supporting malaria prevention and immunization access. Working in tandem with UNF's Shot@Life and Nothing But Nets campaigns, Wes recruits, trains, and mobilizes grassroots champions across the nation - empowering them to advocate for bipartisan support on these issues. Prior to this, Wes worked as a Senior Associate for the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA). Alongside UNA-USA's network of 180+ Chapters and 20,000 members, Wes encouraged Americans to champion the vital work of the United Nations and support a stronger U.S.-UN relationship. Wes is a graduate of the University of Miami, where he received his degree in Political Science and International Relations with a concentration in European Union Studies.

8th August 2018

Charles S. Truxal
Military Legislative Assistant, Congressman Matt Gaetz
Hometown: Ft. Lewis, Washington; Age: 25

Charles S. Truxal is originally from Ft. Lewis, Washington, where his father was a doctor in the Army Medical Corps. Having grown up surrounded by soldiers and officers, he developed a wish to join the military, and is currently serving as a 2nd Lt. and platoon leader in the Virginia Army National Guard, assigned to the 237th Combat Engineer Sapper Company out of West Point, Virginia. He has worked on Capitol Hill in the offices of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ), as well as the House Committee on Armed Services. Charles received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Oregon. During his time at Oregon, he participated in the Army’s Reserve Officer Training Corps. Upon commissioning in June of 2016, Charles attended the United States Corps of Engineers Basic Officer Leadership Course at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. Charles is currently the Military Legislative Assistant for Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1).

9th August 2018

Fabrice Guerrier
Office Management Specialist at U.S. Department of State
Hometown: Coral Springs, FL; Age: 26
Fabrice Guerrier is a Office Management Specialist in the Executive Office of WHA at the U.S. Department of State, an office which provides management assistance to all the U.S. embassies within the Western Hemisphere region. Prior to this, he worked at the United Nations advocating for Least Developed Countries, he founded The LEEHG Institute - a social venture, and was President of the Board of Directors at Coming to the Table, a national racial reconciliation organization in the U.S. Furthermore, Fabrice is a Haitian-American writer and poet. He is the Co-founder & CEO of Syllble Studios, Inc.— pronounced syll-a-ble — a collaborative storytelling studio startup that publishes original serialized fiction stories and books through collaborative writing. He recently published in 2018 and co-authored 'The Wall' - a futuristic Scifi novella. Fabrice is the PEN Haiti Fellow at the PEN American Center, a Senior Fellow at Humanity in Action and a Seth Godin AltMBA Alumni. Fabrice received a Masters in Conflict Transformation from the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University and a Bachelors degree in International Affairs and Leadership Studies from Florida State University. Fabrice has a keen interest in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how it can be harnessed to shape a better and more creative tomorrow.

9th August 2018

RJ Johnson
Nonprofit & Healthcare Administration Executive, RISE Community Services
Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana; Age: 34
Mr. RJ Johnson is an experienced, executive in non-profit and healthcare administration. He is a Clinically Certified Forensic Counselor and Clinically Certified Juvenile Treatment Specialist through the National Association of Forensic Counselors-American Academy of Clinical Forensic Counselors. RJ is a graduate of the Louisiana Association of Non-Profit Organizations Community Leadership Program. He was selected for the Northwest Louisiana Young Professionals Initiative Top 40 under 40 Class of 2016 by the Shreveport & Bossier Chambers of Commerce.

Mr. Johnson is the National Vice Chair of United Nations Association of the United States of America and Youth Advisory Council member for North America for the World Federation of United Nations. RJ advises the WFUNA Secretary-General on youth issues initiatives, foster youth involvement among United Nations Associations and United Nations Youth Associations, work with WFUNA's mission of developing youth programs that build the capacity of its global membership and work to strengthen and improve the work of the United Nations by brainstorming pragmatic, innovative, and cost-effective programs for WFUNA's local, regional, and global networks. Mr. Johnson is an alumnus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge where he earned a BA in Sociology and a BA in Political Science.

He also holds an MBA in Finance and Human Resource Management. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Incorporated and Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity.

9th August 2018

Katie Applebaum
Policy Associate, Business Executives for National Security (BENS)
Hometown: Syracuse, New York; Age: 25
Katie is a Policy Associate for Business Executives for National Security, a non-partisan non-profit that applies best business practices to address the nation’s most pressing security challenges. As a member of the Policy/Projects team, Katie assists in the coordination of work between BENS Members and government partners across the national security community, including the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, and Intelligence Community, among others. Prior to joining BENS, Katie worked as an assistant at the law firm Covington & Burling LLP. Katie is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Security Studies from Johns Hopkins University and focuses her coursework on intelligence, counterterrorism, and nuclear nonproliferation. An Upstate New York native, Katie obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Global and International Politics from the University at Albany and worked as a terrorist organization research coder for the Project on Violent Conflict at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy.

15th August 2018

Egyptian Gabr Fellows

Yara El-Braidy
Media and Marketing Representative, Ashoka Arab World International NGO
Hometown: Cairo, Egypt; Age: 24
Yara is a media practitioner with experience in campaigning for social change. She earned a Bachelor's of Arts in Mass Communication from Cairo University in Egypt and later completed an intensive Media and Digital Literacy program at the Lebanese American University. In 2016, Yara started leading the media and marketing department at Ashoka Arab World. Ashoka Arab World is the regional office for Ashoka Global; the leading platform for social entrepreneurs in the world. She worked on promoting social change through leading campaigns to support and empower social ventures and nonprofit organizations in the Arab World. Yara also works as an events hostess where she hosted several high profile events in the presence of ministers, ambassadors and presidents. In addition to being chosen by the European Union as one of the most inspirational Arab youth in the EU’s being 20 series. Moreover, she was selected by the Obama Foundation in their leaders; Africa program as one of the most influential 200 young leaders changing the Future of Africa.

24th August 2018

Karim El Sharkawy
Diplomatic Attache at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hometown: Cairo, Egypt; Age: 27
Karim is a diplomatic attache at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Karim focuses on topics including Regional and International Security, Environmental affairs, Globalization and Trade, Sustainable Development, Entrepreneurship, Public Policy, Political Economy, International Law and African Affairs. Karim is currently pursuing an MA of Global Affairs with concentration on International Security. He holds a post-graduate diploma of International Negotiations form Cairo University, and a Msc. of Electrical and Communication Engineering from Modern Sciences and Arts University. Before seeking a career in diplomacy, Karim worked with startups and NGO’s pertaining to climate change and Renewable Energy. He volunteered with Naya Sawera NGO in India and he worked as an Energy Engineer in Vekmar Electric in Turkey. During his undergraduate tenure, Karim founded Metal Blast a startup that organized alternative music festivals in Cairo.

24th August 2018

Soad Hossam
Prosecutor, Administrative Prosecution Authority
Hometown: Giza; Age: 31
Soaad Hossam is a prosecutor at the Administrative Prosecution Authority and a counselor at the Egyptian Ministry of Justice. Soaad is a founder and managing director of the Euro-Arab Legal Association (EALA), a non- profit organization based in Geneva for enhancing legal knowledge among legal practitioners from both the Council of Europe and the League of Arab States. Soaad has a diverse professional background where she practiced in the international arbitration groups of several leading international law firms in Egypt, Paris, Geneva, and at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. She also previously has served as a lecturer for teaching International Arbitration Courses at the American Bar Association (ABA). She regularly publishes articles in leading journals and frequently participates as speaker or moderator in conferences on international dispute resolution topics. Soaad studied in both the Egyptian and Swiss law systems. She holds a Master of Laws in International Dispute Settlement from the Graduate Institute and University of Geneva as well as a Master in Private law and Arbitration from Cairo University.

24th August 2018

Marwa Abdalla Elsayed
Mass communication lecturer, cinematic researcher, and cultural manager
Hometown: Cairo; Age: 35
Marwa is a mass communication lecturer, cinematic researcher, and cultural manager. She studied Mass communication at Cairo University, and specialized in film studies. she started her career path in the culture sector and arts management since 2007 when she worked for the ministry of culture as a film programmer in the Artistic Creativity Center in Cairo. Now, she holds a Ph.D. degree in film studies from the faculty of mass communication - Cairo University, and works as a lecturer in faculty of mass communication, Beni-Suef University since 2015. Also, she is the artistic director of the short film program at the Aswan International women Film Festival, and the director of the Cairo Jesuit Cinema School.

24th August 2018

Maram Osama
Communication for Development Officer, UNICEF
Hometown: Cairo, Egypt; Age: 28
Maram is a UNV communication for development officer at UNICEF Egypt. She works to promote measurable behavioral and social change/mobilization and community engagement and participation to support UNICEF’s developmental role. Maram graduated the Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, after which she worked for three years in Academia, teaching pharmacology and pharmacotherapy at her faculty. In a not-so-parallel universe, she started a career in creative communication where she worked as a scriptwriter and content creator for NGOs and private businesses in the fields of education and development. She’s currently mixing medicine with communication, pursuing a master’s degree in Public Health and Health Communication, while seizing every opportunity to use her creative abilities in bringing about healthier communities. She enjoys writing, drawing. and introspection more often than she likes to admit.

24th August 2018

Shady Saleh
Education Officer , IDP Education
Hometown: Cairo; Age: 24
Graduated from Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, I am starting my masters in Comparative Middle East Politics and Society “CMEPS” that is jointly offered by the AUC in Cairo and Tübingen University in Germany. I worked for the Egyptian foundation for Strategic Studies, Arab Bank PLC and currently I am an education counsellor at IDP Education (Egypt) where I am helping Egyptian students and graduates to further develop their academic qualifications by studying at prestigious universities abroad, I am writing articles and analysis about international relations and political issues, I hope to start a successful political career at international organizations such as the UN, the European Union.

24th August 2018

Ahmed Mostafa
Political Researcher at National Center for Middle East Studies
Hometown: Cairo; Age: 27
Ahmed Mostafa is a political researcher at "National Center for Middle East studies" in which he is responsible for following specific topics as well as organizing workshops and seminars about the most important challenges in the region. Prior to this position Ahmed worked a research assistant at Institute of Arab Research and Studies, one of the institutions of Arab League. He also worked for one year as a researcher at "Delta Research Center".

Ahmed holds a Bachelor degree in political science, and a diploma in "International Negotiations" and he is doing his Master's in Euro-Mediterranean Studies.

24th August 2018

Hanan Khayal
Gender and Youth Program Assistant, USAID’s SEED Project, Egypt
Hometown: Cairo, Egypt; Age: 25
Hanan Khayal is a Gender and Youth program assistant at USAID’s SEED project in Egypt, where she works with women entrepreneurs, and interacts with various stakeholders focusing on empowering women economically and advocating for policies to allow for a more gender neutral and equal MSME environment in Egypt. She is currently pursuing her Master of Public Administration at The American University in Cairo (AUC), and has received her B.A. in 2015 from AUC with a double major in Political Science and Integrated Marketing Communication, where her graduation project focused on “Shattering the Stereotypes Surrounding Egyptian Women and Hindering their Economic Development”. Hanan has a growing interest in the development field, with a focus on gender equality, and women’s rights. Before joining SEED, Hanan had joined different organizations, fostering her knowledge in both the development and the communications fields, including UNAIDS, Delta Research Center, and the Egyptian Youth Conferences. Hanan is currently a Policy Analyst at the Public Policy Hub initiative at AUC’s GAPP School. Moreover, she has been a member of the Presidential Leadership program since 2016.

24th August 2018

Muhammad El Hawary
Business Analyst, Pocket Solutions
Hometown: Cairo; Age: 26
Muhammad El Hawary is a Business Analyst at a software development company called Pocket Solutions since January 2016 where he is responsible for linking between clients and the development team to ensure that all project parties are on the same track. Holds a bachelor in Business Administration (Marketing) from the Arab Open University in Cairo, Egypt and a bachelor in Arts in Business studies with Marketing from the Open University in Milton Keynes, England. After graduation he worked as a sales executive for business travel agency called Global Housing Corp. which is based in New York. While he was a university student he had his own private business, worked for an advertisement agency and in TV commercials. In 2013 he went on an internship about filmmaking with Aiesec in Ukraine. He began pursuing his passion for acting in 2009, he started as an extra in TV shows and in TV commercials for well-known companies such as Coca-Cola, Doritos, Vodafone and Etisalat. Also he assisted several acting and directing workshops with professional directors like Dr. Ali Badrakhan and Dr. Ahmed Maher. Strongly passionate about cinema, music, cultures and languages.

24th August 2018

Sara Nada
Staff Member, ARTOC Group for Investment and Development
Hometown: Cairo, Egypt; Age: 32
Sara Nada is a Administrative Assistant at ARTOC Group for Investment & Development.
Sara Nada handles administrative, research and logistics in the Chairman's office at ARTOC. ARTOC is a multidisciplined investment holding focusing on technologies, both startups and mature companies plus bioscience. Prior to that, Sara used to work in Halliburton for Petroleum Services and BME Global. Sara has a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Cairo University.

10th September 2018