Kelsey Orr selected as Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow

Kelsey Orr, a rising senior at Furman University, is one of 10 undergraduates from across the country to be selected as a 2016 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow.

Managed and funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by The Washington Center, the Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship identifies talented students who have an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career. Hundreds of applicants from more than 160 different schools competed for the distinguished undergraduate and graduate fellowships.

Orr, a political science and Asian studies major from Winston-Salem, N.C., has traveled widely during her time at Furman.  She has served as intern for Scottish Parliament member Mark McDonald of the Scottish National Party, and she was part of the Furman student delegation that attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in the Philippines.

In addition to working as a legal intern for a local law firm, she held the position of student policy researcher for “Aloha ‘Aina: People and Nature in the Hawaiian Islands,” an organization aimed at investigating the relationship between culture, natural resources and legislation.

Orr currently holds an internship with Southwest Airlines a part of the Community Affairs and Grassroots Team. A Dean’s List student at Furman, she is a member of Phi Eta Sigma Academic Honor Society, an officer with Delta Gamma Fraternity, and is active in Furman Residential Life Council as a service committee member.

Recipients of the Pickering Fellowship receive two years of financial support (up to $37,500 annually), mentoring and professional development to prepare them for a career in the Foreign Service. Fellows also complete a domestic internship at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and an overseas internship at a U.S. embassy.

The fellowship program honors one of the most accomplished U.S. Foreign Service Officers of the 20th century. Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering was appointed Career Ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service. He served in many leading positions around the world during his Foreign Service career, including Ambassador to Nigeria, El Salvador, Israel, India and Russia. He concluded his career as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

For more information about the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellows program, including a listing of the undergraduate and graduate fellows, follow this link or contact the Furman News and Media Relations Office at (864) 294-3107.