Name: Mariya Ilyas

Recipient Year: 2017

Major: International Affairs

Description: Mariya  completed her master’s degree at Tufts University, where she studied international security, global maritime affairs, and conflict resolution. Mariya has continued to serve her country and to be a voice for underrepresented groups as a member of the U.S. Foreign Service through the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. Mariya is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, and organizes programming around these topics. She is also an avid writer and uses travel blogging as a tool for cultural diplomacy—to foster dialogue, exchange perspectives, and increase understanding of foreign cultures. Prior to Fletcher, Mariya worked in both the public and private sectors: teaching English in Turkey (Fulbright Scholarship) and Pakistan ; interning at The White House, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Embassy Bangkok. Mariya graduated in 2013 from Bowdoin College, where she majored in mathematics and minored in sociology and government.

School Name: Tufts University

Sponsor: Afzal Family Foundation

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariyailyas/