UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Camilla Beaderman, a rising junior studying Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, is one of 15 students nationwide to be selected for the Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship (FAIT) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Following a highly competitive application process, the students will begin the two-year fellowship this year, starting in the fall semester and culminating in an appointment as foreign service information management specialists.
The 2020 cohort of the FAIT Fellowship is the fourth cohort of this program that launched in 2016 as part of the Department’s efforts to attract top technology talent.
“As the daughter of a Navy service member, I am incredibly honored to work for the Department of State and be able to represent the United States abroad,” said Beaderman. “Working for the U.S. government has always been a goal of mine, and I am proud to have achieved it so early in my life.”
The program, administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars and funded by the U.S. Department of State, provides up to $37,500 annually in academic funding for two years of the student’s undergraduate or master’s IT-related degree program. Additionally, students participate in two summer internships with stipend support – one in Washington, D.C., and one at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad – as well as professional development training. After completing the two-year program and meeting Department requirements, the Fellows receive appointments as Foreign Service Information Management Specialists and begin exciting careers using their technology skills to support U.S. diplomacy abroad.
“The Washington Center is honored to partner with the U.S. Department of State on the FAIT Fellowship program for the fourth year in a row,” said Chris Norton, The Washington Center president. “We’re excited that we were able to provide the U.S. Department of State with a diverse pool of talented, highly qualified students for the selection process. The FAIT Fellowship program is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for these students to have a career that takes them around the world and that makes a real difference.”
"I am confident that Camilla will serve the U.S. State Department with distinction, high-quality technical capability and a high degree of professionalism in representing the United States to other nations across the world," said Nick Giacobe, assistant teaching professor of information sciences and technology at Penn State, who recommended Beaderman for the program.
Born in Italy and raised on three different continents, Beaderman is a native Italian speaker with a love for languages, currently pursuing a minor in Korean. She also hopes to one day pick up Mandarin, Japanese and Turkish.
“The Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship is a unique program that blends my love for cybersecurity and IT with my passion for foreign languages, travel and experiencing new cultures,” said Beaderman. “I was raised bilingual and grew up moving around the world every three years. With this fellowship, I will be able to continue these adventures while also gaining new skills and experience that will put me on the path to becoming a fully qualified cybersecurity professional.”
Of the 15 FAIT Fellows for the 2020 cohort, five are entering a master’s degree program in fall 2020. The other 10, including Beaderman, are undergraduate students entering their junior year this fall.
The 2021 application cycle for the FAIT Fellowship program will begin in late October/early November. Announcements will be posted online at https://www.faitfellowship.org/ and shared on social media at https://www.facebook.com/FAITFellowship and https://twitter.com/FAITFellowship.