Student Stories

Mikaela Yuchen Wang Named to Class of 2023 Schwarzman Scholars
Mikaela Yuchen Wang '22 is one of 151 young leaders from 33 countries and 106 universities selected to be in the seventh cohort of Schwarzman Scholars, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships located at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

SAIS Student Team Wins AES Energy Innovation Challenge
A student team consisting of Ruta Karpauskaite '21, Aditi Kumar '22, Julia Fernandes Fonteles '21, and Caitlin Candee '22 won the first AES Energy-Innovation Challenge, which took place from October 4-November 12.

Gaining a Passion for Political Economy
The depth of SAIS’ reputation and access to career treks, alumni networks, panels, student organizations, speaker series, and career services has made SAIS an important experience in building an early career.

A Global Community of Scholars
When looking to apply to graduate school, Cristina Camacho was lucky to know many SAIS alumni at various stages in their careers, who each commended the school and encouraged her to apply. In addition, she was drawn to the world-class faculty, interdisciplinary academic opportunities, and the expansive network of alumni working on international development and social justice.

Empowering Women Globally
"My coursework has given me the opportunity to learn from professionals who have worked in the field while analyzing past and current conflicts through various perspectives."

From a BA to an MA at Johns Hopkins
As an undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University, Austin Cardona had heard a lot about SAIS in his international relations courses and from other students who were also planning on attending the school. Austin had always been interested in applying to SAIS, so when the school began to offer direct admissions for JHU undergraduates, he felt like it was a sign for him to go for it. He knew that pursuing a master’s at SAIS would be a great way to broaden his career prospects, build on his undergraduate education, and expand his network.

A Unique Doctoral Program
"The DIA program helped me build my expertise by allowing me to delve into issues and focus on research for two years, with support from the top experts in the field."

Broadening My Expertise in Policy Making
"Only at SAIS would I have had the chance to connect to exceptional faculty and students alike, to gain distinct insight into US politics, and study at the forefront of global policy-making."

A Cross-Cultural Dual Degree Program
"I find surprising overlaps among different subjects, which makes me appreciate the practicality and inter-disciplinary aspects of the courses I have taken thus far."

An Engaging Education on Two Continents
"All the former students I had met while interning at the US State Department spoke very highly of SAIS."