Simon Khairallah ’25 has been named Colgate’s first recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship.
The Pickering Fellowship is a merit and need-based U.S. State Department program administered by the Bureau of Global Talent Management and Howard University. After completing his master’s degree and fulfilling Foreign Service entry requirements, Khairallah will have the opportunity to work as a foreign service officer — serving in Washington, D.C., and at a U.S. embassy, consulate, or diplomatic mission around the globe.
Khairallah is a Lampert scholar, Middle Eastern and Islamic studies major, and a political science and peace and conflict studies double minor. As president of the Colgate Model Arab League, he leads the group’s participation in national competitions, where students discuss and debate Middle Eastern politics, from the economic to the environmental.
Khairallah is also a research assistant at the political science department and a senator in the Student Government Association. His study abroad experience in Jordan and an internship in the Washington, D.C., office of Senator Chris Murphy shaped his career aspirations.
To learn more about the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship or other competitive awards, reach out to Meghan Niedt, mniedt@colgate.edu, in the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships to schedule an appointment.