Over the course of her Pickering Fellowship, Allison has been able to see just how seamlessly her diverse interests in global public health, environmental studies, and international relations intersect with her future career objectives in the international policy arena. Graduating with degrees in Geography and Environmental Studies from George Washington University, she is currently a Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellow at Yale University. As a Fellow, her graduate studies at Yale directly will directly prepare her for the ‘A-100’ training at the Foreign Service Institute and a subsequent career as a successful Foreign Service Officer.

During the tenure of her fellowship, she has been fortunate enough to intern with both the Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science in Washington, DC and with the U.S. Embassy in Majuro, a Republic of the Marshall Islands. With each of these fantastic internships, she has had the opportunity to integrate graduate school coursework with the professional skills that acquired during her domestic and overseas experiences.

At Yale, she is currently focusing her studies on global health policy with an emphasis on rural and environmental health issues. She found that her background in global health systems, epidemiology, and strategic thinking has given her a unique perspective on policy making at the Department of State. Furthermore, the knowledge that she will be commissioned as a Foreign Service Officer after she graduates has also allowed her to craft a course of graduate study that integrates both her academic and professional interests with the multifarious diplomatic needs of the United States.