This is one of a series of posts featuring Fellows from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation network.

The 2015 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellows come from a wide range of backgrounds. Graduate Fellow Youssef Elkei, originally from Cairo, Egypt, has always been interested in international affairs and the conduct of diplomacy. He hopes to channel his interests and professional experiences towards his graduate work at Georgetown and a future career in the Foreign Service:

“I’ve been fortunate enough to hold a variety of positions over the short span of my career; research and editing at the Carnegie Endowment, project management for the American Academy of Diplomacy, assisting at the Qatar Embassy.  I’ve also been a tour director for the State Department’s International Leadership Visitor Program, an anti-discrimination tester for a non-profit law firm, and even a bartender from time to time,” Youssef writes.

“Nothing, however, compares to the chance to represent my country abroad, and embarking on the Pickering Fellowship path towards that career is an undeniable honor.  I’ve called the District of Columbia home for the last twelve years, where I now live with my wife.  I’m passionate about international travel, new culinary experiences, foreign languages, and independent music.  I look forward to working with the Pickering Fellowship community now and in the future.”

---