William & Mary announces summer 2021 Harriman Fellows
The Harriman Fellowship Advisory Committee and the Reves Center for International Studies have announced the 2021 Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellows. The Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowships are offered annually to four outstanding undergraduates from across the nation, chosen from students serving in a summer internship with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, and the U.S. Embassies in London and Paris. The fourth fellow is the Harriman World Fellow, a William & Mary student who serves as an intern at any world capital.
The 2021 Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellows, in alphabetical order, are:
- Davit Antonyan, Harvard ’23, who will serve in the U.S. Embassy in London
- Elena Frogameni, Mount Holyoke ’22, who will serve in the in the U.S. Embassy in Paris
- Paige Groome, William & Mary ’22, who will serve in the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C.
- Bennett Hawley, St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme ’23, who is the Harriman World Fellow and will serve on the Economics Desk at the U.S. Embassy in London
“We were delighted with the talent and high caliber of our applicants this year, especially heartening after having to cancel last year’s program due to the pandemic,” said Katie Whelan, chair of the Harriman Fellowship Advisory Board. “These four recipients stood out, not only because of their academic achievements, but also their ability to maintain Ambassador Harriman's legacy through their limitless potential and dedication to public service.”
A competitive selection process
The Harriman Fellowship Program is nationally competitive and highly selective, offering a $5,000 stipend for travel and living expenses. Fellowships are open to eligible juniors and seniors throughout the United States. In order to be eligible for the Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowship, students must first be selected by the U.S. Department of State for an internship in the U.S. Embassy in London, Paris or select offices in Washington, DC, or be a W&M student with an internship at another international embassy.
Candidates for the Harriman Fellowship are reviewed by William & Mary and the Harriman Fellowship Advisory Committee. Members of the Churchill Family serve as Honorary Chairs of the Advisory Committee.
About Ambassador Pamela Harriman
Ambassador Pamela Churchill Harriman (1920-1997), was born in England and became a U.S. citizen in 1971. Throughout her long and extraordinary life, she made an impact on the worlds of politics, diplomacy, education, the arts and philanthropy. President Bill Clinton appointed her as United States Ambassador to France in 1993. Harriman died in France in 1997. The morning after her death, President Jacques Chirac of France placed the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor on her flag-draped coffin. She was the first female foreign diplomat to receive this honor.
The fellowship posts pay tribute to chapters of the Ambassador's life: the U.S. Embassy in London, in the country of her birth; the U.S. Embassy in Paris, where she served as Ambassador to France; and the Office of the Secretary of State in Washington D.C., in the country she served with great distinction.
Pamela Harriman’s connection to William & Mary
William & Mary established the Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowships in 2000 to inspire the best of a new generation to pursue careers in public service. Arthur Schlesinger described Ambassador Harriman’s legacy this way: “Her abiding concern was foreign affairs and world peace. And she believed in the young. ‘It is you," she once said, "the young people just entering public service, to whom we look to forge new paths of understanding among the nations of the world.’”
Harriman’s connections to William & Mary were extensive. She was a member of the Board of Visitors from 1986 to 1990 and the benefactor of the Pamela Harriman Professorship of Government and Public Policy. She received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree and was Charter Day Speaker in 1996. She also hosted the William & Mary Choir and sponsored the Thomas Jefferson Project at the Ambassador's Residence in Paris. She was a cofounder of the Sarah Ives Gore Childcare Center. It is fitting that the university now also honors Ambassador Harriman’s ties with W&M through the newly-established Harriman World Fellowship, dedicated annually to a deserving W&M student.
“We so appreciate the opportunity to honor Ambassador Harriman’s legacy through the Fellowship and are especially proud this year that two William & Mary students were selected,” said Steve Hanson, Vice Provost for International Affairs at William & Mary. “Paige and Bennett have already distinguished themselves at the university, and it will be exciting to see not only what they will learn, but also the many ways they will contribute to our embassies.”
To learn more about the Harriman Fellowship and current and previous fellows, visit the website.
