FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2023
Contact: Danielle Miller, dmiller@dillard.edu
504.816.4328
NEW ORLEANS – Dillard alumna Karmel Reeves ‘18 was awarded a 2023 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship, following a highly competitive nationwide contest. Reeves is slated to become a U.S. diplomat in 2025.
A distinguished panel selected Reeves out of almost 900 candidates. The Pickering Fellowship, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, supports extraordinary individuals who want to pursue careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. The Pickering Fellowship will support Reeves through a two-year master’s degree in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service. It will also provide extensive professional development opportunities, including internships, mentorship and skills training.
As part of the Pickering Fellowship Program, Reeves will work at the U.S Department of State for their domestic internship in the summer of 2024. In the summer of 2025, the U.S. Department of State will send her overseas to work in the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to get hands-on experience with U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Foreign Service. Upon successful completion of the program, Reeves will become a U.S. diplomat in summer 2025, embarking on one of the most challenging and rewarding careers of service to her country. She will work to promote peace, prosperity, and human dignity around the world.
Reeves, who’s the daughter of Triette Cathey and Alando Reeves, was born in Detroit, Michigan. She served an international nonprofit organization called Buildon, which runs youth service afterschool programs in United States high schools while building schools in developing countries. In 2013 she volunteered in Manchester Parish, Jamaica, where her work aided orphanages, homes for the mentally disabled, small farmers and research facilities. In 2017, she was selected to participate in the Israel Allies Cultural Exchange program, taking her to the border of Syria in the Golan Heights, a Kibbutz community near the border of Gaza, and several Arab-Palestinian villages to learn more about peace conflict initiatives in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians.
Reeves’ journey has now led her to the Pickering Fellowship, and she is on her way to a successful career in diplomacy.
About the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship
The Pickering Fellowship Program is a U.S. Department of State program that aims to enhance the excellence and diversity of the U.S. Foreign Service. Begun in 1992, the Pickering Fellowship Program selects outstanding young people each year from around the country who exhibit the ideal qualities of a Foreign Service Officer. Administered by Howard University, the Pickering Fellowship supports those selected through graduate school and professional development activities that prepare them for their careers as Foreign Service Officers. With the academic, professional and financial support from the program, Fellows now serve as diplomats around the world, contributing to a more diverse representation and effective execution of U.S. foreign policy. More information can be found online at www.pickeringfellowship.org.
About Dillard University
Dillard University is a historically Black institution that cultivates leaders who live ethically, think and communicate precisely, and act courageously to make the world a better place. Located in New Orleans, Dillard is a private faith-based liberal arts university that offers 22 majors and two certificate programs. Ranked 5th on 2021 The New York Times Overall Mobility Index and 14th in 2022 by Academic Influence for Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship, Dillard’s call to future leaders is to Write Your Legacy. Find out more about Louisiana’s oldest HBCU by visiting www.dillard.edu.
