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Schar School in the News
Zoom Recap: ‘Face to Face’ With Rep. Adam Schiff
March 01, 2021
What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (February 2021)
March 01, 2021
Strategic Trade Certificate Proves to be Strategic Career Move
February 26, 2021
Three Biodefense Grads Set to Lead Global Health Organization
February 23, 2021

Upcoming Events
The Schar School Advantage: Degrees for Difference Makers (3/4)
March 04, 2021
CSPS Event - National Security Implications and Potential Responses (3/5)
March 05, 2021
Virtual Learning Community (VLC) Open House (3/5)
March 05, 2021
First Fridays: Irish Spirit Cupcakes (3/5)
March 05, 2021
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Tomorrow is @ScharSchool's 'First Friday' event for the month of March! Learn how to make Irish Spirit Cupcakes with Librarian @BookishKim. Register! https://t.co/itmbCBk6rV #StPatricksDay2021 @GeorgeMasonNews pic.twitter.com/QtbA3tNNJp

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 4, 2021

Congratulations to @ScharSchool's @GCorreaCabrera, who has been named an El Centro fellow at the @smallwars journal! She's 'made significant and distinguished contributions to the field.' Keep tip the good work, professor. https://t.co/Ah1Qx78NjW pic.twitter.com/uUB8jR5zQY

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 3, 2021

Universities have invested in screening for #COVID19, but if it works is hard to say. @ScharSchool’s @SaskiaPopescu tells the @nytimes that “the moral of the story is you can’t just invest in this tech without having a validation process behind it.” https://t.co/FDAg6aSjXb pic.twitter.com/CRgnYMOU7R

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 3, 2021

New study: #Syria’s chemical weapons program has been thoroughly investigated. @ScharSchool’s @gregkoblentz tells @nytimes that it is the “most comprehensive and detailed account of the Syrian weapons program available…” https://t.co/MVG7C1VwkA pic.twitter.com/pzF6ucI5na

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 3, 2021

A drone swarms’ flexibility is what makes them so shockingly lethal. As @ScharSchool’s Zak Kallenborn explained to @forbes “Ideally, drone swarms would be a bit like Legos: mix and match blocks to build the drone swarm the battle commander wants.” https://t.co/TTigi7bjrn pic.twitter.com/ABo8S5O8Wh

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 2, 2021

What is keeping #Taiwan from preparing for war? The number of answers might surprise you. As @ScharSchool’s @MichaelHunzeker testified before #Congress, Taiwan is not “optimally manned, trained, equipped, and motivated to defend against an attack.” https://t.co/8WLydcRWOx pic.twitter.com/5NLLIBjcyX

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 2, 2021

#Biden launched airstrikes on #Syrian militias, and the actions have faced backlash and praise. @ScharSchool’s Ellen Laipson op-eds @asiatimesonline about the specifics of the situation. “Iraqi Shiite militias may retain considerable value to Iran.” https://t.co/qGI74S60cU pic.twitter.com/vA96dS3vUL

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 2, 2021

The World Trade Organization has a new leader – a woman from Africa, firsts. @ScharSchool’s @Prof_JPSingh previews her challenges: “Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s remarkable achievement in being selected as the director-general of the @wto cannot be understated.” https://t.co/sca8PmZUHu pic.twitter.com/6J4xxZY57h

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 2, 2021

The #Amazon is an important issue for #climate. Can #Biden work with #Brazil? @ScharSchool’s @brazil_works Mark Langevin co-op-eds @thehill: We “should sidestep, circumvent and hurdle the obstacles to addressing global warming and deforestation.” https://t.co/lavaC3KJcO pic.twitter.com/NLyHepXPK0

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 2, 2021

What good are #Intelligence Committees? @ScharSchool's @ronamarks, former #CIA officer, op-eds on @thehill about Congressional oversight. "Speaker Pelosi knows that bipartisanship is a bygone dream and the current intelligence oversight system is broken." https://t.co/R1Opd6MPTb pic.twitter.com/03Bw5sHHoR

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) March 2, 2021
Home » News & Events » Latest News » Natalie Nehme: A Government Degree and an Important Concentration Led to Success as a Government Affairs Professional

Natalie Nehme: A Government Degree and an Important Concentration Led to Success as a Government Affairs Professional

By Buzz McClain February 02, 2021

Schar School government and international politics alumna Natalie Nehme in front of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.An interest in history and an affinity for learning about the governments of other countries led Natalie Nehme to study government and international politics at the Schar School of Policy and Government. The Orlando native, who graduated from the bachelor of arts program in 2017, is now manager of operations and outreach at a Washington, D.C., government affairs startup called Poligage.

“The Schar School is structured in a way that you can choose to follow particular paths or concentrations that align with your interests,” Nehme said. “For me, because I had such a strong interest in learning about other countries and how they govern, I chose a concentration in comparative politics.” (Browse a full list of optional concentrations.)

A highlight of her undergraduate career found Nehme as a rising senior interning at Washington, D.C., lobbying firm Wexler Walker, where she reported on congressional hearings and researched policy issues. “It was a great opportunity that I was able to participate in because of all the support and guidance from my [Mason] and Schar School family,” she said. 

“I must give a major shoutout to Dr. Ann Ludwick, my academic advisor, who helped me not only shortlist internship opportunities but made them fit into my daily schedule while I was a student at the Schar School,” she added. Ludwick is the assistant dean of undergraduate academic affairs at the Schar School.

“The [Schar School’s] Career Development Office was helpful in crafting my resume and preparing for internship interviews that were held on campus,” Nehme said. “Also, many of my Chi Omega sorority sisters helped me network and find internship opportunities that I would have never been able to do on my own.”

As for her professors, “they were amazing,” she said. She noted that many of the faculty members “are professionals in their fields of study and have extensive networks to hundreds of organizations in the Washington, D.C., area. Many of them helped me and my fellow classmates land volunteer and internship opportunities. All we had to do was reach out to them.” 

Now that she has been out of the Schar School for a few years—in fact, she landed a full-time job at Wexler Walker shortly after graduation—she realizes that she employs the knowledge she gained as a student to her profession on a daily basis.

“That job required me to have an understanding of how the U.S. government system worked on a congressional and executive level,” she said. “I quickly moved forward in my career and became a registered lobbyist in 2018, directly helping our clients navigate Washington’s bureaucratic landscape.”

“Today, I am proud to be working with a government affairs startup company called Poligage which is the world's first online marketplace that makes gaining policy insights and government affairs services accessible for all. Poligage helps organizations navigate risks and opportunities that come from public policy, legislation, regulatory efforts, and other government activities that may impact their business.”

What she learned at the Schar School could apply to a range of interests: “I think anyone who is remotely interested in politics or who wants to learn how government systems work—both in the U.S. and other countries—should consider a degree in government and international politics,” she said. “This degree will help those who are interested in learning how to research, synthesize, and formulate their thoughts effectively.” 

 

Schar School Fact: In a challenging job market, 87 percent of Schar School master’s degree graduates from Winter ’19 and Spring ’20 hold full-time jobs.

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