Georgia Schaefer-Brown ’25 Awarded Esteemed Gaither Junior Fellowship
Photo by Tyler Caruso.
Will work at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
A Dickinson international-studies major was awarded a prestigious fellowship through the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program. After her graduation, Georgia Schaefer-Brown ‘25 will work as a junior fellow in the Africa program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“This is genuinely my dream first post-graduation job,” says Schaefer-Brown, a Minneapolis native who holds a double minor in economics and Italian.
Each year, approximately 15 fellows are selected nationwide for the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program, one of the most prestigious postgraduate opportunities in international affairs. Applicants must be nominated by their college or university, and each college or university may nominate only two students or recent graduates annually.
Schaefer-Brown comes to the fellowship with keen interest in the international political economy as it relates to the African continent. She deepened her understanding of economic advancement and politics in Africa while studying abroad for a semester in Cameroon through the Dickinson-SIT program, which focuses on learning about development and social change. Her study-abroad independent-research project focused on Njangis in Yaoundé and Batoufam, Cameroon; Schaefer-Brown also explored economic development in Latin America last year during a study-abroad semester in Bologna, Italy.
Dickinson's High-Impact Learning & Fellowships team invited Schaefer-Brown to apply for the fellowship this past October. She eagerly got to work, throwing her hat in the ring for a research-assistant position with senior scholars in the Carnegie Africa Program. Her application included an essay on factors shaping Africa's role in the global economy. Through several months of writing and revision with guidance from faculty and staff, she clarified her career goals as she polished her essay. She interviewed with Africa-program staff in late February and was thrilled to receive an offer in early March.
“I am incredibly excited to be part of the incoming cohort of junior fellows, and I look forward to working at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.," Schaefer-Brown says. “I am also deeply grateful for the support from the fellowships team and from my Dickinson professors and mentors.”
According to Amity Fox, associate provost of high-impact learning & fellowships, Schaefer-Brown is the first Dickinson student to be awarded a Gaither Junior Fellowship since 2009, when the program was named the Junior Fellows Program. “Georgia is a remarkable student—thoughtful, intellectually curious and deeply engaged in the learning process,” says Fox. “She has a rare ability to reflect meaningfully and communicate with clarity and purpose. This fellowship is a perfect fit for her talents and vision.”
Applying to prestigious fellowships like the Gaither encourages students like Schaefer-Brown to pause and think deeply about their experiences and goals. The process is rigorous and reflective, and it invites students to connect their academic path, personal experiences and future aspirations. With support from faculty and staff, they emerge stronger writers, sharper thinkers, and more confident in their voice. Because many fellowships require institutional nomination, students are encouraged to plan ahead. For more information, contact fellowships@dickinson.edu.
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Published April 8, 2025