Alumnus Ly wins Rangel Fellowship
Article By: Clark Leonard
University of North Georgia (UNG) alumnus 2nd Lt. Phillip Ly has earned the Rangel Fellowship, which awards up to $42,000 annually for two years to 45 American students who plan to earn a master's degree and begin a career in the Foreign Service.
Ly plans to use the fellowship to pursue a master's degree in international affairs at Johns Hopkins University or Georgia Institute of Technology. It will pave the way for his dream job.
"I've always wanted to become a Foreign Service Officer," Ly said. "It's an awesome career to be able to make an impact on people around the world."
The scholarship is highly competitive, with around a 3% selection rate yearly. Ly is the second UNG student or alumnus to secure the Rangel Fellowship. The Rangel Fellowship also includes a 10-week internship with the U.S. Congress and a 10-week internship at an overseas U.S. Embassy.
This marks the latest in a long list of honors for the fall 2022 graduate, who earned a degree in strategic and security studies.
"We have been consistently impressed by Phillip's hard work, perseverance, adaptability, and positivity," Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, said. "What a tremendous honor for one of UNG's absolute best students."
We have been consistently impressed by Phillip’s hard work, perseverance, adaptability, and positivity. What a tremendous honor for one of UNG's absolute best students.
Dr. Anastasia Lin
UNG assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office
While at UNG, Ly won the Boren, Gilman, Fund for Education Abroad, and Freeman-ASIA scholarships — some of them multiple times — to support study abroad.
However, he was unable to use them due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In 2022, he was one of 20 students chosen nationwide to participate in the Rangel Summer Enrichment Program at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he gained a clearer understanding of career opportunities in international affairs.
He is currently abroad serving during the 2023-24 academic year as a Fulbright English teaching assistant to Vietnam, finally making his dream of study abroad a reality.
In addition to the opportunity for global experience, the Fulbright is offering Ly a chance to connect with his heritage, as his parents and others in his family are from Vietnam.
"I'm super grateful for the Fulbright experience," Ly said. "I think it's one of the reasons I got the Rangel Fellowship. I get to serve as a cultural ambassador here and build relationships."
Ly also had an internship through the University of Maryland's Research for Intelligence and Security Challenges (RISC) Initiative in summer 2023. He previously interned as a House clerk staff member in the Georgia House of Representatives.
His mentors include Lin; Dr. Victoria Hightower, assistant director of NCS and professor of history; and Dr. Jon Beall, associate professor of history. Ly pointed to those UNG mentors and his friends from the Rangel Summer Program as instrumental in his journey.
"If it wasn't for their support and belief in me, I don't think I would be here today," Ly said.
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