Claudia Marban Expands Diplomatic Horizons Through Summer Fellowship
UNG’s 2025 Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellow, senior political science major Claudia Marban, spent her final undergraduate summer participating in the Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellowship for Emerging Leaders. Selected as one of just 20 students nationwide, and one of two UNG students, Claudia gained hands-on insight into careers in the Foreign Service through this fully-funded program.
A resident of Gillsville, GA and a graduate of East Hall High School, Claudia first became interested in diplomacy while participating in Model United Nations at UNG. The fellowship offered her an opportunity to explore her passion more deeply and think about her future career path.
During the program, Claudia visited the United Nations Information Center and the Peace Corps, met with diplomats and Foreign Service officers, and participated in workshops highlighting the real-world challenges of a diplomatic career. For Claudia, the fellowship provided invaluable insight into what a career in the Foreign Service really entails.
One of the many benefits Claudia says she received from this fellowship came during the “Diplomatic Skills Training” segment, where “we had presentations, followed up with a simulation, an activity related to what was discussed in the presentation. For example, one of them was The Art of Diplomatic Negotiation. Many of the foundational principles of these "everyday" negotiations also apply to diplomacy.”
For Claudia, the most memorable part was visiting the Peace Corps and hearing from some of the volunteers about how they dealt with homesickness and the benefits they received after completing their program, such as graduate school coverage.
Associate PSIA professor Dr. Bibek Chand, mentor to Claudia on our Gainesville campus said: “This selective fellowship was a great opportunity for our students to get a glimpse of Foreign Service opportunities and experience professional networking in D.C. [Claudia has] gone above and beyond to seek opportunities for professional development. Apart from being very engaged on campus, [she has] consistently sought external opportunities. The fellowship challenges students to think about long-term career choices and the importance of engaging outside of one’s comfort zones. I am confident that Claudia gained great experiences that will inform her career trajectories.”
With her roots in Gainesville, her UNG education, and the experience gained from the Meridian-Cox Fellowship, Claudia is excited to pursue a career in diplomacy that will allow her to make a meaningful impact in international relations.