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2 From Area Are Pickering Finalists
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Published: July 4, 2008
Shannon Brown
Christopher Estoch
Of the 40 finalists for Pickering Fellowships who went to Washington in May, two were from New Port Richey.
To put that in perspective, consider this: 1,000 people applied for the Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship program, which recruits students who want to work in the foreign service. Twenty were chosen.
"When you have two people from a tiny county in West Florida, it's definitely a different experience," said Christopher Estoch, 20, a junior at the University of Central Florida.
The Tampa Bay area is not generally known as a hotbed for foreign affairs, said Estoch, whose family now lives in Oldsmar. Think New York, Washington or Boston.
That might change, though, thanks to Estoch and Shannon Brown.
"I think everyone has a desire to make a difference," said Brown, 20, a junior at Rollins College in Winter Park. "As a private citizen, I could make a difference on a small level. I could go to a developing country and help.
"As a member of the foreign service, I would be in a position to make a difference on an international level. So the scale of impact really attracted me."
The fellowship, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State, pays for tuition, room, board and other expenses during a student's junior and senior years and the first year of graduate school. Fellows agree to pursue a graduate degree in international studies and work as foreign service officers for at least 4 1/2 years.
Estoch, a political science major with an emphasis in international relations, plans to make a career of the State Department. The way he sees it, the foreign service offers the chance to travel, indulge his passion for international politics and serve his country, along with a degree of job security.
"I hope to make a difference somewhere," he said. "I don't expect to be an ambassador or anything, but hopefully make a worthwhile career out of it."
He wants to work in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa.
"They're all growing places," he said. "They're changing. There's still influence the U.S. can have in these places."
Brown is majoring in international relations with a minor in Spanish. She plans to pursue her doctorate and become a researcher. Right now, though, her focus is on becoming a policy adviser on Middle East issues.
She's getting a head start on that while still a student. This summer, she's collaborating with Rollins faculty to research sustainable energy policies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
After heading to Spain this fall to study the language, she will be off to Morocco in the spring to study Arabic and the country's culture and politics, then will work on a project about democratization efforts there.
Brown also got a jump on lobbying for policy changes. During the spring semester, she, another student and several faculty members successfully lobbied the Rollins administration to start an Arabic language program.
They drummed up interest among students, researched similar programs at nearby schools and found someone to teach the class. This fall, Rollins will offer a beginning Arabic course. All 20 seats are full, Brown said.
Ironically, Brown won't be one of those students. She will be studying Arabic in Morocco instead.
Editor Jeff Scullin can be reached at (813) 779-4614 or jscullin@tampatrib.com.
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