Grace graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a major in Political Science and History and a minor in Arab Studies. Her interest in international relations deepened through coursework on international organizations and regionalism in Vienna. The Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship furthered her global immersion and linguistic skills as she studied Arabic in Meknes, Morocco and at Middlebury College.
Merging these interests, Grace’s honors thesis examined how democracy-promotion organizations, specifically their civic engagement efforts, react and adapt to distinct non-democratic regimes and civic demands in Morocco and Egypt. Beyond her research, she supported language-learning and cultural engagement by leading workshops and Arabic tutoring through her university’s Arabic program. She also helped students navigate experiential learning and professional development opportunities as a peer mentor.
These experiences inspire Grace to advance community-centered outreach efforts and encourage students’ public service. As a graduate intern with Georgetown’s Center for Social Justice, she hopes to strengthen collaboration between the university and the greater DC community. Outside the classroom, she stays active through cycling, tennis, pickleball, jiu jitsu, and organizing political campaigns.