Fifty years later: Our 2016-17 MacJannet Fletcher Fellows, in their own words

Note: Since 1967, an endowment from Donald MacJannet has supported international studies and exchange programs involving the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Each fall the MacJannet Foundation supports an annual dinner at the Fletcher School to honor these MacJannet Fletcher Fellows. The dinner held in November 2016 was attended by seven of these outstanding students, representing six European countries and a broad range of interests and experiences. (Three other Fellows were unable to attend, including two who were studying that semester abroad.) The awesome experience and youthful optimism of this impressive group of students offer hope for the future to a troubled planet.  — A.K.

María Álvarez-Tólcheff Alarcó (Spain): After practicing corporate law for six years in Madrid, I decided I needed to broaden my knowledge of the world’s issues and expand my legal education to public international law. To do that, I looked for an international relations school with a strong law department, which is precisely what I found in Fletcher. At this school, I am finding all the necessary tools to achieve my goals: a vibrant community of people willing to share all their knowledge and personal experiences with each other, faculty who are completely devoted to the intellectual as well as personal development of their students, and an infrastructure of staff and means that works as the perfect framework. Since I started school in September 2016, I have participated in the European Affairs Society as well as the organization of the European Conference at Harvard, and the Harvard Law and Development Society. I intend to focus my studies in public international law as well as U.S. foreign policy and European politics. After I graduate from Fletcher, I would like to continue as an international lawyer. I would also like to be able to write regularly as a complement to my legal work, in newspapers and other media outlets.

Alexandra Chamberlin (France): I am a French double-degree graduate following jointly a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at The Fletcher School and a Master in Management at HEC Paris Business School. Here at Fletcher I am specializing in impact investing, by learning to define and measure impact while refining my investment skills so I can utilize them in a globalized world. At Fletcher School, I met amazing people from all over the world and decided to engage with two clubs more specifically. I have been nominated the chief financial officer for the Fletcher Social Investment Group, which involves me in a year-long competition where we as students play the role of impact investors—defining an investment thesis, sourcing relevant social ventures, conducting due diligence and impact assessment to eventually pitch them to actual impact investors to win a $50,000 investment for the “company.” I am also part of the Fletcher European Affairs Society, under which I will manage the panel titled “Emerging leaders: Rulers, Visionaries, Managers?” at the 2017 Harvard European Conference. Without the assistance of a Donald R. MacJannet Scholarship, my Fletcher education would not have been possible.

Susanne Jaworski (Germany): I was born in Germany as a child of a German mother and a Polish father. Raised between these two cultures, I have always been fascinated by different cultures and eager to learn new languages. After graduating from high school, my keen interest in international affairs and regional studies made me pursue Islamic Studies and Russian Culture as part of my undergraduate degree. Following my graduation in 2014, I moved to Jordan to pursue professional ambitions in humanitarian work and also to expand my understanding of spoken Arabic and culture. Working for a humanitarian NGO in the context of the Syrian crisis was both rewarding and challenging. I quickly realized that in my future career, I do not want to be limited to treating the symptoms of conflict, but would rather focus on resolving its underlying causes. This is why, here at Fletcher, I am pursuing “International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution” and “Development Economics.” Fletcher’s curriculum allows me to explore conflict studies from different angles, be it from a legal, economic, or completely interdisciplinary perspective. In particular, Professor Nadim Rouhana’s class on conflict resolution taught me a new way of thinking about international conflicts, and challenged me to constantly question my own assumptions when analyzing a crisis. After I graduate from The Fletcher School, I hope to secure a relevant position in a development organization concerned with the programming and implementation of early-recovery or state-building projects in the Middle East.

Rafael Loss (Germany): It was a pleasure to see so many of you again at the MacJannet Foundation dinner at the Fletcher School last year. For the second time, I felt welcomed among members of the MacJannet family. As I come to conclude my two years at Fletcher, I look back on many great memories. But there is still much more left to do: Finishing my capstone project—successfully running the European Conference 2017—as well as completing four more classes. After Fletcher, I plan to remain a year longer in the U.S. to put the skills and knowledge I acquired here to good use. I also still plan to enter a Ph.D. program. Through Fletcher and the MacJannet Foundation, I got to know the American academy—and honestly, I don’t want to leave. Yet.

Stefan Tschauko (Austria): “Making an impact through effective communication”— this is the common denominator of my professional and academic experiences. It is also my professional goal in life and has been my study focus here at Fletcher. I aim to contribute to the communication outreach of international organizations in order to help them increase their impact. Specifically, I work toward becoming a communications specialist and scholar, supporting the United Nations system in educating the public about the UN’s ideal of making the world a better place. I believe expertise in three areas is crucial in achieving this goal: competence in information technologies and communication techniques; awareness of inter- national issues and cultural differences; and insights into challenges of international organizations. I studied Information Management in Austria and the UK, worked in one of Austria’s leading branding and design companies, studied for a master’s degree in International Management in Austria/Turkey, and researched social media utilization of the UN Department of Public Information for my master’s thesis. Fletcher has been a wonderful opportunity to sharpen my expertise in all these areas. I have taken courses in the areas of “International Organizations” and “International Information & Communication.” Highlights of my education include my capstone project with the UN (researching how the UN manages its brand) and my exchange semester at Sciences Po in Paris. The MacJannet Foundation’s support has helped me to get one step closer to achieving these goals.

Damian Vogt (Liechtenstein/Switzerland): Last year, I wrote an op-ed for the Swiss Society of Boston about the Swiss figure whose work, in my view, has had the most lasting impact on American society today. For me, Henry Dunant, who played a significant role in what led to the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, set out a vision for a better world. Growing up in Switzerland and my experience in the Swiss government greatly shaped my identity in this regard. Whether it was at the United Nations or at Twitter, these values have guided my work. Faculty and fellow students at The Fletcher School challenge me daily to think about how I can increase my impact. Technology plays an increasingly important role in our society. We must not stand on the sidelines but instead actively ensure that it is used in a way that enhances safety and security, as well as development. This is one of my foremost goals now, and even more so after graduation, when I hope to land a position in technology in a trust and safety capacity. Henry Dunant was an idealist, It is up to us to continue to realize his vision today.