Majoring in communications at UC Davis and getting certified at CSU Long Beach’s Professional Diversity Training Workshop from “Students Talk About Race” laid the foundation for reaching this goal. And through my professional work in public relations and marketing, often in areas of social impact and Corporate Social Responsibility, I have developed skills vital to storytelling, motivating public opinion and communicating effectively in various industries. It is my hope that through a mater’s degree in international relations, I will continue to fine tune my skills, and become an effective player in promoting healthy intercultural relationships among local and international corporations, non-profits, and …show more content…
I’m fortunate enough to have a best friend who is Pakistani and a deep relationship with her family, whose customs I regard with deep veneration. I will never get tired of learning about their Islamic traditions, their trips home to visit Lahore and the ways they celebrate Ramadan. At the moment, I find myself immersed in Russian-American relations and policy. My grandparents in Russia, trapped in the clutches of anti-American propaganda, refuse to visit us. They believe that the US government is responsible for decades of Russian woes, and most recently, the creation of ISIS. Deeply rooted animosity stemming from the Cold War, paired with several failed political “resets” have resulted in a growing rift between the two superpowers, a rift that has the power to threaten American safety and world peace. My immediate goal, post-graduate school is to facilitate positive cooperation between the two nations that seem to have been unable to establish a middle ground for decades. From helping policy makers better understand the vast difference in culture and communication to helping businesses work better with their Eastern counterparts, I will be pugnacious about closing the cultural gap and opening doors to better governmental relations and healthier business