Jessica Eldosoky graduated from the Elliott School’s MA in Middle East Studies program in 2013.  Currently, Jessica is a Foreign Affairs Officer (FAO) at the Department of State. She works with U.S. embassies and consulates in the Middle East to develop public diplomacy programs and products to explain American culture, society, and foreign policy to regional audiences. During her studies at GW, she had internships at non-profits focused on interfaith dialogue and conflict resolution as well as the Department of State’s Office of International Religious Freedom. Eldosoky received the Boren National Security Fellowship to study Arabic in Cairo, Egypt in 2012. She also received the Elliott School’s Aramex Fellowship in 2013 to intern in a non-profit focused on promoting co-existence among Christians and Muslims in Amman, Jordan. After graduating from GW, Eldosoky worked at American Islamic Congress, a DC-based non-profit that advocates positive relations between Muslims and non-Muslims around the world.

What do you know now that you wish you had known as a new student?

I wish I had known that developing a technical skill is just as important as developing a deep knowledge of the region. I encourage students to take advantage of their elective courses by delving deeply into other disciplines that augment their ability to get a job, such as communications, cybersecurity, or conflict resolution.