Baruch College Undergraduate Wins Fulbright U.S. Student Award Program to Mexico
May 20, 2021
Kimberly Kazdal, a SEEK student who is graduating from Baruch College this May, will participate in a Fulbright program where she wants to honor her family roots by working on Latin America and Caribbean-focused issues.
A Baruch College senior is a recipient of a 2021-22 Fulbright U.S. Student award and will have an opportunity following graduation in May to gain international experience as she looks to pursue a career as a political foreign service officer.
Kimberly Kazdal (’21), a SEEK student who is majoring in Public Affairs at Baruch College’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, earned Fulbright’s Mexico Binational Internship Program Award, which starts in September and last 10 months. With the Fulbright award, Kazdal will intern at a Mexican company or non-government office and take courses at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. The goal of the program is to increase mutual understanding and cooperation between Mexico’s private sector and the United States.
For Kazdal, the opportunity to travel and intern in Mexico will not only advance her career goals but is also personally meaningful.
“It seemed that this Fulbright award would allow me to honor my roots and my family by working on Latin America and Caribbean-focused issues, which is very important to me,” explained Kazdal.
Besides adding the Fulbright award to her resume, Kazdal can also include a NYC Urban Fellowship that she won this semester. The Urban Fellows Program is a highly selective, nine-month fellowship which combines work in Mayoral offices and City agencies with volunteer service opportunities and a seminar series that explores current urban issues impacting public policy.
Kazdal is already looking ahead after completing the Fulbright program next summer. She plans to attend graduate school and study international relations/development.
“I hope that all these experiences will help me become the best foreign service officer I can become,” she added. “This Fulbright will directly increase my knowledge of economics and the private sector, which will make me a well-rounded foreign service officer. Additionally, living overseas will increase my ability to adapt to new places, which is an essential skill for foreign service officers abroad.”
Kazdal credited the Office of National and Prestigious Fellowships Advising at Baruch College, and specifically Director Valerie Hymas, for steering her toward this Fulbright award and assisting throughout the rigorous application process and practice interviews.
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