Luz Velazquez
Class of 2024
LinkedIn | Publication | Publication
Luz Velazquez is a Master’s in Global Human Development candidate at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, pursuing certificates in Gender, Peace, & Security and African Studies. She is a first-generation college graduate from Binghamton University SUNY. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minors in Latin American & Caribbean Area Studies and Immigration Studies. During her undergraduate career, Luz was a JFEW SUNY Global Affairs Scholar, Lideres Avanzando Fellow for UnidosUS, and an Institute of International Education (IIE) research intern, amongst other positions. Her languages include Spanish and Guarani, Paraguay's indigenous language.
Luz is a Queens, NY native and a proud daughter of Paraguayan immigrants. These identities have fueled her passion for immigration, human rights, public service, and development issues. As a 2022 Thomas R. Pickering Fellow, she will pursue a career in the U.S. Department of State (DOS) as a Foreign Service Officer upon completing her graduate studies. In the summer of 2023, Luz completed her domestic internship in the Bureau of African Affairs in the Office of Sudan and South Sudan at DOS. She will be working for the Political Team at the U.S Mission to the OSCE in Vienna, Austria the summer of 2024.
Luz Velazquez is a published author with vast experience in immigration and human rights. Her publication, produced in collaboration with her research team, explores the social, psychological, and physical impact immigration enforcement policies have on people, specifically those of marginalized backgrounds. In addition to her research experience, Luz has spent numerous hours interning with an immigration services organization in upstate New York and a refugee family reunification clinic in Sheffield, UK, interviewing refugees from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Luz also researched the Spain Immigration Crisis with Morocco while completing her Fulbright ETA grant in Spain from 2021-2022.
Summer Internship Experience
U.S. Department of State Office of Sudan and South Sudan
I had the incredible opportunity to intern at the U.S. Department of State Office of Sudan and South Sudan, made possible by the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship program. Over the course of ten captivating weeks, I delved into a profound exploration of these nations, immersing myself in topics such as the Jeddah process, democratic transitions, ceasefire agreements, and much more. Through this enriching internship, I engaged in drafting imperative daily reports, including time-sensitive Congressional correspondences, Questions for the Record (QFR), high-level meeting summaries, and sanctioning reports. A pinnacle achievement was crafting my inaugural cable for Embassy Khartoum!
Among the remarkable experiences, I had the honor of coordinating high-level consultations for the U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan, collaborating closely with senior officials from the State Department, USAID, and USIP. In this role, I assumed the responsibilities of primary notetaker and control officer. An unforgettable moment was the privilege of meeting the U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan and accompanying him throughout the Chief of Mission conference. This internship unequivocally solidified my aspiration to become a Political Officer within the Bureau of African Affairs.
