Stoneham Resident Named 2011 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow

Stoneham resident Shiva Marvasti was recently named the 2011 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow. Next year, she will be attending Georgetown University (Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service) to pursue her Master of Science in Foreign Service.

Marvasti hopes to join the U.S. Foreign Service and serve in the economic track after graduation.

At age 14, Marvasti moved from her home city in Tehran, Iran to pursue her education, where she then went on to attend the College of Holy Cross where she majored in political science.

“I applied for the Truman Scholarship and was able to become a finalist, however, I was not awarded the grant,” Marvasti said. “I argued at the time that I would like to attend Georgetown University and obtain my Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) and join the U.S. Foreign Service upon graduation.”

Marvasti also spoke to many Holy Cross alumni who helped her during this process.

Marvasti outlined her future goals and what she hopes to accomplish in the next upcoming years.

“As part of the Pickering Fellowship, I am required to work as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State for a minimum of three years,” Marvasti said. “This is aligned with my goals as I am hoping to pursue my career with the Department of State in the future.”

Marvasti, a graduate, also completed the Financial Management Program at GE Capital and she is currently working as part of the GE Corporate Audit Staff.

Marvasti was a co-chair of College Democrats during her junior and senior years at Holy Cross, a Senior interviewer for the Office of Admissions and a representative on the Judicial Council for two years.