Bryce Harlow Foundation

For Erika Briceno, foreign policy was an integral part of her life from a young age. “I learned from my family that it was important to be in engaged — as a citizen of this country and of the globe,” Erika said, a sentiment that led her to start her high school’s first Model United Nations club. As an undergraduate at Southern Methodist University, Erika majored in International Relations and Political Science.

An internship with Edelman opened the path toward combining communications and foreign policy, and after working in Edelman’s DC office for a time, Erika came full circle by securing a position at the United Nations Foundation as a Communications and Digital Manager. “This position is a great opportunity to meld my long term goal with my interests in advocacy and communications,” Erika said. Now pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Management from the George Washington University, Erika sees an opportunity to continue Bryce Harlow’s legacy through her work at the United Nations Foundation. “In today’s political environment, I am committed to bridging political divides through messaging, in the spirit of Bryce Harlow and his career,” Erika said.

Jessica Brady toured the U.S. Capitol and fell in love with Washington at an early age, while accompanying her father on work trips from North Dakota.  Jessica carried this interest forward as an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, serving as an intern at the Stimson Center and with U.S. Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska.  The latter turned into a position on Nelson’s staff, and Jessica eventually served as a Deputy Legislative Assistant focused on foreign policy. She then worked at the State Department supporting the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Combining her commitment to advocacy and passion for international development, Jessica currently works at Save the Children where she sees the impact of policy firsthand. “International Affairs makes up just one percent of the federal budget, and it’s clear this funding makes a huge difference in the lives of people across the world,” Jessica said. As she pursues a Master of Public Policy at George Washington University, Jessica looks to Mr. Bryce Harlow as an exemplar in the profession of advocacy. “Mr. Harlow earned the admiration of his colleagues because he was an honest broker and valuable source of information.  The Fellowship and the legacy of Bryce Harlow provide me with a clear model, helping me be a better, more effective global advocate,” Jessica said.

The Bryce Harlow Foundation recently announced Senator Lamar Alexander and The Honorable Dave McCurdy as the honorees for its upcoming Annual Awards Dinner to be held on April 25th.  BHF 2017 Award Winners Announced

Nick DeSarno caught the political bug when he was 8 years old, reading about politics in the newspaper as part of his third grade journalism club. Fast forward a few decades and Nick, a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, already has experience with every level of government – working for his mayor, state assemblyman and senator, and Congressman, Tim Johnson.

Following Congressman Johnson’s retirement, Nick secured a position with the American Dental Association (ADA), where he directed the association’s digital advocacy campaigns to increase members’ political engagement. “I love being able to distill complex issues so people outside of the beltway are able to understand why they should care about this issue,” Nick said. He carried these skills to the Public Affairs Council where he leads the intersection of digital communications and advocacy.  Nick is pursuing a Master of Public Policy degree from George Mason University and is grateful to be a part of the Foundation’s fellowship program.  “Bryce Harlow demonstrated the importance of ethical corporate political involvement, and I believe it is my responsibility to uphold those ideals,” Nick said.

At 30 years old, Washington, D.C. native Christian Ficara is already living his dream: he’s run a successful political campaign, for Brian Hopkins’ 2nd alderman seat in Chicago. This is exactly where Christian wanted to be after graduating from Ohio State with a degree in International Relations. “I was nearing graduation and had to decide if I wanted to go back home or cut my teeth on local Chicago politics,” Christian recalled. His first stints in Chicago were with a political consulting firm, and working on several Illinois state campaigns. He met Brian Hopkins during a fund-raiser and eventually agreed to run his campaign for alderman. Christian now serves as the Alderman’s Director of Public Affairs. “I love government and politics, and while my work in Chicago has put me in the intense trenches of local politics, I see myself transitioning to the federal level and advancing progressive issues,” Christian said. He is pursuing a graduate degree in Public Affairs and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University through an online and interactive program. “This degree will make me a better advocate and learn skills critically important to be an effective lobbyist,” Christian said. “Bryce Harlow set an ethical standard to guide our profession. I am committed to meeting that standard by working with the utmost integrity and honesty,”

At its recent board meeting, the Bryce Harlow Foundation announced the appointment of six new board members and new elected officers. Join us in welcoming them and read all about it here: 2017 BHF new officers and board

The Bryce Harlow Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2017-18 Bryce Harlow Fellowship, a prestigious award including scholarship funds and mentoring. We encourage you to please help spread the word, or to apply if you are working full time, going to graduate school part time and are interested in the field of lobbying and government advocacy. For complete information, including a link to the on-line application, please visit our website.

When David Brinton was studying economics as an undergraduate at Mississippi State University, he made what now seems like a wise decision: to earn a master’s degree in Economics and Public Policy and Administration. His interest in public policy led him to leave Mississippi and work as an intern for an independent lobbyist in Washington, D.C. “I really enjoyed the public policy courses and wanted to explore that more fully,” David said. “Interning provided hands on experience in how politics and policy work together and was a great launching pad for my career.”

David is pursuing a Juris Doctor at Georgetown University and works as a manager for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the Congressional and Public Affairs department. He lobbies on an array of issues facing the Chamber’s members and is most interested in administrative law and regulatory issues. As a Bryce Harlow Fellow, he sees an opportunity to demonstrate to the American public that there are people in the lobbying profession today following the example of Bryce Harlow. “The lobbying profession betters the country, and people are serving as lobbyists in a principled and respectful way,” David said.

A few years ago, Zoya Awan was positive she would have a career in foreign affairs. She studied abroad, had several languages under her belt, and graduated from American University with a major in International Affairs with a focus in peace and conflict resolution. “I was certain I would be working somewhere like the State Department and eventually become a diplomat,” said Zoya. However, her job search led her elsewhere and today she works as a Congressional Affairs Project Coordinator for Microsoft.

Her work includes congressional outreach, which expanded her view and influenced her decision to pursue an MBA at Georgetown University. “The connection between business and policy is very important to understand,” Zoya said. “Now l am working towards some combination of foreign policy, business, and corporate and public affairs – hopefully as a principled public servant and leader like Bryce Harlow.”

Since college, Hanna Abou-El-Seoud knew she wanted to pursue a career in public policy. The Michigan native graduated from Michigan State and promptly secured an internship with Michigan U.S. Senator Carl Levin. She later moved to Washington, D.C. to work on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. During her years as a committee staff, Hanna focused on global food security, international food aid, conservation, and forestry, culminating in work on the Agriculture Act of 2014 (a.k.a. the Farm Bill) and its implementation. Hanna now works on international trade and agricultural development issues for a private government affairs firm.

Hanna attends Georgetown University and is pursuing a master’s in Policy Management. “This degree provides a fresh perspective and cements my policy background in the international trade and food security realm,” Hanna said. “Bryce Harlow’s legacy of integrity is a critically important guiding star in my advocacy career. As a Fellow, I hope to honor this legacy by emulating his professional grace, integrity, and decorum.”