WASHINGTON – Howard University alumna Taylor Rainey (B.A. ’19) has been named Howard University’s first Foreign Affairs IT (FAIT) Fellow. The FAIT Fellowship is funded by the United States Department of State and provides undergraduate and graduate students in IT-related fields with tuition assistance, as well as mentorship and professional development, to launch their careers in the Foreign Service as information management specialists.

“The Howard University community extends heartfelt congratulations to alumna Taylor Rainey on becoming Howard’s first Foreign Affairs IT Fellow, which further extends our legacy of leadership in the international community,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Ms. Rainey used her study abroad experiences during school to foster a strong educational foundation with a global perspective and this fellowship opportunity is an exciting next step. We look forward to her continued success while serving in the Foreign Service.”

Rainey, originally from Oxnard, California, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in Spanish from Howard University. She currently works as an associate analyst for Hillard Heintze, a Jensen Hughes Company, and will be going on to pursue graduate studies in cybersecurity with the support of the FAIT Fellowship. Her research interests include online hate and extremism, diplomacy, data protection and service to the international community. While at Howard, Rainey participated in the Pre-Ph.D. Summer Enrichment Program (PPSEP), where she presented a paper on the preparation confidence of communities prone to hurricanes using a comparative analysis between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Maria. Her international experience includes study abroad courses at the Université du Luxembourg Summer School and the IES Abroad Buenos Aires as well as an internship at the Westminster Palace under Parliament member Helen Grant in London England. Rainey also served as a Foreign Affairs Fellow in the United States House of Representatives for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

“I am humbled and honored to be Howard University’s first Foreign Affairs IT (FAIT) Fellow,” said Rainey. “I am grateful for Howard University’s support to join the Foreign Service, both as a student and post-graduation. I will continue to live ‘in truth and service’ as I continue my professional career.”

The FAIT Fellowship program supports students’ junior and senior years of undergraduate studies or their two-year master’s degree program in an IT-related field. The fellowship provides two valuable internship experiences (one in Washington, D.C. and one abroad), professional development and personalized mentoring. After successful completion of the program and passing the U.S. Department of State’s requirements, fellows will launch a career with an appointment in the Foreign Service as an information management specialist with a minimum five-year commitment.

To learn more about the Foreign Affairs IT (FAIT) Fellowship, click here.

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media Contact: Misha Cornelius, misha.cornelius@howard.edu