NOVA Alum Iyouel Endashaw Selected for U.S. State Department FAIT Fellowship

Following a highly competitive application process, NOVA alumnus Iyouel Endashaw is one of 15 students selected nationwide for the Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship. In this two-year fellowship program, Iyouel will receive up to $87,000 in school funding for two years, two summer internships (one at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and one at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas), professional development, and mentorship. 

After the fellowship, Iyouel will be appointed to the Foreign Service as an information management specialist, where he will use his technology skills to support U.S. diplomacy abroad. 

Iyouel is a first-generation Ethiopian American. A proud NOVA alumnus, he is now pursuing his bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity at George Mason University. At NOVA, he earned two associate degrees.

While attending NOVA, Iyouel was elected as treasurer to the Student Government Association and was an active member of the All Cyber Competition Training Team. 

“Some of the most important and valuable life skills I have learned are about connecting with others, getting out of my comfort zone and resolving conflicts without confrontation,” Endashaw said. “The FAIT Fellowship is the intersection of my skills and passions: a love for helping people and promoting peace, passion for STEM and an eagerness to explore different cultures.”

The FAIT Fellowship aims to attract top technology talent representing the ethnic, racial, gender, social and geographic diversity of the United States. The program encourages applications from women, minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and those with financial need.

For more on the many international scholarships and study abroad opportunities, contact Leeza Fernand, in the Office of International Education & Sponsored Programs, LFernand@nvcc.edu.

Submitted by:
Leeza Fernand, OIESP-Associate Director, LFernand@nvcc.edu