• Tess Rosenberg
  • Tess Rosenberg
  • SAS '16
  • Major(s): English and Political Science

Activities:  The Daily Targum, Study Abroad

What attracted you to Rutgers University and the Honors/Scholars Program?
I recognized, early on in my secondary education, that I hoped to pursue a graduate degree. Given the scholarship opportunities afforded by the Honors Program and the additional expense of obtaining an advance degree, I decided to attend Rutgers. Additionally, at Rutgers, I could study abroad at Sciences Po (Paris, France) while paying normal tuition/maintaining all scholarships.

Why did you choose your major and/or minor?
My lifelong fascination with literature and writing made an English degree seem almost inevitable. I settled on a political science degree, additionally, because of the interest I fostered - while at Rutgers - in philosophy, ideology, and foreign policy.

Tell us a little bit about what you're doing now. What was your first job after Rutgers? Where you do you live? What was your first job after Rutgers? Where you do you live?
I work as an advisor at the U.S. Department of State's (DOS). After graduating from Rutgers, I first completed a Fulbright grant in rural Malaysia - after which, I worked for two years as a foreign policy researcher at an embassy in Washington, D.C. I then obtained a graduate degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service - while working at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a USG-affiliated think tank, and interning for DOS. After graduating from Georgetown University, I accepted a role at a nonpartisan government implementer, working on civil society programs in the Middle East for DOS. Finally, after receiving a security clearance, I began my current role at DOS.

What has been your greatest professional and/or personal accomplishment since you graduated from Rutgers?
I am excited to be joining the U.S. Department of State. It was a long-term goal!

Was there a class and/or experience at Rutgers that led you to pursuing your current career?
I did not end up pursuing law, but when I was a sophomore, I took Professor Milton Heumann's constitutional law course. It taught me how much I enjoy employing critical thinking skills to produce logical written arguments (which is a great skillset for the policy space).

What three words describe your experience at Rutgers and the Honors/Scholars Program? 
Hardworking, Humble Peers.

How has your Rutgers and Honors education benefited you in your post-Rutgers life?
Honors Program scholarships afforded me the privilege to more freely pursue my interests, both during and after my time at Rutgers, and work in the public sector.

What advice do you have for our current SAS Honors Program students? :                                                                                            If you are a current student interested in learning more about anything mentioned from my professional/academic background (from the international affairs space in D.C. to graduate school), I am happy to chat if you reach out via LinkedIn.

Are you a Rutgers Honors alum? Be featured in an upcoming Honors Alumni Spotlight by completing our online submission form.

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