BME undergraduate student Naila Segule, who is also completing Interdisciplinary Studies in Global Health Communication and Development, is among the nine 2020 Payne Fellows. The Payne Fellowship Award is extremely competitive, with 526 national applicants this year. Candidates are selected based on rigorous criteria, as the next generation of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Foreign Service Officers.
“I really wanted this fellowship! Being at the USAID Office, meeting influential people and seeing how much I could learn really cemented how important this opportunity could be for me,” Naila said. The Payne Fellowship Program provides awardees up to $48,000 annually for a two-year master’s degree plus an annual $16,000 stipend for housing, transportation, and related expenses. Fellows who complete the Payne Program and USAID Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers with the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Nalia Segule is a curious and high achiever. Entering NC State as a Park Scholar, Segule engaged in campus leadership and civic engagement, including interning as a Leader for Change. Later she became a Juanita Bryan Scholar, an Abram’s Scholar, and a College of Engineering Ambassador Teacher’s Assistant, among many roles. Right now, Nalia prepares to graduate in May, and from there she will spend the summer in Capitol Hill for Phase 1 of her Payne Fellowship Internship. Many congratulations Nalia! To read the full announcement, visit NC State website here.
