[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1548-E1549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             RANGEL FELLOWS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 20, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share an important and exciting 
program with my colleagues today. The Charles B. Rangel International 
Affairs Program was initiated from my desire that the State 
Department's Diplomatic Corps abroad would reflect the rich diversity 
represented by its people at home. The program presents young adults 
from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to learn, participate, and 
become a part of the United States' diplomatic relations.
  The Honorable Gentleman from New York, Mr. Serrano, has provided 
immeasurable support and commitment to this program and was of 
extraordinary service in commencing the program in 2001. I want to 
again thank him for his valuable contributions to the program.
  Earlier this week, I met with the ten extremely talented Rangel 
Fellows who are enrolled in various graduate programs across the 
country with a focus on international relations and related academic 
programs. It was tremendously rewarding to speak to and hear from these 
extraordinarily intelligent, enthusiastic, well-prepared, and committed 
young people; many of whom have already completed Overseas State 
Department Summer Internships through the program. These ten fellows 
are currently serving in the congressional offices of Representatives 
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (Fellows Melanie Bonner and Natalie Waugh), 
Harold E. Ford, Jr. (Fellow Rachel Hawkins), Barbara Lee (Fellow Fonta 
Gilliam), Robert Menendez (Fellow Breanna Green), Gregory Meeks (Fellow 
Zainab Zaid), Donald M. Payne (Fellow Jared Yancey), Jose E. Serrano 
(Fellow David Lewis), as well as my own office (Fellow Andrea Corey). 
Fellow Candace Bates is completing an internship at the State 
Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
  I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues and friends 
for the invaluable experiences that they are providing and for 
personally hosting a Rangel Fellow in their offices. The experiences to 
be obtained in here in the House of Representatives will provide 
insight that is a special and unique part of this program. This Capitol 
Hill exposure and experience will be particularly useful as they enter 
the State Department as junior Foreign Service Officers. Thank you for 
the wonderful opportunities that you are providing this summer.

  It is with gratitude that I also thank Representatives Berkley, 
Christensen, Conyers, Hyde, Kilpatrick, Menendez, Millender-McDonald, 
and Serrano for hosting fellows last year, the inaugural session of the 
2004 Rangel Fellows Congressional Program.
  I am extremely proud that there are currently 22 Rangel Fellows 
enrolled in graduate schools across the country, with a current intake 
of ten graduate students per year. Nine of these students are serving 
in internships in U.S embassies in locations around the world, 
including Pretoria, Luanda, Nairobi, Maseru, Dakar, Vientiane, 
Tegucigalpa, and Singapore. The diverse body of fellows includes Afro-
Americans, Cambodian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, 
and Caucasian Americans and draws on a variety of backgrounds and 
experiences.
  Earlier this month, I was extremely grateful and proud to be greeted 
in Singapore by two Rangel Fellows, Chelsa Wheeler who was assigned to 
the U.S. Embassy in Singapore and Christen Rhodes, who was assigned to 
Vientiane. I met and chatted with these two amazing young women while I 
was awaiting the report from the Olympics Site Selection Committee.
  This program is a successful collaboration between the Congress, the 
State Department, and Howard University, which administers the program 
with a cross-section of colleges and universities across the country. 
Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell introduced the program on May 
17, 2002 at a State Department ceremony and most recently, Secretary of 
State Condoleezza Rice expressed her profound support for continuing 
and expanding this initiative.
  Although the program has several components, the two key components 
are the Fellows Program and the Summer Enrichment Program, SEP, a six-
week program designed to expose students to foreign affairs careers and 
stimulate stronger interest in the Foreign Service. Approximately 
thirty students participate in the SEP each year and earn nine semester 
hours upon successful completion. Since 2003, over 53 undergraduate 
students have participated in the SEP, with a number being motivated to 
apply for Graduate Rangel Fellowships.
  In the last 2 years, the components of the Rangel Program were 
reviewed and evaluated by the State Department and were found to 
satisfy the stringent requirements for inclusion in the Department's 
prestigious Diplomacy Fellows Program. This milestone achievement has 
included the program in the distinguished ranks of such programs as the 
Presidential Management Interns, the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, and the Boren, Fascell, and Pickering Fellows 
Programs. As a result, fellows who successfully complete the Rangel 
Program and the State Department requirements will automatically 
receive employment offers and appointments to the Foreign Service.
  I am extremely proud of this program and its contributions to this 
country. Not only does it expose youth from various backgrounds and 
experiences to the importance and significance of international 
relations, it creates the opportunity to diversify our diplomatic corps 
and to assist in their employment and service to our country. We cannot 
afford to overlook or underutilize any of our valuable human resources 
here. In America, diversity is our strength. We have so much to offer 
in sharing our experience and creating a harmonious society. With our 
Nation's growing international involvement, there could be no better 
time than now to attract the very best, the brightest, and the most 
diverse talent available to represent the American people and champion 
our interests in every corner of the globe.
  I submit the following article from today's Roll Call on the program 
and the Fellows' recent visit to my office. It was indeed an honor to 
meet this talented group of America's future.


  fellowship fosters diversity: rangel fellowship focuses on foreign 
                                service

       Since 2003, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) has been the 
     impetus behind a program at Howard University designed to 
     increase diversity in the State Department Foreign Service.
       ``Ever since I've been in Congress,'' Rangel explained in 
     an interview, ``the absence of minorities in our embassies 
     and official offices has been astounding.'' Every time he 
     brought it up to a Secretary of State, however, he was told 
     that the problem was lack of interest in the minority 
     community.
       ``They said the kids couldn't pass the test, and that kids 
     weren't interested,'' Rangel said. ``Everyone of them would 
     have a meeting with me talking about change, and then leave 
     office.''
       That cycle changed with Madeleine Albright, President Bill 
     Clinton's (D) final Secretary of State.
       ``She agreed that she would entertain a proposal, so I went 
     to my first administrative assistant, Patrick Swygert, who 
     had become president of Howard University.'' Along with 
     former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a member of Howard's 
     Board of Trustees,
       Swygert drafted a proposal to create the Rangel Fellowship.
       The fellowship, which pays students $28,000 a year to cover 
     tuition and room and board, requires participants get a two-
     year master's

[[Page E1549]]

     degree in a field of interest to the foreign service. 
     International affairs is the most obvious choice, but a whole 
     range of subjects, including foreign languages and 
     political science, are options.
       In addition to their studies, Rangel fellows are provided 
     with two internships. One of those internships takes place on 
     Capitol Hill in Congressional offices. Rangel is very proud 
     of the bipartisan support he has received; participants in 
     the program include Reps. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) and Henry 
     Hyde (R-Ill.).
       ``It's a great program,'' Serrano spokesman Ben Allen said. 
     ``It gives students a chance to see the Congressional side of 
     government up close. The key thing is that it gives them 
     experiences that will help them in the foreign service. The 
     lessons that they learn here are invaluable.''
       The most recent class of Charles B. Rangel International 
     Affairs Program fellows graduated 20 participants at the end 
     of May.
       The second internship takes place in a U.S. embassy. When 
     Rangel traveled to Singapore to make New York's case for 
     hosting the 2012 Olympics, he was pleasantly surprised to 
     find himself greeted by two Rangel fellows, Chelsia Wheeler 
     and Christen Rhodes.
       The fellows also participate in a summer enrichment 
     program, a six-week program ``designed to stimulate stronger 
     student interest in international affairs and to generate a 
     deeper understanding and appreciation for career 
     opportunities in international affairs.'' That program 
     recently wrapped up and is not just for Rangel fellows; any 
     college student who has completed his or her sophomore year 
     can apply.
       Upon graduation, students are contractually committed to at 
     least three years of service as a Foreign Service Officer. 
     After a training period in Washington, officers are sent out 
     around the globe to perform consular work.
       The program is directed by Kevin McGuire, formerly the 
     ambassador to Namibia. He said that initially, the fellowship 
     ``was designed to bring people to Washington for the summer 
     enrichment program. This grew into the idea of a fellowship 
     program. While we continue the SEP, the central focus right 
     now is the fellowship program.''
       The current Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has also 
     expressed her support for the program, even stating that she 
     thinks it should be expanded, Rangel said. ``About a month 
     ago I met with Condoleezza Rice, and she recommended I get 
     this program going in every historically black college.'' 
     Rangel has been thrilled by the level of participation thus 
     far. ``It's been a smashing success. Their enthusiasm 
     rejuvenates me. Retired black ambassadors who had to break 
     new ground to get in the door, they are mentors for students 
     today. A lot of mentoring goes on, and there's a lot of 
     cooperation from the U.S. State Department.''
       The Congressman believes that in a time of increased 
     involvement with the rest of the world, the United States 
     must make a special effort to increase the number of people 
     in the diplomatic corps. ``We are recruiting people to keep 
     the peace and keep the diplomacy,'' Rangel said. ``We need to 
     reach out to people to show them how exciting the opportunity 
     can be. We need to show them that there are different people 
     all over the world.''

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