Sophie – The Sky is the Limit 

Sophie, TechGirls 2023, USA Imagine stepping into a world where curiosity reigns supreme, and the air is charged with the buzz of innovation. That’s exactly the atmosphere that the TechGirls program effortlessly conjured. Amongst a cohort of brilliant minds, each with their unique spark, we forged a sisterhood of aspiring tech trailblazers. It was not just…

Morocco Outbound Program 2025: Bridging Cultures, Building Futures

“Morocco truly bridges worlds.” – Nishant Dixit The Professional Fellows Program (PFP) is a U.S. State Department-funded initiative that brings professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 to U.S. cities for hands-on professional experiences at a variety of host organizations. After the program ends, Americans that hosted the Fellows at their places of work…

Egypt Outbound Program 2025: New Ideas and New Experiences

“It wasn’t just about what I taught but what I learned—from their resilience, ambition, and creative solutions to challenges we all face globally.” – Dalin Nhean The Professional Fellows Program (PFP) is a U.S. State Department-funded initiative that brings professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 to U.S. cities for hands-on professional experiences at…

Global Change, Local Solutions by Levi, ODYLP Uganda Alum

Meet Levi, an ODYLP alum from Uganda who participated in ODYLP: Climate Adaptation and Resilience in 2023. In this post, Levi shares how his ODYLP experience not only equipped him with valuable skills but also guided his current educational pursuits. He reflects on the meaningful cross-cultural relationships and mentorships he formed, and how this transformative…

Ghazi Saddem: Exploring the Austin Tech Ecosystem

Ghazi Saddem with his fellowship host at Tech Ranch Austin.

Ghazi Saddem’s participation in the Professional Fellows Program (PFP) in Austin, Texas, was initially intended to be an enriching experience focused around his fellowship at Tech Ranch, but it quickly evolved into something far greater. It became a deep dive into one of Austin’s most vital pillars—the city’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem. What started as…

Empowering Communities: A Fellowship Journey

by Sonia Rahmani “In the pursuit of fostering positive change and community empowerment, my journey through the transformative sphere of the Professional Fellows Program (PFP) unfurled a tapestry woven with learning, collaboration, and tangible impact.” Back in Tunisia, Sonia Rahmani reflects on her PFP Fellowship with GirlStart in Austin, Texas with the PFP Spring 2023…

Minnila – Helping Students Discover Their Passion

Minnila, TechGirls 2022, USA  For as long as I can remember, I have been fond of STEM. Whenever someone would ask me, “Minnila, what do you want to be when you grow up?”, my answer was always, “a doctor”. My interest in STEM was immeasurable because STEM subjects just made sense. There was always a…

Ahmad Abdelgalil – Empowering Women in Egypt

PFP Fellow Spring 2023 Between April and July 2023, Ahmad Abdelgalil, an alumnus of the Professional Fellow Program from Fall 2022, spearheaded a transformative initiative in the Manial Shiha community, near Giza, Egypt. His project focused on delivering workforce development skills to 20 recent female university graduates. The knowledge the women gained was a force…