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…

Yousria Bouchouche & EYEs for Fundraising Algeria

PFP Fellow Spring 2023 Yousria Bouchouche could not be delayed by jet lag nor a much deserved rest after landing back in Algeria off her Professional Fellows Program (PFP) experience in Washington, D.C. with Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF) in Spring 2023. From 15 June to 6 September 2023, Yousria partnered with the U.S. Embassy…

Summer Leadership Institute: Mexico 2023

In June, six young leaders and one educator traveled from Mexico to Washington DC for one week to learn about US culture, history, leadership, community engagement, and more. They had a full week of activities, ranging from tours of the US Capitol and White House to volunteering with organizations such as Capital Area Food Bank…

Esther – Sowing Seeds of Potential

Esther, TechGirls 2022, Fiji Growing up, I have always wondered what my purpose in life was. I began to search for ways to spend my time in hopes to ignite an interest that would bring me happiness and satisfaction. I discovered that as I assisted loved ones in my community, it gave me a sense…