Vi L. Nhan, of Bellevue, was selected as a 2008 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellow, following a highly competitive nationwide contest. The Rangel Fellowship, funded by the U.S. Department of State and managed by the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University, supports individuals who want to pursue careers in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Nhan will graduate with distinction from the University of Washington in June 2008, with dual degrees in Political Science and International Studies with a focus on China studies.

Originally from China, her family spent the past several generations in Vietnam and moved to the States when she was 12. She speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. She is a Gates Millennium Scholar, Institute for International Public Policy Fellow, McNair Scholar, EIP/McNair Presidential Scholar, and the President of the Jackson School Student Association at the University of Washington.

Her primary career goal is to work in the fields of international relations, U.S. foreign policy, and Chinese political transition and media. She plans to use her fellowship to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University.

Upon successful completion of her degree and the Rangel Program, she will become a diplomat for the U.S. Foreign Service.