Like many professionals in Washington, Dante Schulz (MASIA’26) found himself on uncertain footing last year as reductions in force rippled through the federal workforce. He was working full-time as a program assistant with the South Asia team at the United States Institute of Peace, balancing a demanding professional role with evening classes at SFS in the Master of Arts in Asian Studies program. The instability could have easily derailed his graduate experience. Instead, it clarified what he valued most.
“After a full day of work, I always enjoyed commuting to my evening Georgetown classes to engage with my peers,” he says. “In the classroom, I have had the privilege to be challenged on my opinions about political developments in South Asia, to debate the most salient security risk in East Asia and to collectively brainstorm policy options for complex issues in Southeast Asia.”
As he prepares to walk across the stage at his graduation ceremony this May, Schulz says the collegiate atmosphere of SFS and the impromptu gatherings in the MASIA lounge are what he will miss most about Georgetown. What began as a professional investment has become something more enduring: joining a community of excellence, mentorship, curiosity and friendship that he will carry with him into his career in foreign policy analysis.
Diving deeper into Asian studies
A native of Queens, New York, Schulz has long been interested in the Indo-Pacific region. Even as an undergraduate at George Washington University, where he studied international affairs with a regional specialization in Asia, he knew he wanted to deepen that focus. That ambition led him to the MASIA program, which stood out for its singular regional commitment and faculty whose careers have been devoted to the field.
Already comfortable writing for policy audiences and engaging with policymakers, he credits the program’s blend of policy writing, rigorous academic research and intensive reading with expanding his methodological toolkit. The result, he says, is “the confidence to adapt to different professional environments that require diverse skillsets.”
That intellectual growth was shaped by many professors and peers. Professors Li and Liu, for example, allowed him to continue strengthening his Chinese language skills. Above all, though, Professor Cecilia van Hollen’s steady mentorship and sustained interest in his academic and professional development deepened his sense of belonging within the Georgetown community.
“She has emboldened me to continue thinking about South Asia through a multidisciplinary lens so that I can fully appreciate the nuances of this dynamic region,” Schulz says of van Hollen. “Our frequent check-in sessions–particularly when I was impacted by RIFs throughout the federal government–offered a welcome sense of stability.”
Learning through lived experiences
Rather than sticking strictly to the typical course track, Schulz also embraced opportunities outside his comfort zone. One class that didn’t initially align with his expectations ultimately became his favorite: Transnationalism, Citizenship, and Migration in East Asia, taught by Professor Apichai Shipper.
The course explored contemporary societal perceptions of identity and citizenship across Northeast and Southeast Asia, including lessons on diasporas. One assigned reading, he recalls, examined the consolidation of Filipino diaspora identity—a topic that resonated deeply with his own family’s migration story.
“I had the opportunity to present my analysis of the book’s research findings by drawing parallels with my family’s own experience,” Schulz says. “The ability to provide my family’s migration story to the United States as supporting evidence for the author’s core argument was incredibly fulfilling and emphasized to me the human effect that scholarly research on transnationalism and identity has on those whose lives it examines.”
Schulz ended up taking all three of Professor Shipper’s courses, developing a deep appreciation for Southeast Asia and civil society as a result. He also notes Professor Shipper’s genuine interest in sourcing opportunities to support his professional career beyond Georgetown.
“While Georgetown has reinforced my interest in pursuing a career in foreign policy analysis, the array of classes has expanded my interest beyond my professional specialization in South Asia,” he says. “Professor Shipper’s positive persistence in promoting Southeast Asia studies has widened my regional understanding and given me new frameworks to think about the region.”
Charting a path in foreign policy
In May 2025, he began his full-time associate role with the political and security affairs team at the National Bureau of Asian Research, an independent research center that produces policy-relevant scholarship to help U.S. leaders navigate Asia’s evolving strategic landscape. Earlier this year, he was promoted to project manager, contributing to the institute’s research unpacking China’s People’s Liberation Army and understanding the influences underpinning foreign policy outlooks among the next generation of political leadership in South and Southeast Asia.
As he graduates from SFS, he hopes to continue his career path of foreign policy analysis, focusing on the Indo-Pacific region. His studies in the SFS have provided him with the scholarly rigor to apply multiple frameworks to complex global issues, as well as the confidence and inspiration to develop his own analytical approaches.
But while the rigorous academics initially drew him to Georgetown, he found what ultimately defined his experience was the university’s mission to educate the whole person—or cura personalis. This ethos was embodied in the support system he’s received throughout his time on the Hilltop.
“MASIA is what it is because of Robert Lyons,” he says about MASIA’s director of academic programs and operations, adding that Lyons’ hard work and commitment to seeing each of them succeed have not gone unnoticed within the program.
“The administrative support from the program has been seamless throughout my time with Georgetown, and I could not have asked for a better team to support me through this journey.”