Anna Theissen
M.S. in Foreign Service Student
Anna Theissen is a Master of Science in Foreign Service student, concentrating in Global Politics and Security with a certificate in Gender, Peace, and Security. She has a unique interest in UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security and bringing gendered lenses to conflict prevention and resolution, and plans to dedicate her academic and professional career towards uplifting women in conflict.
Anna brings significant advocacy and government experience at the intersection of gender policy and international relations, from work in local domestic violence shelters to internships with the US Department of State in the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office. She was a 2021 Girl Scout Gold Award recipient for her work in teen dating violence awareness in her community, and has continued to pursue opportunities allowing her to develop informed perspectives of issues based on lived experiences to create change on an international level. She also carries extensive research experience in democratic backsliding and European Union policy with the University of Florida’s Center for European Studies.
Originally from Jupiter, FL, Anna is a recent Honors program graduate from the University of Florida, receiving a dual Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies with a regional concentration in Europe, as well as minors in European Union Studies and Economics. Her two capstone papers evaluated the European Union’s Women, Peace, and Security policy in preventing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence during the 2015 refugee crisis, and the effectiveness of female genital mutilation bans in The Gambia.