Giana Loretta
Global Human Development Student
Giana Loretta is a proud native of Shinnston, West Virginia. In 2023, she graduated from West Virginia University with majors in political science, philosophy and communication studies. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as a research assistant on multiple public policy studies and volunteered with nonprofit organizations that directly improved local student outcomes. As a result of her commitment to public service and academic excellence, Giana received numerous awards, including the Newman Civic Fellowship, a Mountaineer of Distinction, the Outstanding Political Science Senior and the WVU Order of Augusta.
Additionally, Giana studied abroad in Strasbourg, France, and served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Sofia, Bulgaria, during the 2023-2024 academic year. Giana was also named a 2024 Rangel Fellow, and she is looking forward to her career as a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officer.
Giana is very passionate about expanding global academic equity, and she is eager to support initiatives that improve students’ access to educational opportunities and learning resources.
Summer internship
As a 2024 Rangel Fellow, I completed my summer internship at U.S. Embassy Seoul in the Public Diplomacy – Public Engagement section. I supported each of the four teams within the unit (Established Opinion Leaders, Exchanges and Alumni, Emerging Voices, and the American Diplomacy House) and gained invaluable insight into the diversity and widespread significance of public diplomacy work. My notable contributions included coordinating and moderating a panel on the value of international exchange at the Busan American Corner; serving as the Embassy representative during Korean university students’ site visits to the United Nations Command Open Day and Estée Lauder Companies-Korea HQ; drafting a research report on the most pressing issues for Korean youth; notetaking and reporting at two APEC SOM3 high-level workshops; and developing a new digital branding campaign to reach target youth audiences. These experiences reaffirmed my passion for working with students and improving accessibility for international education exchanges.