Grace Mahony

Grace Mahony is committed to promoting culturally-empathetic diplomacy and strategic human rights advocacy. She focuses on improving international refugee protection mechanisms, specifically for women and children in vulnerable situations. After completing field work at a legal-aid clinic in Denmark, she wrote a thesis focused on the common subversion of international refugee law by developed democracies, which she later presented at the University of London’s Refugee Law Conference.
Originally from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, she joined the University of Delaware’s World Scholars Program in 2021 to explore international policy methods for addressing social justice issues. She completed socioeconomic studies in Italy, comparative policy studies in Hungary, and humanitarian law studies in Denmark. As an undergraduate, she sought to build an interdisciplinary skillset by interning with legal-aid organizations, NPOs, and state and local governments, notably as a Policy and Legal intern for Governor John Carney of Delaware. In 2025, her academic initiative, leadership, and commitment to service earned her UD’s highest undergraduate award: Alexander J. Taylor Award. She also completed Honors B.A. degrees in International Relations and Public Policy with minors in Economics, Peace & Justice Studies, History, and Global Studies.
As an MSFS student, she is concentrating in Global Politics & Security while also pursuing certificates in Refugee & Humanitarian Emergencies and Gender, Peace, & Security. Leveraging her experiences working in the non-profit sector and state government, she hopes to work for an international organization focused on promoting the rights of displaced women and children around the world through creative avenues, such as strategic litigation and public diplomacy.