Lauren Eskra

Lauren Eskra is a Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) candidate at Georgetown University, pursuing a concentration in Geoeconomics, Business and Finance.

She earned a B.A. in Anthropology and Religious Studies from Middlebury College, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the Department of Religion’s highest award. While in college, she studied abroad at Sciences Po Bordeaux in France and conducted original research with members of an African immigrant church. Lauren also spent a summer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, working with low income families who received payments for sending their children to school.

Professionally, Lauren worked in the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Initiative at USAID for several years before arriving at Georgetown. She managed grants to schools and hospitals around the world that were used to construct buildings and purchase commodities. She acted as a project manager and analyst and traveled to India and Ghana to conduct in-person project monitoring. Lauren worked with local partners, American embassies, and foreign customs officials to achieve project goals. Her experience reflects her interests in infrastructure, logistics and trade, which she seeks to deepen while in this program.

Lauren’s regional focus has historically been in Africa and French-speaking areas; however, she is taking this opportunity at Georgetown to learn Spanish. She grew up in Miami, Florida, where most of the community is Latin American, and is excited to learn more about that region.

Outside of class, Lauren likes watching classic movies, reading science fiction novels and exploring DC’s parks.