University of New Orleans computer science student Jamal Seder has been awarded a 2022 Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship (FAIT) sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
 
Seder is one of just 15 students selected nationally for the prestigious award which includes the promise of full-time employment with the Foreign Service upon successful completion of the two-year fellowship.

Funded by the State Department, the fellowship program offers a path to a career in the Foreign Service by providing academic funding for an IT-related degree, internships, professional development and mentorship that culminates in an appointment in the Foreign Service as an information management specialist.

“The faithful will always benefit from their faithfulness and the truthful will always benefit from their truthfulness. I am blessed to receive an opportunity to do righteous deeds with the FAIT fellowship by the grace of God,” said Seder, a rising senior. “A sincere thank you to UNO’s computer science department for informing me about the State Department’s program, encouraging me to apply and assisting me with the application process.”

As a FAIT Fellow, Seder will receive the following benefits:

•    Up to $37,500 annually (for two years) in academic funding for tuition, room and board, books, mandatory fees and some travel expenses for the junior and senior years of undergraduate study or for a two-year master’s degree in fields related to information technology.

•    Stipends, housing and travel allowances for the two summer internships: A domestic internship in Washington, D.C. at the State Department; and an international internship at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.

•    Personalized mentoring and professional development opportunities throughout the program.

Seder, who was raised in Metairie and attended Haynes Academy High School, expects to graduate in December and will then enroll in UNO’s computer science master’s degree program.

“We are grateful to Diplomat Nathan Bland for agreeing to hold several custom information sessions on FAIT to the benefit of our computer science students and encouraging them to apply,” said Mahdi Abdelguerfi, chair of the computer science department. “Special thank you to Dr. Samantha Hoyt, the computer science student success specialist, for assisting Jamal and other computer science students with their applications.”