Applying for the Presidential Management Fellows program is not for the weak of heart. The competitive program, which began in 1977 as a way for the federal government to train new leaders, awards fellows with paid positions in the federal agency of their choice.
The effort is worth it: Many fellows wind up being hired by the agencies after graduation, so, naturally, thousands of applicants from around the country complete the arduous application process and hope for the best.
This year, three students at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University were named finalists, including Master’s in International Commerce and Policy student Sam Farnoushfar, Master’s in Public Administration graduate (’16) Jacob Simmons, and Master’s in Public Policy graduate Maureen Limon (’18).
“I hope to eventually serve at the Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer,” said Limon, who passed the Foreign Service exam—another arduous application process—in March 2017.
Limon comes by her passion honestly: Her parents are U.S. Foreign Service officers.
“I grew up in nine different countries,” she said, listing Armenia, Germany, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Indonesia, Mali, Australia, and the United States. She earned her undergraduate degrees—Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws—from the Australian National University, in December 2015.
During her time at the Schar School, Limon improved her writing and researching skills under the guidance of professors David Hart and Richard Kauzlarich, and adjunct professor Angelic Young. She cited Schar School Director of Career Development Duane Bradshaw for providing the multiple resources necessary for submitting successful applications for fellowships and internships.
Limon fulfilled her MPP internship requirement at the Environmental Protection Agency, working in the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
This internship “gave me a lot of background and experience relevant to the [Presidential Management Fellows] application process,” she said.
Limon has already begun her federal fellowship term, having accepted an offer to work at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“I am very much looking forward to working there on issues related to the Affordable Care Act, and more specifically, to insurance marketplace compliance and monitoring,” she said.