Matthew Mitchell, Project Manager, Africa Division
Diplomacy and International Relations
, California
Matt serves as a New Business Specialist in the Africa region with DAI Global LLC, an organization that functions as one of USAID's largest implementation partners. How did Matt's time at the School of Diplomacy pave the way for his work in Africa? He shares his reflections in the interview below, illustrating how his SHU Diplomacy years contributed to his success in the nation's capital and beyond.
As a member of the National Model United Nations team in college, the School's proximity to New York City and its relationship with the United Nations were big selling points for me. I ultimately decided to attend the School of Diplomacy based on a few factors. First, I liked that every member of the faculty had a mix of academic and practitioner experience. I was especially interested in foreign policy analysis, so Dr. Ann Marie Murphy's background steeped in ambassador briefings, overseas experience, and foreign policy expertise stood out. Second, I liked that graduate and research assistant positions were available that could help me pay for my education. Third, the personal attention I received during the application process made me feel very comfortable. I had already tentatively accepted another school's offer, but Dr. Ruby and I spoke by phone multiple times after I submitted my application and she really went the extra mile to make sure that I had all the information I needed to make the right choice for me.
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What drew you to study diplomacy at Seton Hall?
As a member of the National Model United Nations team in college, the School's proximity to New York City and its relationship with the United Nations were big selling points for me. I ultimately decided to attend the School of Diplomacy based on a few factors. First, I liked that every member of the faculty had a mix of academic and practitioner experience. I was especially interested in foreign policy analysis, so Dr. Ann Marie Murphy's background steeped in ambassador briefings, overseas experience, and foreign policy expertise stood out. Second, I liked that graduate and research assistant positions were available that could help me pay for my education. Third, the personal attention I received during the application process made me feel very comfortable. I had already tentatively accepted another school's offer, but Dr. Ruby and I spoke by phone multiple times after I submitted my application and she really went the extra mile to make sure that I had all the information I needed to make the right choice for me.
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What were some of the highlights of your experience at the School, and what impact did these experiences have on you?
Three key highlights for me were the Journal of Diplomacy, Dr. Edwards' International Organizations class, and the African Union Seminar led by Dr. Bariagaber.
My year as Senior Editor of the Journal allowed me to hone my editing and writing skills, which helped with my schoolwork and beyond. In my second year, I was selected to be the Journal's Editor-in-Chief, which was a truly fantastic leadership development experience. My executive board and I put together a team of 20 editors as well as social media and business staff. Together, we aggressively rolled out original book reviews and current affairs analysis pieces completed by graduate students, allowing our peers to gain practice in professional writing and add publications to their name. We also brought to campus Dr. D. James Baker, the former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator under President Clinton and current Director of Forest and Land-Use Measurement with the Clinton Climate Initiative, as part of a launch event for our issue on climate change. During one of our World Leaders Forums in that same year, I interviewed Leymah Gbowee, Liberian women's rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, we released a Journal issue about mass immigration and refugee policy and also published an issue on international economic policy.
Dr. Martin Edwards' class on international organizations still stands out to me because of the high standards he set and the lasting impact the course's writing exercise had on my academic and professional life. As part of the course's writing component, pairs of students were required to write about one international organization and then distill our semester of research into an 800 – 1,200 word op-ed that we would then submit to be published. My partner and I successfully published our op-ed with Broaden Impact and received positive feedback from ambassadors and representatives of the organization we researched. The African Union Seminar was a highlight of my time at the School. During our international study tour, we spent time in multiple cities in Ethiopia including Addis Ababa, Axum, Gondar, and Lalibela. It was incredible to explore a regional organization like the AU so early in its lifespan and hear firsthand about the struggles and success it has experienced.
When I joined DAI, I started working on proposals that talked about how to strengthen international organizations. This was an incredible match for me because this was something I'd specialized in at school, and now I get to see it playing out here in the real world, and I get to write about how my company best thinks the U.S. Government can help these same international organizations
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What relationships or skills did you leverage most from your time at Seton Hall to launch your international career?
The alumni-network was incredibly useful. Alumni of the School were an important resource for me to receive CV feedback, career advice, and introductions. A number of past Diplomacy Alumni Association board members were happy to meet with me one on one to offer their advice and arrange meetings.
I went into international development (USAID implementation) following graduation, but I didn't know that's what I wanted to do until I connected with an alumni speaker who led a professional development workshop at the School. I would encourage current and future students to start building their network and reaching out to alumni early in their graduate school careers. Alumni can provide valuable insights and impact your direction based on the feedback they provide regarding the realism of your goals and how best to achieve them.
Seton Hall Career Highlights
- Specializations in International Organizations and Africa
- Editor-in-Chief and Senior Editor, Journal of Diplomacy
- M&E Intern Analyst, Monitoring, Accountability, and Learning Division at Worldwide Orphans
- Participant in the African Union Study Seminar
- Co-Author of "Europe’s Forgotten Security Organization," World Policy Institute