Fellowship
By Isabella Zarate
Former Mahomet resident Barghav Sivaguru has recently made a name for himself as he was selected as a 2022 Charles B. Rangel Fellowship recipient.
The fellowship, which is a U.S. Department of State program, is administered by Howard University. The program seeks to enhance both diversity and excellence within the U.S. Foreign Service.
Each year fellows are selected from a nationwide, competitive process. Receiving the prestigious award, Barghav will earn support through two years of graduate education, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities.
Additionally, those who successfully complete the Rangel Program go on to serve as diplomats around the world.
Before moving to Mahomet, Barghav Sivaguru and his family called Chennai, India home.
Leaving India behind, Barghav attributes his parents for guiding him along his path to success.
“I would definitely credit my parents for inspiring me with their own accomplishments, including moving to a foreign country, learning a new language, and learning how to make it a home for our family,” he shared.
After saying goodbye to Mahomet, Barghav went on to graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with degrees in both Political Science and Communications. Though, Barghav’s interest in diplomacy came after the summer of 2018.
Barghav spent the summer interning in Washington D.C. as part of the University YMCA Fred S. Bailey Internship Scholarship.
From there, Barghav continued to pursue his dreams as he completed a number of internships, including a year in Amman, Jordan as a Boren Scholar.
After graduating Illinois, Barghav knew he wanted more. For him, higher education was always in the books. Between his parents they have three PhDs and three Masters degrees – enough accomplishments to inspire Barghav.
He embarked on another journey, this time to Princeton, where he’s working toward his Masters in Public Affairs. This is where he claimed the Rangel Fellowship.
Aside from his hardworking parents, and his twin brother, Barghav credits his passions to life as an immigrant.
“It was this love for learning new languages and about the world around me that first interested me in this career,” he shared.
“It was also my experience growing up as a first generation immigrant, which was a difficult experience at times.”
Barghav went on, “In college, though, I realized there were migrants and refugees in much worse situations all across the world; I wanted to make a difference somehow.”
He explained “I hope to work in human rights, civil liberties, and migration issues throughout my career as a Foreign Service Officer. I also wanted to bring empathy and diversity to this important space, and hope to create more space for diverse people from different backgrounds in government by helping mentor students in the future.”
As part of the program, this summer Barghav will be interning with the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Next summer, he will be sent overseas to intern either in a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to receive hands-on experience with U.S. foreign policy and the work of Foreign Service.
Finally, following successful completion of the program Barghav is expected to become a U.S. diplomat in the summer of 2024 where he will work to protect U.S. citizens, and promote peace and prosperity around the world.
