Julia Fennell ’21
Denise Geronimo ’24 has been awarded the 2024 Rangel Graduate Fellowship, receiving two years of fully-funded graduate school and five years of guaranteed work in the foreign service.
Upon the successful completion of the Rangel Graduate Fellowship, Geronimo will become a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officer, where she will represent the U.S. and its interests, both domestically and around the world.
“In my almost 20 years at CC, we’ve had a lot of Rangel Fellowship applicants, but I don’t think we’ve had a winner until Denise,” says Gretchen Wardell, Student Success Specialist and Pre-Law Advisor. “Denise has worked hard for this fellowship as evidenced by her classes and summer experiences. She is really excited to serve her country and fellow Americans and I couldn’t be more proud!”
“I am completely honored and in disbelief that I am possibly the first CC student to receive the Rangel Fellowship in 20 years,” says Geronimo, an International Political Economy major and Journalism minor. “It would not have been possible without my support system. My mentors, my friends, my family, and Building III Coffee on North Cascade Avenue are the only reasons I had the confidence to apply and perform to the best of my abilities. When I got the news, I immediately called my parents, both of whom sacrificed a lot to immigrate to the United States and raise two children away from their own support systems. Winning the Rangel and telling my parents about my acceptance made me feel like I finally honored all of their past sacrifices.”
Geronimo did most of her application preparation and studying at Building III Coffee, a local coffee shop beloved by students and faculty alike.
This past summer, Geronimo interned with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) in both the communications branch and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. She wrote press releases, drafted blog posts, and assisted with media design and management for the communications branch. She also took notes for committee meetings and compiled recommendations on a variety of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander issues for the President’s Office when she interned with the Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.
Geronimo did not know she wanted to join the Rangel Fellowship or even work in foreign service until July, which she admitted to her interviewers. Prior to interning with WHIAANHPI, Geronimo believed the state or federal level was the best place for her to apply her skills and passion for service.
“However, while working for WHIAANHPI this past summer, I realized a lot of the issues facing the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations are interconnected with international relations,” Geronimo says. “Although WHIAANHPI is domestic facing, the intricacies of the issues I encountered during my internship revealed a dimension that extends beyond national borders. Immigration, for instance, significantly shapes the lives of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. The dynamic nature of border policies can exert a profound influence not only on immigration patterns but also on the personal sentiments within the broader American society. Consequently, this revelation has expanded my perspective on where my skills and passion for service can have the most meaningful impact. While the state and federal levels are undoubtedly crucial, I am eager to explore avenues that allow me to bridge the gap between domestic concerns and global affairs, fostering collaboration and understanding on a broader scale.”
Geronimo’s professors are certainly proud, but not shocked by her achievement.
“Denise is relentlessly curious and expansive in her interests,” says John Gould, Professor of Political Science and Russian and Eurasian Studies and Geronimo’s advisor. “She was constantly on the lookout for ways to diversify her experience and open new possibilities while working to make the world a more just and equitable place. Rangel’s acceptance rate is only three percent, so this is something the whole CC community should celebrate.”
Geronimo believes her major and minor studies definitely prepared her for her future work. “I want to give a special shoutout to John Gould and Corey Hutchins, as they both made me the person I am today,” she says. “I did not plan to pursue International Political Economy or Journalism at all when entering CC, but I am so happy I took classes with them and shifted my course load.”
Geronimo is heavily involved in campus life at CC. She has been involved with the CCE as a Bonner Fellow since her first year on campus and served as the CCE Issue Organizer for the Criminal Justice Coalition for three years. “The Bonner Fellowship is a fantastic program that compensates students for participating in community service, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunities it has given me,” she says. “Throughout my time at the CCE, my focus has been on criminal justice, collaborating with Southern Colorado Black+Pink, a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting incarcerated individuals.”
In 2022, Geronimo was one of six CC students to be selected for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, where she received a $5,000 award to assist her work as a research intern with the Center for Applied Nonviolent Actions and Strategies (CANVAS) in Belgrade, Serbia. During that time, she conducted case study research on democratically transitioning nations and wrote sections for the organization’s newsletter.
Geronimo also co-leads the CC Political Science Advisory Committee, a student-led group that organizes social and academic events in the Political Science Department, and has been a member of the Llamapalooza Committee for the past four years.
About 2,000 people applied for the 2024 Rangel Fellowship. Among those, 90 were selected as finalists. These finalists participated in additional rounds of selection, including an interview with three members of the selection panel, a writing exercise, and discussions with the State Department and program alumni. From there, the selection panel chose 45 fellows. The fellows will receive funding for two years of graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs or a related field.
Geronimo and the other Rangel Fellows will participate in an orientation program in Washington, D.C., beginning in May. They will then start their ten-week congressional internships where they will work for members of Congress who are involved in international affairs. Fellows also participate in professional development sessions at Howard University to prepare them for grad school and foreign service. During the summer between their first and second year, Rangel Fellows participate in a ten-week internship at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas.
Following grad school, Rangel Fellows take the Foreign Service Officer Test in order to begin their foreign service work as general foreign service officers. After testing, they are placed into one of five career tracks: consular, management, economic, political, and public diplomacy.
“After the contractual five years, I hope to continue with the Foreign Service and specialize in economic diplomacy,” says Geronimo. “Mostly, I am looking forward to immersing myself in new cultures with new foods. My mom made sure to not raise a picky human, so I am so excited to try new dishes and learn how to cook different cuisines!”