Ogden Honors College Student Selected for Prestigious Rangel Summer Enrichment Program

The Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College is proud to announce that Alexis White, a rising senior majoring in international studies with a concentration in global diplomacy, with minors in French and political science, has been selected for the highly prestigious Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program. White was one of 15 students chosen from nearly 1,000 applicants nationwide by a distinguished panel of U.S. diplomats and international affairs professionals.

The Rangel Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) is a U.S. Department of State program that is administered by Howard University via a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Global Talent Management. The program provides undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding of international career opportunities, and the enhanced knowledge and skills to pursue such careers. The Rangel Summer Enrichment Program fully funds students to spend six weeks in the nation's capital learning from diplomats, Foreign Service Officers, and other leading foreign affairs professionals.

White's selection reflects her outstanding academic achievements and diverse contributions to the LSU community. She is a rising senior from Prince George’s County, Maryland. At LSU, she has served as a Resident Assistant, the Black Women’s Empowerment Initiative Public Relations - Recruitment Chair, an LSU Ambassador, an African American Cultural Center Ambassador, and a proud member of the Iota Theta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Despite her extensive extracurricular involvement, White has consistently maintained an exceptional academic record, boasting above a 4.0 GPA. 

"The Rangel Summer Enrichment Program is an incredible opportunity to gain insights from distinguished professionals in the field and to build the necessary skills for a successful career in international affairs," said White. "I applied to this program to learn more about opportunities in both the public and private sectors of international affairs.”

The Ogden Honors College has exposed her to the academic rigor that prepared her for the program and will serve her as she goes to graduate school. “In the Rangel program, we take the courses International Political Economy and U.S. Foreign Policy. LSU courses such as Econ 2001 (Honors Microeconomics) & INTL 2001 (Honors International Studies) served as an excellent foundation and prepared me well for the Rangel courses.”

White's long-term goals include a career in foreign policy, focusing on conflict resolution, peace promotion, international development, and the protection of human rights. She aims to bring fresh viewpoints to diplomatic discourse, inspired by her diverse background and extensive experiences, including studying abroad at Sciences Po in Strasbourg, France. Next semester, she plans to complete her honors capstone on the effect of extreme nationalism on democracy.