Former West Lafayette citizen a finalist in Presidential Management Fellowship
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —Former West Lafayette resident Erica Kebert has been recognized as a finalist for the Presidential Management Fellowship.
Kebert is a recent graduate of American Military University with a master's degree in international relations with a focus on global security and terrorism studies. She also previously served in the United States Air Force for six years.
Presidential Management Fellowship
The fellowship program, according to a release from American Public University System, "... is the federal government’s premier leadership development program for advanced degree holders with a mission to recruit and develop tomorrow’s federal government leaders from all segments of society."
More than 850 finalists were selected from from more than 10,000 applicants around the world. The American Military University is a member of the accredited American Public University System.
A total of 13 American Public University System student finalists were selected, including Kebert:
Scott Baird, master's degree, Homeland Security
George Bernhardt, master's degree, management
Mark Bryson, master's degree, Security management
Alesia Hilton, master's degree, supply chain management
Kaleb Hoeft, master's degree, international relations and global security
Terrell Jackson, master's degree, management
Erica Kebert, master's degree, international relations and global security
Esau Lolis, master's degree, management
Andrina Mills, master's degree, business administration
Willie Nixon, master's degree, applied business analytics
Thomas Peters, master's degree, intelligence studies
Joshua Rand-Castillo, master's degree, business administration
Jeffrey Sowa, master's degree, legal studies
Kebert went deeper into the rigorous process of making it as a finalist in the fellowship program.
"You have a year to choose an appointment," Kebert said. "So now I get emails every day of new opportunities, new jobs. They range from working in the Department of (Agriculture), or Department of State or Transportation. Across the board, it's really anything you can think of job-wise."
After the initial application and making it as a semi-finalist, Keber had to go through an intense interview process in the form of a board.
"You have to be at least a master's student," Kebert said. "You have to be in your program ... or be a recent grad. Then they ask you just a series of questions, lots of personality things, and then once you get passed that first portion, you become a semi-finalist.
"Once you're a semi-finalist, then you go to almost like a board," she said. "It was two people. They didn't know anything about me, I think they may have known my name, I'm not sure. It was like a structured interview — always a little nerve wracking."
Kebert said she had a few weeks to prepare for this interview, which was capped at 30 minutes.
What the Presidential Management Fellow would mean to her
Kebert eloquently summarized what officially making it as a Presidential Management Fellow would mean to her.
"I'm being very specific about what I want. I want to be in the State Department," Kebert said. "I want to work as a foreign service officer, more in a diplomatic level. So I am applying for those positions.
"That's really what I went to college for. That's why I joined the military. I feel like I am on this planet to serve others, and I want to be able to help people in various parts of the world."
Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Erica Kebert has been recognized as a fellowship finalist
