About
Double Major: Spanish and International Relations
Cierra Powell, class of 2018, was the college’s first recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Award. Powell will serve as a cultural ambassador for the United States in the Canary Islands (Las Canarias) of Spain where she was an English Teaching Assistant for early childhood and/or elementary education.
In 2021, she was awarded a Charles B. Rangel International Fellowship which will prepare her for a career in Foreign Service for the State Department. Of 1,056 applicants, she was selected as one of 45 Rangel Fellows. Cierra has done very well since graduating from Carroll.
Powell was recently selected to join the inaugural cohort of the Institute of International Education Global Community for Women's Leadership. “This incredible network, the first of its kind, brings together women change makers across all world areas and professional sectors. I am thrilled to join GCWL and look forward to contributing towards the pivotal efforts of building a community of women leaders from the ground up!” shared Cierra on LinkedIn.
Powell, a native of Miles City, Montana, graduated cum laude from Carroll College in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Spanish, along with a minor in Latin American Studies. During her time at Carroll, she expanded her global perspective by studying abroad in Spain and interning in Ecuador as a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholar. After graduation, she served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in the Canary Islands of Spain in 2019. Her impressive accomplishments include being awarded the Charles B. Rangel International Fellowship in 2021 and the David L. Boren Fellowship in 2022.
Powell went on to earn a Master of International Affairs from the Pennsylvania State University School of International Affairs and now serves as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State.
My experience at Carroll College has greatly prepared me to apply for the Fulbright. My professors worked in earnest to guarantee the content of their classes were thorough. Regardless of academic discipline, they constantly took the time to ensure that I had the demeanor and work ethic necessary to take on any future academic or professional endeavor I pursued. My life changed just days into my freshman year, in large part, thanks to Dr. Ryan Hallows and Dr. Alexander Street. They provided the unequivocal support as professors, advisors and mentors to help me to discover my passion in global affairs. Overall, the Carroll College faculty and staff are an important part in all of my academic and professional achievements, including my acceptance into the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program, and I am extremely grateful.