Hello! My name’s A’ndre Gonawela, and I’m a foreign policy enthusiast, aspiring national security aficionado, Burn Bag Podcast co-host, and an autograph collector! I am a recent graduate of the Master of Public Policy program at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy and a Minor in History from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. I am currently looking for full-time opportunities in foreign policy and national security circles, and would be more than happy to connect with you all to discuss professional opportunities, or just for a good chat on anything!

As an aspiring policy practitioner and thinker, I have a particular passion for foreign policy and international security oriented issues, coupled with a demonstrated expertise in political digital media and experience working in local government settings. As a result of these interests and experiences, I have pursued a diverse range of opportunities. I have led research projects on the interactions of populist politics and social media, I have worked on public safety issues while interning in municipal government, and I’ve assessed the US-China relationship through several different geopolitical angles over the course of internships with distinguished think tanks.

I’m an avid self-starter, initiating and leading projects that have resulted in peer-reviewed research publications, and have presented my work to leading scholars in the human-computer interaction field. I go beyond in trying to make substantial contributions in the workspace, working hard to critically understand an issue from all varying angles in order to come up with comprehensive solutions and exceptional work-products. And in my free time, I have collaborated in recent months with a close peer to found and host my own national security oriented podcast, where we talk to distinguished leaders in the national and international security space to dissect pressing policy issues in an accessible manner for our audiences!

While I have been fortunate to have had a diverse array of experiences and interests, all of them have been rewarding and have provided me with a distinct array of cohesive skills that have contributed profoundly to my work across these areas. As someone who’s always looking to work harder, learn more, and make significant contributions to our communities through the course of my career, I’d be very happy to chat with you! Please reach out to me at andregonawela@gmail.com, or over LinkedIn!