A passion for the global public good

Kelli Sunabe is among the 35 Peace Corps evacuees at Maxwell, where she is pursuing her interests in international labor. She knew that she was headed to Maxwell when she was evacuated near the end of her Peace Corps service. Kelli is one of four Robertson Foundation for Government Fellows, a scholarship program for highly qualified applicants that provides full tuition plus a stipend. In exchange, graduates agree to work in the U.S. federal government for three of seven years after graduation.

“My dream is to work for the U.S. State Department, for the Office of International Labor Affairs,” says Kelli, who also is pursuing dual MPA/MAIR degrees. “The Office is responsible for overseeing regulations and ensuring that American companies are treating workers overseas ethically.”

Kelli first became interested in ending labor abuses, particularly in the “fast fashion” industry, as an undergraduate at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, where she earned degrees in international business and fashion design. Kelli entered the Peace Corps after graduation, which she says, “was the best experience of my life.” She lived with three different host families in the City of Dujiangyan in the Sichuan Province, where she taught English at a Sichuan Engineering Technical College (SCTEC). “Most of our students end up working in manufacturing or entry level positions. Most scored low on the Gao Kao, which is the Chinese version of the SAT.

Kelli went the extra mile for her students. She organized departments across SCTEC and worked with three local entrepreneurs, creating SCETC’s first Business Case Study Program. She convinced leadership to provide a van so that students had the exclusive opportunity to visit a successful business in Sichuan’s province capital Chengdu. “I wanted to be able to empower my students to believe in themselves,” she explains.

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RFG was recently featured on ProFellow’s list of 30 fellowships in US government for recent graduates and young professionals.

ProFellow is one or our institutional partners. ProFellow’s mission is to make funding opportunities easier to find and to share advice on the competitive application process. All of their content is voluntarily produced by current and former fellows who aim to pay-it-forward and inspire the next generation of aspiring fellows.

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In October the Robertson Foundation for Government offered two webinars on financial planning for federal employees in collaboration with Serving Those Who Serve. Both events featured Ed Zurndorfer, a Certified Financial Planner and top authority on Federal benefits training. His work is routinely featured in FedSoup, My Federal Retirement and The FedZone.

We are pleased to offer the recordings of both sessions along with additional resources to all who are interested.

Understanding Federal Benefits and Insurance
During this session, you will learn about topics involving the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), including FERS annuity, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) and Flexible spending accounts.
Session agenda
Webinar recording
Presentation notes and additional resources

Financial Planning and the TSP
In this session, you will learn about topics including: setting financial goals, paying down and managing debts (credit cards, student loans, etc.), reducing one’s 2020 federal income tax liability, fundamental of investing, the importance of contributing to an IRA, and the importance of contributing to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
Session agenda
Webinar recording
Presentation notes and additional resources

On October 5th, the Partnership for Public Service held its first virtual Service to America Medals program. Hosted by comedian Kumail Nanjiani, the star-studded evening featured many special guests, including Presidents Bush and Obama, Bono, Kristen Bell, Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert and Aisha Tyler. In case you missed it, you can watch the full recording here on their YouTube channel.

During the program—the 19th annual Sammies event—they awarded medals to federal employees who made significant contributions to our nation by tackling some of our most pressing challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The winners are:

The Partnership also awarded the Spirit of Service medal, which honors a private sector employee who has made significant contributions to public service. This year, they recognized Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. And in July, they celebrated the winners of the People’s Choice awardCorvelli A. McDaniel and Dr. Lorraine Cole.

Now, the Partnership is seeking nominations for the 2021 Service to America Medals. If you know deserving federal employees, nominate them for the 2021 Sammies today!

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