PARSA CF Service Fellowship Program
This program aims to introduce outstanding students to the exciting and rewarding careers available in international public policy and development.
In an effort to promote diversity in the humanitarian and international affairs community, the PARSA Community Foundation Fellowship Program at Relief International provides exceptionally qualified students of Iranian decent the opportunity to gain experience in the international relief and development fields. Supported by the PARSA Community Foundation, this program seeks to offer work experience to students of Iranian-American descent who would otherwise not be able to have this opportunity, and redress the fact that Iranian-Americans are under-represented in the field of international public policy and the humanitarian community.
Relief International selects students who have demonstrated a commitment to international issues as well as community involvement and service. Students gain new skill sets and field experience while being introduced to challenging global issues.
Current PARSA Fellows
Christina Ashtary
“My time interning with RI-UK has allowed me to gain new insight into international development operations from a European perspective and has expanded my knowledge of funding and proposal processes in the global market” –Christina Ashtary
Christina interns in Relief International’s London office. She is currently a graduate student studying Democracy and Democratization at the University College London. After having completed her BA in Political Science at UCLA, she worked with non-profit, government and government-affiliated organizations in the international development and policy sector in Washington, DC.
Christina has enjoyed working on a number of interesting projects during her internship with Relief International. She has assisted the Iran country desk with program planning and development, written grant proposals, and helped prepare project reports and proposals. Christina has also worked with key foundation donors and assisted with further developing the Libraries Programs in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Christina feels she has gotten a lot out of her PARSA internship. She has especially enjoyed rounding out her experience with U.S. donors and the development industry in the States, while getting to know the European perspective and generally learning more about global funding, grants, and proposal processes. The exposure to donor relations and program management has been one of Christina’s favorite opportunities.
The next phase of her internship, Christina will be spending in one of Relief International’s field offices.
“The PARSA Fellowship has been such a rewarding experience, putting my academic pursuits into practice and providing exposure to the development sector… My experience at RI has been priceless,” she said.
Mana Rostami-Mouripour
“Compared to the several internships I have had in the past with like-minded organizations, I have been given the most responsibility here at RI and have been treated as a part of the team. Interning at RI has been such an educational and growing experience.” - Mana Rostami-Mouripour
Mana currently interns with the Philanthropy department at Relief International in Los Angeles. She is a first-year student at Santa Monica College in Los Angeles, planning to double major in Biology and International Affairs. In her spare time, Mana enjoys volunteering with meaningful non-profit organizations.
Mana has contributed to a number of projects during her internship. She has been chiefly responsible for managing and updating Relief International’s donation database, and organizing Relief International fundraisers and events. Her work has taught her more about global affairs and helped her improve a number of valuable skills. Mana is a key player in Relief International’s philanthropy team, and gets to attend philanthropy event planning, fundraising and donor meetings.
The PARSA internship has helped Mana define her career goals and has showed her how many opportunities the international development world has to offer. While carrying significant amounts of responsibility, Mana has developed her communication and time-management skills.
Jason Youdeem
“When I compare my time spent at RI with internships I have had in the past I can’t help but express how much I have learned…I am confident that RI has aided my ability to work in a non-profit environment and contribute to the global community.” - Jason Youdeem
Jason was an intern at Relief International’s headquarters in Los Angeles within the Program Development Department. Jason is a senior at UCLA with a major in Global Studies and a minor in Political Science. He is very involved in student politics at UCLA and is the founder of the Olive Tree Initiative, which aims to encourage students on campus to productively talk about the Arab-Israeli conflict.
During his internship, Jason has helped the Program Development team design new programs for Relief International in a variety of countries and program areas. Through participating in departmental meetings, he has learned more about how NGOs operate worldwide when applying for grants and development opportunities.
Jason has enjoyed learning about the process of writing proposals and feels that the internship has helped him improve many important skills. He was particularly impressed with the way the internship encouraged him to apply analytical skills acquired at UCLA to practical projects.
Setareh Ebrahimian
“Working at Relief International’s D.C. office has been a truly rewarding experience for me…I have acquired many new skills and extended my knowledge of international public policy.” - Setareh Ebrahimian
Setareh is currently a PARSA intern in the Technical Assistance Department of Relief International’s D.C. office. She is a junior at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. majoring in International Affairs and Economics and minoring in Spanish. She has been involved in a number of community service organizations and is the co-president of the Iranian Cultural Society in the D.C. area, which promotes dialogue on issues which effect both the US and Iran.
During her internship she has helped with donor report editing, researched water and natural resource management sectors, and assisted in preparation for donor listening meetings, among other duties. She has also had the chance to attend meetings with USAID and other NGO representatives, giving her a broader view of the international development sector.
Setareh has appreciated the interaction with professionals in the international development field. She was thrilled with the opportunities she was offered in gaining exposure to the many government departments and organizations involved in the international development sector in D.C. She also enjoyed being able to use her academic experience in real world issues.
“Working at Relief International’s D.C. office has been a truly rewarding experience for me…I have acquired many new skills and extended my knowledge of international public policy,” she said.
