St. Pete’s Finest: Mara Brody

DAYTONA BEACH – St. Pete native Mara Brody was selected as a 2018 Rangel Summer Scholar and will spend six weeks this summer at Howard University, a historically black college and university in Washington, D.C.

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program is a six-week summer program designed to provide undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding of career opportunities in international affairs and the enhanced knowledge and skills to pursue such careers.

The program selects participants each year from universities throughout the United States. Students live at Howard University, attend classes and participate in a variety of programs with foreign affairs professionals at Howard and at diverse locations around Washington, D.C.

The program covers the costs of tuition, travel, housing and two meals per day. It also provides a stipend of $3,200.

Mara graduated from the Center of Advanced Technology at Lakewood High School in 2016 and is a rising junior international studies major with a concentration in international affairs and business at Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach.

At Bethune Cookman, she is a recipient of an Excelsior Academic Scholarship Award; has received both President and Dean’s List recognition and was awarded the distinguished Top Freshman in International Studies Award in 2017.

Mara was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success in 2017, and that same year served as a summer intern in the St. Petersburg District Office of Congressman Charlie Crist.

Additionally, she is a Division 1 athlete, playing on the Bethune Cookman University softball team. Her volunteer activities include serving as a volunteer for the PRO Youth Foundation as a camp instructor for young girls aspiring to play softball and is an alumnus of the AKA AKAdemy Program.

A member of the United Nations Association, Mara has traveled extensively and is interested in studying U.S.-Russia relations.

Congratulations from The Weekly Challenger!