Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Selects Brigham Young University Student for One-Year Fellowship

After considering hundreds of candidates, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. chose Andrew Bonney as one of 14 members for the 2023 James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program. Bonney is a recent graduate in Middle East studies/Arabic at Brigham Young University. Beginning in September, he will spend a year working in Washington, D.C. as a salaried research assistant to the Carnegie Endowment’s senior scholars.

The Carnegie Endowment houses 13 different programs; each program focuses on a region of the world or an aspect of international relations. During his time at the institution, Bonney will work with the Middle East program. Bonney will support the research of senior fellows by conducting interviews in Arabic, where he will ask constituent groups how certain political policies will affect them. Following these interviews, he will deliver the information to senior staff and brief professionals in the U.S. State Department. Bonney will edit manuscripts, conduct quantitative research (such as the effect of climate change on North African countries' GDPs), and analyze primary sources. Through this experience, Bonney wants to conduct globally relevant research and learn how research plays into political policy.

Having spent years studying, working, conducting research, and volunteering in his field of study, Bonney is well prepared for this opportunity. One of the ways he prepared was by working as a research assistant for the Middle Eastern Studies Department. There, he facilitated documentation, authored a literature review, and led student discussions on Middle Eastern politics and religion. He also represented BYU on the Model Arab League team, where he was awarded “Outstanding Delegate” on four occasions at regional and national conferences. Additionally, Bonney served as the chapter president for BYU’s Honor Society for International Studies, Sigma Iota Rho. Another way he contributed to his experience, for this opportunity was living abroad and traveling throughout Europe and sub-Saharan Africa for five years.

Around the time Bonney was selecting a major, the Syrian refugee crisis was a central issue in the public eye. This global awareness was one of the reasons he became interested in Middle East studies. While he originally planned to attend medical school after graduation, over time he realized his desire to make Middle East studies/Arabic his long-term academic focus. He earned a bachelor’s degree in this discipline in April 2023 from the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies.

“BYU has probably one of the best Middle Eastern studies programs for modern politics and society in the U.S. … ,” Bonney said. “BYU graduates in general just have much higher Arabic speaking and reading and listening proficiency than people in other parts of the country.”

Bonney served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Armenia, which required him to learn Armenian and expanded his interest in the region. He has since learned Turkish and Azerbaijani, in addition to his study of Arabic. He believes his study of these languages strengthened his application for the fellowship, as it showed his interest in the Islamic world as a whole.

During winter semester 2023, Bonney taught an Azerbaijani 101 class at BYU, which he described as a challenging but enjoyable experience. He hopes, like his teaching experience, his time at the Carnegie Endowment will help him expand his network of professional contacts and learn how to influence political policy.

Bonney said he has been prepared to “Go Forth to Serve” by observing the examples of his professors and advisors. He cited Jim Toronto, Ph.D., a teacher in the Middle Eastern Studies program, and Cory Leonard, associate director at the Kennedy Center for International Studies, as the two most influential advisors in his undergraduate career. Bonney desires to emulate their examples of championing student success.

At one point, unsure of what direction he should go in his education, Bonney had a meeting with Toronto, who recommended he pursue a Ph.D. program and a career in the academic world. Toronto expressed his belief that Bonney could be successful on that path. Bonney said this re-routed his professional trajectory and cited this as one of his most formative experiences at BYU.

For his future career path, Bonney wants to combine two of his interests—government advisement on diplomatic and defense policy and teaching. He plans to eventually earn a doctorate in international relations.

“I really would love to teach at one of the military colleges—the US Naval Academy, West Point, or US Army War College, because I feel like I would be able to have a greater influence on defense policy there,” Bonney said.

One of Bonney’s most significant experiences involving BYU was the support of the campus community when he was faced with a personal tragedy. In 2019, Bonney’s younger brother, who was his roommate at the time, passed away. In the midst of this difficult experience, Bonney was grateful for the compassion and love shown to him by BYU faculty and students.

“The response of BYU was so impressive, just how involved they were, how accommodating people were,” Bonney said. “I had a professor [Dr. Quinn Mecham] take me out to breakfast and just talk with me. People really cared, and I was very impressed by that.”

Bonney said many members of the community reached out to him. Dean of Students Sarah Westerberg quickly met Bonney in person to offer her support. One fellow student brought Bonney groceries and let him know he was thinking of him.

“People actually just initiating that was very meaningful for me,” Bonney said. “It made me want to be more selfless when people were hurting.”

The individuals Bonney interacted with around campus reciprocated admiration for his character and his efforts at building community. Audrey Hanks, from the BYU office of National Scholarships and Prestigious Fellowships, guided Bonney through the process of applying for the fellowship.

Hanks said, “I first met with Andrew in 2019 and have enjoyed working with him over the years. His humility and determination are two of his greatest qualities. Andrew’s facility with languages, keen interest in people and their stories, and extensive research abilities will serve him well in his future career path. The James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program, working with the Middle East program, is the perfect fit for his interests and should provide wonderful opportunities for him to both contribute and grow.”

Hanks first introduced Bonney to the fellowship. After not being selected for two other scholarships, Bonney was encouraged by multiple BYU advisors to apply for the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program, and eventually decided to try, despite feeling uncertain about his odds. While completing his application, Bonney said discussions with professors about his essay and guidance from Hanks about his cover letter were all invaluable.

To those considering applying for this or other fellowships, Bonney said, “. . . just go for it. You never know what will happen or what won’t happen . . . just give it a shot.”

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a political think tank whose members are devoted to collaborating with national governments, the United Nations, and other organizations to promote world peace and find solutions to global issues. In 2015, The University of Pennsylvania ranked the Carnegie Endowment as the third most influential think tank in the world, and in 2019 ranked it as the top public policy research think tank in the world. The Junior Fellows Program, for which Bonney has been selected, has an acceptance rate of about five percent.

Students interested in applying to the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program may contact the BYU office of National Scholarships and Prestigious Fellowships, at national.scholarships@byu.edu to speak with an advisor.