"Like many Australians, regular childhood travel to Indonesia ignited my passion for studying Southeast Asia, which I furthered through a Bachelor of International Relations (first class honours) at the University of Queensland. I spent over a year in Indonesia studying Indonesian language and conducting fieldwork for my honours thesis, which encouraged me to apply for a career in foreign policy.

I served over five years in foreign policy and intelligence roles in the Australian government. In these roles, I provided advice on a wide range of Indo-Pacific political and economic developments in Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Office of National Intelligence. I undertook roles drafting policy for the 2018 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, and coordinating Australia’s National Security Committee amid Australia-China trade tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic. I also directed the National Australia-Indonesia Language Awards to encourage greater Asia literacy in Australia.

I applied for the Georgetown SFS Asian Studies Program because I wanted to unpick the complexities the West faces in contemporary Southeast Asia, by better understanding the region's history and current drivers for change. So far, I have not only enriched my knowledge base through high-calibre classes on Southeast Asia and the wider region, but also through conversations with senior practitioners in the field at SFS events, and with my fellow classmates.

I currently work as an analyst at The Asia Group (TAG), where I cover a broad range of political and economic topics to assist clients with strategic interests and equities in maritime Southeast Asia. At TAG, I am broadening my understanding of outside engagement in Southeast Asia to include private sector equities. Prior to working at TAG, I conducted research for the Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and for the Georgetown Journal of Asian Affairs (GJAA). In the future, I hope to return to the Australian government to apply my knowledge and utilize my new networks to increase Western engagement in the region."

Concentration: Southeast Asia

Hometown: Canberra, Australia

Academic Background: Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, University of Queensland