Head of Stakeholder Engagement at British Embassy Washington
When Amy Schenk first decided that she wanted to engage in policymaking, she thought it would require becoming a lawyer. Instead, Schenk began her efforts in diplomacy in student government, right here at the UO. Schenk was elected ASUO president during her senior year in a historic unopposed election. She used her time in office to advocate for student rights, with a particular focus on financial liberation and food security. She studied abroad in Oxford and embraced the Arabic language at the Qasid Arabic Institute in Jordan, prompting her to double-minor in political science and Arabic studies. Following graduation from the UO, Schenk became an intern of the Permanent Mission of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United Nations, where she learned more about multilateral diplomacy and international relations between Jordan and fellow stakeholders. She had a supplemental internship through the Arab Center in Washington, DC, and later was selected as a NextGen Scholar with Foreign Policy for America. Schenk was hired at the International Institute for Strategic Studies where she assisted with both operations and events such as the IISS Climate Briefing on water security in the Middle East and North Africa before securing her position with British Embassy Washington. Now, she creates and manages the British Embassy Washington's strategy, outreach and partnerships with all think tanks and academic centers across a variety of policy areas. Some hallmarks of her time in diplomacy have included accompanying and organizing engagement for the UK Chief of Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) Sir Richard Moore and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly at the annual Aspen Security Forum, speech writing for Ambassador Dame Karen Pierce , advising senior colleges throughout UK government departments on US think tank and academic center engagement initiating conversations regarding women, peace, and security with the Duchess of Edinburgh, and celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Most recently, Schenk was selected to serve on the Wilton Park Advisory Council. Throughout it all, she carries the same passion she had for advocacy that propelled her as the president of ASOU.