Diana Knott

Experience

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  Tugeemel Högjil “Universal Progress” MILC

  May 2016 - Jul 2016

  Copyeditor/Teacher

  • Served as an English teacher, created lesson plans, exercises, and homework to improve the English-speaking abilities of 5-10 disabled Mongolian adults 3 times a week; almost all students reached ILR Level 1 English. • Copyedited multiple documents, including a 21-page international grant proposal and extensive executive plan. • Acted as a cross-cultural communicator between Mongolian and South Korean disability advocacy NGO personnel.

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  BlueRocket LLC

  Jun 2016 - Jul 2016

  Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Communications Intern

  • Promoted events and meetings in Mongolia leading up the 11th annual ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit.• Copyedited press releases and editorial bites which were then sent to over 100 international media outlets. • Analyzed and compiled news reports using Meltwater software.• Live-tweeted the 15th Asia-Europe Business Forum, featuring panelists and heads of state from across the world.

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  The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)

  Aug 2016 - Dec 2016

  State Department Intern

  • Created simulation terrorist scenarios with 2 team members for a country in the Caribbean for use by Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism in training exercises. • Conducted extensive open-source research on the history, geopolitical situation, and internal religious and ethnic cleavages of the subject country to inform the development of a realistic scenario. • Developed over 200 sources, including mock intelligence and police reports from various agencies, intelligence intercepts, news reports, diplomatic cables, and bank statements to create a diverse and realistic terrorist scenario. Show less

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  American University

  Feb 2017 - May 2017

  Supplemental Instructor, International Accelerator Program

  • Facilitated in-class group discussions aimed at improving English language skills for 20 international students, the majority of whom enrolled in mainstream courses the following semester. • Explained concepts and helped students prepare for presentations, essays, and exams in study sessions twice weekly. • Acted as a liaison between the professor and students by allowing students to anonymously express their concerns and then communicating this information to and brainstorming potential solutions with the professor. Show less

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  AMAR U.S.

  Jun 2017 - Jul 2017

  Development and Communications Intern

  • Created detailed MS Excel spreadsheets analyzing program success from hundreds of hand-completed paper surveys in Iraq. • Wrote two major donor reports for grants of $15,000 each and a follow-up proposal requesting $30,000. • Crafted original content for all social media sites, including a week-long refugee day campaign which more than tripled the post reach from the organization’s previous average of less than 500 people to over 1,500.

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  Radford

  Jun 2018 - Aug 2018

  Consulting Analyst Intern

  • Performed competitive assessments by identifying peer companies based on specific client needs.• Analyzed Board compensation practices of pre-IPO companies, drawing upon data from SEC filings and contributing to a larger pre-IPO research project.• Generated comprehensive reports which were presented to clients, employing Excel pivot tables, nested Ifs, arrays, conditional formatting, and data visualization via bar charts and tables.

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  American University

  Sept 2018 - Apr 2019

  • Planned and coordinated a program to Northern Ireland for 11 university students to engage hands-on with leaders in the peace-building and reconciliation process following the violent conflict of the Troubles.• Initiated contact with and build relationships with several community partners, including reconciliation centers, community museums, members of the legislative assembly, and integrated schools.• Managed a budget of over $20,000 from 11 different sources, and developed fundraising initiatives to increase accessibly for students participating in the program. Show less • Directed a 7-week long dialogue for 17 participants exploring immigration and nationality, with a focus on self-reflection and open discussion.• Created curriculum which built trust, respect, and group cohesion for each session in order to establish a space for genuine dialogue in partnership with a co-facilitator, faculty advisor, and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.• Asked questions which dug past surface-level ideas and challenged participants in healthy but difficult ways; by the end of the dialogue series, several participants who entered ambivalent had applied to facilitate their own dialogues. Show less

  • Alternative Break to Northern Ireland Co-Leader: Peacebuilding and Reconciliation

    Aug 2018 - Apr 2019

  • Intergroup Dialogue Facilitator: Immigration and Nationality

    Sept 2018 - Dec 2018
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  Institute of International Education

  Jun 2019 - Nov 2019

  David L. Boren Scholar - French/Survival Wolof

  Cultural immersion program in Dakar, Senegal through the prestigious David L. Boren Scholarship (20% acceptance rate). Achieved an advanced-high level of proficiency in French through six months of intensive instruction in language and regional studies at the University of Florida and the West African Research Center in Dakar, Senegal. Boren Scholarships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests. Boren Scholars represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. In exchange for funding, Boren Scholars commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation. Show less

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  U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  Mar 2020 - May 2022

  European and Multilateral Affairs Specialist, Office of International Affairs / Policy
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  USCIS

  May 2022 - now

  Refugee Officer, Refugee and International Operations Directorate

  Process refugees during 6-8 week trips abroad, including in Kenya, Tanzania, Germany, El Salvador, Honduras, and Uganda.