Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Kirby '19

She majored in Government at Georgetown University, with minors in Arabic and justice and peace studies, then headed to Sciences Po Paris for a master's degree in international governance and diplomacy.

After two years in Paris, Sarah accepted a position with Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs, where for the past year and a half she's worked on the Department's Ukraine desk, helping shape Ireland's support for Ukraine, from humanitarian aid to reconstruction and recovery plans. Her work has ranged from preparing Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) for visits to Ukraine and helping host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ireland, to serving a two-week stint in Kazakhstan this summer observing elections with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Next up is Nairobi, where Sarah will work with the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration, overseeing programs focused on climate adaptation, peacebuilding, and community stabilization along the Kenya-Somalia border. She sees the role as a"perfect opportunity" to apply her conflict resolution and negotiation skills at a community level. She expects to see some familiar faces, too. "The world becomes very small very quickly," she adds, noting that she knows more people in Nairobi than she did when she first moved to Ireland (aside from her Irish family members).

Sarah's passion for global affairs was nurtured early at St. Andrew's. For her junior year oral history project, she interviewed an Afghan civil society leader living in Virginia. "St. Andrew's curriculum allowed me to explore what were perhaps niche interests for a teenage girl and expand on them," she says.

Her advice for alumni thinking about a similar path is simple: "Don't be afraid to try." Sarah would love to serve as a sounding board for young alumni interested in international relations and development. Connect with her through the St. Andrew's alumni LinkedIn group!