Amirah Ismail is a busy student. With two majors, two minors, being the president of a student organization and playing violin in ASU’s orchestra — all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA — life gets hectic.

But her dedication has paid off tenfold, she said, as she has been awarded the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship — an honor only 20 students nationwide receive each year.

“It’s amazing,” said Ismail, a global studies and justice studies senior. “I think I’m still in shock because it’s just an amazing opportunity.”

Ismail said the Rangel scholarship will provide her with about $80,000 for graduate school and two internships related to the global-affairs field, her area of study.

Choosing Ismail for the fellowship was an easy task, said Patricia Scroggs, the Rangel Program manager, in an email.

“The selection process is very competitive, with the selection panel reviewing academic and work experience, interviewing the individuals and evaluating a policy essay,” she said. “Amirah excelled in all aspects of the process.”

Studying abroad in Germany and in Egypt sparked her interest in foreign relations, Ismail said.

“I am Arab-American. I’m Egyptian. I’m a Muslim-American. So there was part of me that wanted to learn more about my heritage,” Ismail said.

While studying in Cairo, Ismail said she took a class taught by Saad Eddin Ibrahim that changed her life and became the foundation of her aspiration to pursue a career in foreign studies.

“He’s the leading human rights and democracy activist in Egypt and the Middle East,” Ismail said of Ibrahim. “I was fascinated by his course.”

After the course, Ismail said Ibrahim invited her to intern at his research institute, Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, in Cairo. There, Ismial said she translated articles from Arabic to English and coordinated research.

Following her work at Ibrahim’s center, Ismail said she began interning at Soliya, a company that links university students globally, where she still works as a facilitator.

“Soliya is all about connecting university students from the West and the Muslim world to build bridges of understanding and have open dialogue with each other to break down stereotypes,” Ismail said.

While participating in internships internationally, Ismail said she has been the president of the Arab Student Association for two years.

As president, she co-taught a class open to ASU students about Arab culture. In the class, students learned colloquial Arabic, watched Arabic music videos and ate Arabic food, she said.

Though Ismail has many accomplishments, her professors and family said they are most proud of her positive attitude and dedication.

“She is one of the most outstanding students — in the top 5 to 10 percent — I have taught in the past five years,” said Souad T. Ali, head of Classics and Middle East Letters and Cultures. “She is dedicated and hardworking and possesses outstanding organizational skills.”

Ismail’s father, Tarek Ismail, said he agrees that his daughter’s will to work hard and never give up is something he is most proud of her for, as well as her ability to manage her time among activities.

“She handles all her commitments with a degree of seriousness, including academics and extracurricular activities,” he said.

With the experiences she has had internationally and at ASU, Ismail said she plans to be a Foreign Service officer in the Middle East.

“I really want to bridge the perceived gap or strained relations between the West and the Muslim world,” Ismail said.

Reach the reporter at abigail.gilmore@asu.edu.