Public Service

Public service is a vital component of responsible, ethical leadership, and therefore one of YPFP's core missions. The YPFP Public Service Program provides members of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy with opportunities to contribute to local, national, and international communities in need while engaging and empowering our community partners. When possible, the Public Service Program seeks out service missions and goals that combine an international dimension with a desire to serve others.

YPFP Public Service currently comprises three distinct programs:

• YPFP in the Classroom (YPFP-C) brings YPFP members into DC-area schools for interactive classroom presentations on foreign policy, current events, and modern world history topics. Contact: classroom@ypfp.org
• The Refugee Assistance Program (RAP) pairs YPFP members with refugee families recently resettled in the Washington, DC, metro area to help them navigate life in the United States. Contact: refugees@ypfp.org
• Connect Veterans (YPFP-V) is YPFP's newest public service initiative. Following the successful model of RAP, YPFP will partner with an existing veteran's support organization, magnifying the contribution of YPFP members. Contact: veterans@ypfp.org

 Leadership

Nathalie Marechal is YPFP's Vice President for Public Service, and a graduate student in Intercultural Communication, Management and Training at American University's School of International Service. Her primary research interests are cross-cultural communication, particularly in the workplace, and immigrant assimilation and acculturation.

As Vice President for Public Service, Nathalie oversees three service programs in Washington, DC: YPFP in the Classroom, the Refugee Assistance Program and Connect Veterans. She is also part of the organization's senior leadership team in Washington.

From June 2008 to August 2009, Nathalie served as Director of the Refugee Assistance Program. In this capacity, she developed relationships with local refugee resettlement organizations; selected and trained volunteers to mentor newly arrived refugee clients, and developed processes for identifying and coaching new leaders.

Previous jobs and internships include the French Embassy in Washington, the Organization of American States, the Justice Studies Center of the Americas in Santiago, Chile, Human Rights First, and the War Crimes Research Office. Nathalie is fluent in French and Spanish, and holds a BA in International Studies from American University (2006). She can be reached via e-mail at nathalie.marechal@ypfp.org.

Lynn Nguyen is Managing Director for the Washington DC Public Service department, and in this role she supports the Vice President and helps oversee the three major Public Service programs. She is a graduate of American University where she double-majored in International Studies and Economics. During her time at AU, she studied European Union Economics and Politics for a year at the London School of Economics.

Presently she is an analyst in the Strategy and Operations service line of Deloitte Consulting LLP; her past experience includes internships at the Atlantic Council of the United States, the Department of Commerce in the International Trade Administration, and the Institute for International Education.

Her foreign policy interests include U.S.-EU economic and political relations, Southeast Asian regionalization, and global trade policy. Please contact her with any questions or concerns via e-mail at lynn.nguyen@ypfp.org.