Sonia Banker, an Indian American University of Pennsylvania student, has been chosen for a one-year fellowship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. as a James C. Gaither Junior Fellow.
Banker, a political science major from San Francisco, will spend one year in Washington, D.C., working within Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance program.
One of 18 chosen in the country, she is only the fourth student in Penn’s history to receive the fellowship since its inception more than 30 years ago. Her selection follows a distinguished undergraduate career marked by a commitment to grassroots advocacy and policy reform.
Banker, who has strong family roots in the Indian American community, gained national attention for leading successful education policy campaigns to increase public school funding in both California and Philadelphia. Her activism was profiled in the 2024 book Don’t Wait: Three Girls Who Fought for Change and Won.
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At Penn, Banker served as the editor-in-chief of the Penn Political Review and held leadership roles in the Government and Politics Association. Her professional experience includes stints with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Philadelphia City Council, and the office of the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
“Sonia’s work demonstrates a rare blend of rigorous academic research and practical legislative advocacy,” said Jane Holahan, executive director of Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
As a junior fellow, Banker will assist senior scholars with research and editing in areas including nuclear nonproliferation, foreign policy, economics, technology, and democracy and governance. She will als0 have the opportunity to conduct research, participate in meetings with high-level officials, and contribute to books, reports, Congressional testimony, and other works.
The fellowship is designed to bridge the gap between undergraduate study and professional careers in international affairs. Following her tenure at Carnegie, Banker intends to pursue a career in law and public policy, continuing the advocacy work that defined her time at the University of Pennsylvania.