AMPLIFY SPOTLIGHT: KYLA DENWOOD
Diversity and accessibility are among the greatest challenges in the United States foreign policy community. The lack of diversity shows in our highest levels of government – even though there are ample opportunities for people to learn about international affairs careers as early as high school, there is a large information gap that exists for people of color, individuals with a lower socioeconomic status, and especially those located outside of major foreign policy hubs.
The Youth International Leadership Initiative (YILI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to increase the involvement of diverse students and recent graduates in international affairs opportunities and careers. Through an online community, YILI will provide mentorship, guidance, and learning opportunities for students and recent graduates underrepresented in international professions, including students of color, individuals of lower socio-economic status, and those from non-coastal areas. The organization’s goal is to make the international affairs field more accessible and equitable. Consequently, we will work to include local youth voices in global foreign policy conversations, especially individuals located outside of major policy hubs.
Kyla Denwood is a 2022 AMPLIFY Fellow.
Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Kyla Denwood is a recent graduate from Tulane University where she earned dual degrees in Economics (B.S.) and International Development (B.A.) to understand the role of the private sector in promoting social change. Her research and career interests lie at the nexus of labor, international education, social innovation and social entrepreneurship, and economic development. She has been fortunate to pursue relevant opportunities in Kenya, Paraguay, the United Arab Emirates, and New Orleans.
Kyla recently finished her tenure as a Youth Ambassador at Expo 2020 Dubai where she represented Illinois and Louisiana as a cultural ambassador at the U.S.A. Pavilion. Inspired by her international experiences and quantitative research, she now works as a Research Associate for the International Programs department of NORC at the University of Chicago, where she researches a variety of topics ranging from youth engagement to poverty alleviation to democracy and governance in countries across all regions of the world. In her free time, Kyla enjoys playing the flute, ballroom dancing, and learning to skateboard.
The Pacific Council on International Policy launched AMPLIFY in February 2022 as a leadership development program that provides learning and networking opportunities to early to mid-career professionals who have traditionally been underrepresented in foreign affairs. Through AMPLIFY, the Pacific Council aims to cultivate local-to-global leaders, strengthen diversity in foreign policy, and be an accelerator for local-to-global initiatives from the western United States.
UPDATED: AUGUST 2022