Catherine Stallsmith

Catherine Stallsmith was born in Arlington, Texas, raised in the Philippines for most of her childhood, and considers North Carolina her most recent home.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Elon University with a BA in Political Science and International & Global Studies with a regional concentration in Africa.  As a Periclean scholar, she was part of a cohort of students who built sustainable community partnerships around the world.  Upon graduation, Catherine received her Peace Corps Prep certificate and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.  She now serves on the board of the D.C. Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association.  In her undergraduate studies, Catherine spent a semester in Washington, D.C., as an International Policy & Diplomacy Fellow for the United Macedonian Diaspora, where she learned about the Balkans and transatlantic foreign policy.  She completed her undergraduate research on the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar and repatriation patterns in the region.  After graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., to work for a nonprofit.  Catherine is honored to be named a 2023 Payne Fellow as it will allow her to continue her love of living in and learning about new cultures.  She will pursue a graduate degree in international affairs.  She aspires to be a Crisis, Stabilization, and Governance officer when she joins the USAID Foreign Service.  In her spare time, Catherine likes to read, play guitar, walk her neighbor’s dogs, and explore D.C.