Grant Castle

Grant Castle is originally from the small village of Fairport in Western New York. He completed his undergraduate degree at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service where he majored in International Politics with a concentration in U.S. Foreign Policy and a certificate in Diplomatic Studies.

While at Georgetown, Grant completed internships with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Commerce Departments on Capitol Hill, at a Middle East policy think tank, and with a national security nonprofit. During his studies, Grant was also the CEO of the Georgetown International Relations Association (GIRA), a student-run nonprofit which organizes youth educational programs around the world.

Upon graduation, Grant began working at PeaceTech Lab, a nonprofit affiliated with the U.S. Institute of Peace, where he focused on using technology, data, and media tools to accelerate peacebuilding efforts around the world.

Grant intends to pursue a master’s degree focused on development economics, with a particular interest in development in fragile and conflict-affected states. He is incredibly honored to be selected as a 2022 Payne Fellow and looks forward to a career in the Foreign Service of USAID.