Marietou Diallo

Marietou Diallo is originally from Guinea but grew up in four different sub-Saharan African countries.  Spending her formative years in Senegal and Ethiopia, her interest in international development was sparked by engaging in various community service projects.  Upon graduating high school, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she studied International Affairs with concentrations in International Development and Global Public Health at George Washington University (GWU).  Marietou spent a semester abroad in London and Jamaica, learning about the varying healthcare and social welfare policies in both countries.  While an undergraduate student, she interned at the Foundation for Professional Development in South Africa, where she supported the National HIV Think Tank and Epidemiology Research Unit using evidence-based findings to inform national policymaking.  She also worked as a part-time Program Associate at the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, helping further program implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean.  During her last semester of college, she interned at USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), shadowing the U.S. response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  Upon graduating Summa Cum Laude from GWU, she began a full-time role with the Office of Global Policy, Programs, Partnerships, and Communications (G3PC) at USAID/BHA.  Marietou then worked as an Associate in the Albright Stonebridge Group’s Africa Practice, supporting clients through research and project coordination.  For graduate school, Marietou is eager to pursue a master’s in public policy to develop the skills and knowledge required to transform international development policy effectively.  As a Payne 2023 Fellow, Marietou looks forward to beginning a career as a Program Officer with the USAID Foreign Service.  In her free time, Marietou loves listening to Afro beats, exploring new cities, and spending quality time with friends and family.