Sonal Lal

“I had the pleasure of traveling to Washington D.C. to officially embark upon my path to becoming a USAID Foreign Service Officer. Here, I met my 2023 Payne Fellowship cohort, along with distinguished individuals such as Dr. Anthony Wutoh (Provost of Howard University), Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr., and Ms. Samantha Power (Administrator of USAID). It was an official introduction that marked the beginning of my seven-year journey as a Payne Fellow. am sincerely grateful to the Payne International Development Fellowship Program for providing such remarkable opportunities and for creating a memorable first week in D.C. These experiences will undoubtedly contribute to my personal and professional growth.“

Sonal Lal