Maekara Keopanapay

As a daughter of Lao refugees, Maekara Keopanapay is passionate about conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and governance. She is dedicated to providing greater access to opportunities for those underrepresented in international relations, public policy, and security. Most recently, she was part of the 2021 cohort of the UNA-NCA Graduate Fellows Program (GFP), where she gained in-depth knowledge about the UN system from the GFP leadership team and practitioners in the field. Additionally, she was an intern for TechNet, a tech lobbying firm, where she delved into tech policy and security issues. In 2019, she was a public affairs intern with the US Consulate in Durban, South Africa and a legislative intern with the Washington State Senate. Maekara is a graduate student pursuing her MA in Security Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, and she earned her BA in Political Science from the University of Washington - Seattle.

Vision Statement
I intend to strengthen UNA-NCA’s relationship with college chapters and strengthen the connections among those chapters for advocacy efforts and for fostering a sense of community. I want to encourage students to learn more about the UN and ensure that UNA-NCA supports the next generation of leaders in international relations.