Programs like the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and the Rotary Peace Fellowship provide unique opportunities to travel and live overseas while engaging in meaningful cultural exchange and peacebuilding efforts. The JET Program allows participants to teach English and immerse themselves in Japanese culture. At the same time, the Rotary Peace Fellowship offers full funding for master’s degrees at partner universities worldwide, focusing on conflict resolution and peace studies. These experiences equip individuals with a global perspective and a deep understanding of diverse cultures. Complementing these international opportunities, the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) is the Federal Government’s premier leadership development program for advanced degree holders. It offers a two-year, full-time, paid fellowship at a Federal agency to develop future government leaders with a spirit of public service. Similarly, the HillVets Fellowship supports veterans interested in returning to U.S. government service by working on Capitol Hill.
Mark Flanigan epitomizes selflessness and exceptional service through his extensive experience in public and international service roles. Currently a HillVets Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives, Mark’s career spans diverse roles from a National Operations Officer with IOM to various fellowships and international assignments, reflecting a deep commitment to humanitarian efforts and public service. He is also a member of Rotary International, the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area, and the American Legion. ProFellow had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Flanigan to learn where his altruistic spirit originates and gain tips for fellowship applications.
You have many and diverse educational experiences. Can you share with us what made you interested in peace operations, political science, and humanitarian assistance?
Thank you so much to everyone at ProFellow for granting me this great opportunity to share my story! It’s a huge honor for me. I was really born and raised with the idea of actively centering public service as a part of one’s life. My Mom was in one of the earliest groups of Peace Corps volunteers, inspired by President Kennedy to go out into the world and help others in dire need. She lived and taught in a very small, rural fishing village in Malaysia in the early 1960s and later went to graduate school to become a professional Social Worker. My Dad was also quite committed to helping others and spent most of his professional career serving in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Washington, DC. He investigated discrimination claims and eventually became a trainer, traveling across the country to teach other public servants how best to ensure equality for all people. Their living examples of servant leadership really made a huge impression on me and on my own diverse career path.
One of the first fellowships you won was the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. Can you share your experience during this international program?
The JET program was truly a life-changing experience for me! Unlike most JET Program participants today, I was not really a Japanese Studies major and had no real familiarity with the language. My interest in JET came from my earlier experiences teaching English in Mexico and in the U.S. Mexico was the first country I lived in outside of the U.S., and I had a really lovely experience there, so I was especially interested in discovering new and different places. As luck would have it, one of my co-teachers here in D.C. was married to a Japanese Diplomat who was posted at the Embassy of Japan. They strongly encouraged me to apply for JET, and I ended up being accepted and spending four amazing years teaching English to Japanese public school students in Nagasaki.
Spending those four years in Japan gave me the confidence to keep traveling, working, and studying abroad. Without my JET experience, I might not have applied for the Rotary Peace Fellowship or other similar opportunities that followed.
Then, you were selected as one of the prestigious Presidential Management Fellows (PMFs) and worked as an international health analyst. How was that experience?
Yes, that was another interesting experience on my career path. After four years in Japan, I wanted to do something outside of teaching, so I applied to graduate school at George Mason University. I worked on earning an M.S. in Peace Operations in their School of Public Policy, studying abroad in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Israel, and the Palestinian West Bank. I applied for and was fortunate to become a PMF upon graduation. From 2006-10, I worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), focusing on coordinating emergency preparedness and response. That allowed me to gain a new perspective on public service at the Federal government level, helping to coordinate response operations for the terrible 2010 Haiti Earthquake.
Following that, you were a Rotary Peace Fellow! Where were you stationed for this program, and what activities did you participate in?
I was really happy to be awarded the Rotary Peace Fellowship in 2010. I also enjoyed being able to return to Japan several years later in a new capacity. The Rotary Peace Fellowship is a fantastic opportunity to earn one’s master’s degree while studying full-time (with generous full funding throughout the entire degree program)! I earned my M.A. in Peace Studies from the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, which is one of the global Rotary Peace Center partners worldwide. I spent two years on their lovely verdant campus, where I lived as a Resident Assistant and took classes full-time.
Here, I was able to take an additional class at the nearby U.N. University in Shibuya and volunteered to help with the disaster clean-up about six weeks after the terrible earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis of March 2011. I was also quite fortunate to qualify for a second Rotary Peace Fellowship at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, for a certificate program in Peace and Conflict Resolution in the summer of 2017. Both of these valuable educational and cultural experiences really deepened my understanding of conflict dynamics and helped me appreciate the real-world practical application of such theories. I’ve since become an official Rotarian as a new member of the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill here in D.C.
In addition, you’ve participated in many different opportunities related to being an operations officer, helping with the JET program, and even a family services coordinator. Have you enjoyed being able to transition into different roles?
I have really enjoyed my career path, even though it hasn’t really followed a traditional trajectory. While I didn’t have a specific plan, I have always been drawn to working with dedicated people in positions that promote education, humanitarianism, and public service. I have found that having a diverse background and an open mind helps one to transition between roles more quickly and with less startup time. As an example, before my HillVets Fellowship, I was working for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the past two years. My colleagues were quite literally from around the world, and I spent most of the two years based in D.C. but deployed to distinct places like Qatar, Bangladesh, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. While each deployment had its unique challenges, it also had many rewards, as I was able to keep learning and growing with each new team of IOM colleagues I was honored to work alongside. Having different academic and professional fellowships in my career undoubtedly helped me in that regard in terms of increasing familiarity and comfort with diverse working environments, people, and cultures.
And now, you are a HillVets Legislative Fellow! What are you most looking forward to in this fellowship? What are some activities you will take part in?
First and foremost, I’m hoping to learn as much as possible about all the nuts and bolts of legislative procedure. I’m currently attending Committee hearings, adding language to Appropriations bills, meeting with constituents, and researching issues like Veterans Affairs, Immigration, Elections & Voting Rights, and so on. As someone who previously worked in the executive branch, it’s a whole new side of how our federal government works. For me, the greatest and most humbling thing about being a HillVets Fellow is joining such an amazing community of veterans who have answered the call to return to public service in a new capacity. The HillVets organization is a small yet very dynamic team that helps Fellows discover their own journey to serve directly on Capitol Hill. The rigorous selection process helps to ensure that you understand the nature of everything that is required to be successful as an active part of a collaborative Congressional staff team. As someone who has taken an active interest in political science and American government since my high school days, it’s truly a dream come true!
With such an impressive journey and participation in many different fellowships, what advice would you share with others?
Thank you again! It’s a bit hard to give specific advice, as we are all very different people with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, goals, and so on. Finding your own unique pathways based on your own special background and interests is key.
Nonetheless, my biggest advice would be not to sell yourself short! There have been a number of jobs, fellowships, or study abroad opportunities that have not worked out for me. Either they or I were not a good fit, or the timing was off. There have also been jobs, schools, or programs that I applied to but did not get an offer for (and sometimes got no answer at all). While it can be discouraging, my guidance would be not to give up so easily. Even if you don’t get your desired result initially, it can still be good practice in tailoring your CV and cover letter, in practicing your interviews, and in building your research skills as you look more deeply into the school, company, or fellowship to which you are applying.
In conclusion, keep networking, keep learning more, keep attending career-related events, and most of all keep applying for new opportunities! Use these great resource sites like ProFellow and others, which will help you gain even greater insight on all of the interesting possibilities out there. Eventually, you will find what you are looking for, or maybe find something even better that you hadn’t previously imagined.
Want to see more international service fellowships? Create a free ProFellow account and bookmark programs such as the Peace Corps!
Mark is currently serving as a HillVets Fellow in the House of Representatives. He holds U.S. government hiring reinstatement eligibility as a former civil servant. Previously, he was a National Operations Officer with IOM, aiding in the resettlement of Afghan evacuees across the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome. He has also completed short-term refugee resettlement assignments in Qatar, Bangladesh, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. Mark’s diverse experience includes roles as an AmeriCorps VISTA, a two-time Rotary Peace Fellow in Japan and Thailand, a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF), a JET Program teacher, and a U.S. Army Veteran and ROTC scholarship winner. He holds an M.A. in Peace Studies from International Christian University in Tokyo, an M.S. in Public Policy from George Mason University, and a B.A. in Political Science from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at Exeter College, Oxford University.
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