Where Are They Now?
A journey through the Fellowship, international trade, community, and the next chapter in law:
Where Alexandra Kaiss Landed
Some alumni send a nice LinkedIn update once a year. Alexandra Kaiss just kept showing up.
She joined WTCI’s inaugural Albrecht High School Fellowship cohort in 2019, came back for the College Fellowship in 2021, and has stayed close to the program ever since — as an intern, a guest speaker, and now, as a case study in what happens when you actually take the “global leadership” part seriously.
Then
A High Schooler with a Narrow Definition of “Global Career”
Before Alexandra discovered the Albrecht Fellowship, her idea of a career in international affairs began and ended with government or diplomacy. She didn’t know about trade law, let alone that she’d end up building a career in it.
Now
Trade Specialist, Almost-Lawyer, Full-Time Overachiever
That narrow view didn’t last.
Alexandra most recently worked as a Senior International Trade Specialist at a trade law firm in Washington, D.C., handling antidumping and countervailing duty cases. Next month, she trades that title for a new one, starting her J.D. at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
After first squeezing in some travel, a few personal trade projects, and a long-overdue reading list, Alexandra says she’s ready to get things moving.
“It’s been a great transition period. I had the opportunity to present a co-authored report at the World Trade Organization.”
The journey so far
2019
Inaugural Albrecht High School Fellowship cohort
2021
Returned for the Albrecht College Fellowship
College
WTCI intern and continuing member of the community
Trade
Senior International Trade Specialist in Washington, D.C.
Next
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
PERSPECTIVE
The Perspective Shift Nobody Warns You About
Back in high school, Alexandra figured international affairs meant one of two things: government or diplomacy.
The Albrecht College Fellowship blew that theory up, introducing her to private-sector leaders, nonprofit strategists, and public servants all working the same global problems from wildly different angles.
“It wasn’t one single speaker or site visit—it was seeing the range of careers people had built around international issues. I realized I wanted to work in a field where I could spend my days thinking through complex policy questions while also seeing the real-world impact of that work.”
Skill
The Skill She Didn’t Want, But Needed
Ask Alexandra what she got the most out of, and it’s not the flashy answer. It’s the public speaking workshop.
By her own admission, it’s the hardest part of the Fellowship. It’s also the one that’s become the most beneficial for her journey, underpinning a career built on presenting to rooms full of people, and eventually bringing her full circle to speak at an Albrecht Fellowship graduation herself.
“The Fellowship taught me to look beyond the policy itself and think about the people and communities on the other end of it, and that’s a perspective I’ll continue to bring with me into law school and throughout my career.”
Community
The Community That Never Signed Off
For Alexandra, WTCI never became just a line on a résumé. She was a WTCI intern during college, stayed in touch with staff, and still hears from Nina [Bankova] and Daniel [Khoshkepazi] about events and speaking opportunities years later.
“I had mentors I could ask for advice, alumni who had been in my shoes, and an organization that genuinely wanted to see me succeed. Having that support system made a big difference during those first few years and opened the door to so many opportunities.
The Albrecht Fellowship is more than a program — it’s a community that’s continued to support me through every stage of my education and career.”
Her Advice
Don’t Hesitate
Alexandra’s pitch to future Fellows, whatever field they’re in: you don’t need to be pre-law or pre-diplomacy. Engineering, medicine, business, or even something that doesn’t have a major yet.
“The Fellowship helps you think beyond your own field and understand how global issues connect to almost every career. That’s a perspective that’s hard to get anywhere else.”