I came to quickly appreciate this style of learning as it motivated me to always be prepared and attentive.”

When Brittany Partridge came to Washington, D.C. to attend the Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems (ICPES) she was immediately put into a new and challenging environment.  According to Partridge, before TFAS she had limited exposure to the Socratic method and engaging in regular discussions with fellow students.

“I came to quickly appreciate this style of learning as it motivated me to always be prepared and attentive,” said Partridge. “Particularly in my U.S. foreign policy class where I learned about U.S. diplomacy, I felt consistently challenged to think critically and sharpen my decision-making abilities.”

Partridge was able to attend ICPES thanks to the generous scholarship support provided by the Dodge Jones Foundation in Abilene, Texas. During her time at ICPES, Partridge interned as a development fellow at Polaris Project, an organization that fights all forms of human trafficking and serves victims of slavery and human trafficking. As part of her fellowship, Partridge went through more than 60 hours of intense training on human trafficking and professional development. According to Partridge, she and her fellow interns had incredibly substantive assignments.

“On a personal level, my supervisor and the rest of the staff deeply invested in the fellows, offering brown-bag sessions, meeting with us one-on-one, and allowing us to attend related events in the D.C. area,” said Partridge.

After ICPES, Partridge completed her undergraduate degree in political science from Abilene Christian University in Texas and went on to serve as the executive director of the Red Thread Movement, an initiative she co-founded with her college roommate in partnership with Eternal Threads to combat human trafficking.

Today she is focused on organizational development and management, and working to raise awareness and funds to combat human trafficking. “To date, more than 70,000 bracelets made by Nepalese women and girls have been sold to support prevention and protection work being done in Nepal,” said Partridge.

As executive director of Red Thread Movement, Partridge travels to universities across the country speaking about human trafficking. She also lends her services and time abroad. “I have spent the past three months volunteering at a youth hostel in one of the red-light districts in Amsterdam and the month of April interning in Bosnia-Herzegovina under one of the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Heroes,” said Partridge.

This summer, Partridge will be interning in Washington, D.C. and participating as a Truman Scholar in the Foundation’s Summer Institute. As a Marshall Scholar, she will begin graduate work in international public policy at University College London this fall.

Partridge is a native of Minnesota, where her family still lives. She enjoys running, hockey, cooking and eating exotic foods from around the world.