The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is proud to recognize alumna Abby DiFrancesco ’16 with the 2026 Young Alumnus Award. As a volunteer, Abby has supported TFAS for a remarkable 10 years and has consistently demonstrated excellence, both in her service to TFAS and in her accomplished career.
Abby began her TFAS Journey as a student in the Washington, D.C., Summer Academic Internship Program in 2016, as a political science major with minors in business administration and French at the University of South Carolina.
I’m so honored to receive this award because I have so much to thank TFAS for throughout my personal and professional career. It has truly been an ever-present support system for both my life and my husband’s life, so thank you all.” — Abby DiFrancesco ’16
Shane Goldsmith Mazzella, TFAS Vice President of Collegiate Programs + Alumni Engagement, presented the award to Abby at TFAS’s D.C. Academic Internship Programs Welcome Ceremony at George Mason University.
“We are proud to honor Abby for both her professional achievements as well as her active involvement with TFAS students,” Mazzella said. “She is an amazing role model for TFAS students. She’s everything you want to honor in a young alumna: endlessly kind, ever poised, and always dedicated to the mission of educating young leaders.”
Abby currently serves as the deputy director of national programs and partnerships at the National Constitution Center (NCC), a nonprofit organization and America’s leading platform for nonpartisan education and debate regarding the U.S. Constitution. In this role, she manages organizational partnerships, grows the center’s national reach, develops co-hosted convenings, and identifies and manages new joint venture projects. The NCC’s promotion of the Constitution is particularly significant as America marks its momentous 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding this summer.
She participated in the Public Policy + Economics program track and was a TFAS Board of Regents scholar. At the end of her summer, she received the Outstanding Student Award for her positive contributions to the program. She returned to TFAS in 2018 as a program advisor for the same program track, helping support students throughout their summer experience.
Abby’s experience at TFAS led her to a career in fundraising at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). She served in several development roles throughout her tenure of more than four years, culminating as the assistant director of development. Throughout her time at AEI, she managed a portfolio of current and prospective foundation and corporate donors.
In her current position at NCC, Abby organizes private tours and briefings for TFAS students, a key component of TFAS’s spring Washington Fellows’ trip to Philadelphia.
Abby diligently continues to serve TFAS year after year as a one-on-one mentor to TFAS students, in addition to being a regular discussion leader at TFAS’s alumni roundtables and small group discussion events, where she shares advice, wisdom and direction with students to inspire them and support their growth in D.C. and beyond.
Abby also met her husband, Pat DiFrancesco ’13, through TFAS Alumni Network events. He is also involved in and continues to give back to TFAS. Pat received the Kevin Burket Alumni Service Award in 2025 for his dedication and service to TFAS students.
“TFAS has truly felt like a thread throughout my life,” Abby said. “I’m so honored to receive this award because I have so much to thank TFAS for throughout my personal and professional career. It has truly been an ever-present support system for both my life and my husband’s life, so thank you all.”
TFAS expresses earnest gratitude to Abby for her decade of service to TFAS, consistent dedication to its mission, and steadfast support for its students.
Since 2003, TFAS has honored exceptional alumni with Alumni Awards that recognize significant achievement and commend service to both TFAS and the world. The Young Alumnus Award is presented to outstanding alumni under 30 with notable achievements or commitment to TFAS. Recipients are nominated by alumni, faculty, or staff and are selected by TFAS’s Alumni Engagement Committee.
The Young Alumnus Award is the first of four TFAS Alumni Awards to be awarded in 2026. The other award categories include the Kevin Burket Service Award, which recognizes significant TFAS service, and the Alumni Achievement Award, which celebrates professional excellence.
Learn more about the 2026 TFAS Alumni Award winners here.