Bernardo Diaz (’07) has been named one of 40 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellows for 2011.

Fellows are selected by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to prepare for careers in the United States foreign service corps.

Diaz, who is originally from California but lived for 12 years in El Salvador, will attend The Fletcher School at Tufts University this fall and pursue a Master of Arts and Diplomacy.

During his undergraduate career at Wake Forest he combined an interest in learning business management skills and exploring a multidisciplinary study of Latin America by majoring in business and minoring in Latin America studies. One of his most memorable classes was Human Rights in Latin America taught by Reynolds Professor of Latin American Studies Luis Roniger.

“I am excited to join the Pickering Fellows program and the State Department community,” says Diaz, who traveled extensively while at Wake Forest including volunteering at an orphanage in Moscow and studying at Flow House in Vienna.

“I will be pursuing a management career track that will provide opportunities to lead multilateral nation building efforts, lead programs to develop a multinational workforce, and manage embassy operations,” he adds. “I am particularly interested in opportunities in Latin America.”

According to the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, foreign service officers must have dedication, initiative, integrity, cultural adaptability, ability to communicate well and a thorough intellectual background. The Pickering Fellows program is supported by the U.S. State Department.