Grace Faerber

Grace Faerber graduated from the University of Arizona Honors College, College of Humanities,
and College of Social and Behavior Sciences in May 2020. Grace studied East Asian Studies and
Global Studies with a focus on China, Mandarin Chinese, and International Relations. Grace’s
interest in the Chinese language began in sixth grade, when she started taking Chinese language
courses through an International Baccalaureate (IB) program in Mesa, Arizona. Grace enjoyed
studying the language and learning about China, so she took additional language classes on the
weekends and in the summers during high school. While at the University of Arizona, Grace
studied abroad in Hangzhou, China through the East Asian Studies Department, with support
from scholarships from the Honors College.

Through a course on US-China Relations at the University of Arizona, Grace was inspired to
combine her interest in China with her curiosity about international relations. To explore careers
in this area, Grace spent a summer during college in Washington, DC through the Washington
Semester Program at American University, taking a course on international relations and interning
at the US Agency for International Development and the office of Senator Kyrsten Sinema at the
Capitol. Grace’s summer solidified her desire to return to DC for her career.

After graduating from the University of Arizona, Grace was accepted to the Hopkins-Nanjing
Center, a master’s program conducted in Mandarin Chinese instructed by professors at Johns
Hopkins University and Nanjing University. Although the program traditionally takes place in
Nanjing, China, due to the pandemic, Grace did not have the opportunity to travel to China.
However, by receiving the US Defense Department Boren Fellowship, Grace was able to conduct
a year of her master’s studies from Taipei, Taiwan instead. While in Taiwan, Grace also took
courses at National Taiwan University and interned at the American Chamber of Commerce in
Taiwan.

Grace currently lives in the Washington, DC area and works as a China Analyst for SOSi Exovera,
which completes contracts for the U.S. Defense Department and other government agencies. In
her work, Grace uses her Chinese skills to conduct research and analysis on China’s military and
authors reports to inform the US government.

Grace has maintained her connection to the University of Arizona while living in DC through her
involvement with the DC alumni chapter called Capitol Cats. Each month, she plans and hosts a
happy hour for Arizona alumni in the DC area. Grace is also a member of the Recent Alumni
Advisory Council. She is excited to continue to give back to the university and the Franke Honors
College through her membership on this board.