Fikir Zelalem is a first-year M.A. student at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs in International Development Studies. Fikir is concentrating on agriculture, food security, and economic development with a regional focus in the sub-Saharan African region. Fikir's research is focused on the role extension programs play to ensure women's participation in the agricultural sector. She has a B.A. in International Studies with a concentration in International Social Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University. Fikir was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is fluent in Amharic and speaks intermediate French.