Michael Cruz
International Affairs: Comparative and Regional St (MA)
Degrees
Masters of Arts
Internships Currently/Previously Held
U.S. Embassy in Rome, Publicy Diplomacy Section
Favorite Spot on Campus
Lincoln Memorial
Bio
Michael Cruz is a New York City native of Puerto Rican descent from the historically poorest congressional district in the United States. After graduating from Hostos Community College in his native Bronx, he studied Political Science and minored in Public Policy at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York (CCNY). At CCNY, Michael was also a Skadden Arps Scholar in the Legal Studies Honors Program. Michael studied abroad in Brazil, South Korea, and participated in a service-learning project in urban farming in the Dominican Republic.
He is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having served in Peru, where he worked in Youth Development. Michael continued his career in public service by working both at AmeriCorps and Peace Corps headquarters. As a U.S. State Department 2022 Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellow, Michael completed a congressional internship in the Office of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, where he worked on issues affecting Puerto Rico in his portfolio. Most recently, as a Public Affairs Fellow, he interned at the U.S. Embassy to Italy in Rome in the Public Diplomacy section in the summer of 2023. At American University's School of International Service (SIS), Michael is currently enrolled in the Comparative Regional Studies program with a primary focus on Latin America and a secondary focus on Eurasia. Michael has also been nominated to participate in the SIS – University for Peace Semester exchange program, a United Nations institution based in Costa Rica for the Spring 2024 semester. As a future diplomat, he plans to focus his career in the area of public diplomacy.
