TALLAHASSEE,Fla. – It comes as no surprise that Florida A&M University (FAMU) Student Government Association Vice President Calvin Hayes was one of 20 students awarded an internship with the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program for this summer.

This program adds to Hayes’ internships and experiences, which may help him reach his ultimate goal — to serve as a foreign diplomat for the United States.

Hayes, 22, a senior public relations student from Orlando, Fla., will journey to Washington D.C. to study political economy, the history of U.S. foreign relations and writing at Howard University. The Rangel Scholars program not only pays for the interns’ tuition, but they will receive free room and board, along with a $3,500 stipend.

“I heard about the Rangel Scholars through a great man on this campus who is a former diplomatic residence, Roberto Powers, during my freshman year,” said Hayes. “I went to the Office of International Education just to learn about how to travel abroad and how to engage in different research opportunities overseas. He recognized that I had a deep passion for international relations. He put all the programs on the table that were offered to students who had the interest I have, and Rangel Scholars stood out the most.”

Each year, 20 students who display a strong interest in foreign affairs are selected from hundreds of applicants. This year, the program received an overwhelming amount of applicants.

The Rangel Scholars will also offer students the opportunity to visit and work at the Pentagon, the State Department, World Bank, NationalForeign Affairs Training Center, United Nations and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Interns are required to be in good academic standing with the university, hold at least a 3.2 grade point average and have some prior international experience. They also must make a commitment to international relations advocating on behalf of the United States on an international platform.

Hayes is the former president of the FAMU chapter of the NAACP. Currently, he sits on the national e-board committee overseeing the Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama chapters.

He was voted freshman and sophomore Senator of the Year. He received the 2009 Most Influential Student, 2010 Campus Leader of the Year and the Valuable Leadership Award. The School of Journalism and Graphic Communication recently awarded Hayes for having the best public relations blog.

Last summer, Hayes interned in Africa with the U.S. Embassy. He also has had previous internships that allowed him to travel to Israel, Italy, Belgium andFrance.

As a student leader and minister, Hayes is thankful for the opportunities he attained while attending FAMU and plans to inspire his colleagues while leading by example.

“You can’t lead where you don’t go and you can’t teach what you don’t know, and in order to get something you never had, you have to do something you never done,” Hayes said. “Which means taking on a cause that is greater than yourself in order to effectuate positive change in leadership throughout the world.”