Daniel Hila from CCNY's Class of 2020 continues his education this fall on a Fulbright Scholarship to Israel.
Daniel Hila, a member of The City College of New York’s Class of 2020, is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in security and diplomacy at Tel Aviv University in Israel. The program is scheduled to run from Oct. 2020 to Aug. 2021.
Hila is graduating from City College’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership with a BA in political science. He took several graduate-level classes in the school’s MA program in international relations on nuclear security and non-proliferation; the UN and the practice of diplomacy, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
His undergraduate experience included numerous internships, including three stints at the Kosovo Consulate – in both the diplomatic and consular sectors – in Manhattan.
“I first interned there fall of 2017 and helped through the 72nd United National General Assembly,” said the Yonkers resident. “I went back again for the week of the 73rd UN general assembly in 2018 and then interned again through summer of 2019, so I’ve been heavily involved with them throughout the years. It’s been an excellent way to serve the Albanian-American community I am a part of.”
Hila also participated in the 74th UN general assembly last fall as an intern with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). A highlight of that experience was seeing most world leaders give their annual remarks to the UN.
In addition to the Fulbright, a highly competitive national award, Hila’s other honors include the S Jay Levy Fellowship for Future Leaders and the two-year Colin Powell Fellowship in Leadership and Public Service.
He thanked his Colin Powell School mentors Rajan Menon, Carlo Invernizzi Accetti, Jean Krasno, and Diana Greenwald for his success, and expressed gratitude to Jennifer C. Lutton, CCNY’s National Scholarships Coordinator.
About the Fulbright Scholar Program
Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program's purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. Fulbright Scholars are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.
About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.2% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.