Sienna Goldberg

Sienna Goldberg

International Relations

Sienna Goldberg
She is a 12th grade student from Capital High School who is interested in working on an international relations research.


Sienna aspires to a career as a foreign diplomat or with the United Nations. To support her ambitions, she is an active member of her school’s Mock Trial club and a leader in student government. She also serves as the campus captain for a statewide voter registration initiative and gained valuable experience interning at the DACOR-Bacon House in Washington, DC.


University admission result

★ Claremont McKenna College


Learning objectives

  • Develop the ability to conduct thorough academic research, identify credible resources, and analyze international agreements like the IHR.
  • Create a well-structured and evidence-based thesis to guide the research process.
  • Interpret legal and international documents, evaluate key provisions of the IHR, and identify shortcomings in international cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Practice articulating ideas, asking questions, and engaging in discussions during mentorship sessions.


What challenges did she face?

  • Sienna chose a complex and timely topic that typically involves analysis at the graduate or law school level.
  • Additionally, early drafts of her paper had issues with appropriate academic citations, which she quickly corrected after feedback.


How did our program help her?

  • The mentorship program provided Sienna with guidance on structuring and refining her research paper while offering feedback to enhance her understanding of the subject. It helped her develop skills in creating defensible arguments, improving citation practices, and incorporating instructor feedback.
  • The program also encouraged her intellectual curiosity and determination, ultimately leading to a published paper that exceeded expectations​.


Matched Professor

The mentor is a Professor of International Relations at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a Professor of Law at University of Washington. She has experience both as an in-house legal and health policy adviser and as a consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO).

“She is terribly bright, driven, undaunted by intellectual and personal challenges, creative, kind and thoughtful. She exhibits greater leadership qualities than I see in many graduate students at top universities.“

Mentor from JHU & UW

Excerpts from student’s work

Excerpts from student’s final research paper which is now published on Exploratio, examining The Short- and Long-Term Shortcomings of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Exposed by COVID-19