Ahmed Shama

Ahmed Shama was raised in Queens, New York, and holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from SUNY New Paltz and a master's degree in international relations and security from Georgetown University. Before entering university, Ahmed served as an enlisted U.S. Marine, reaching the rank of sergeant and serving in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006-2007. Ahmed currently serves as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer for the Department of State. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency of the U.S. government.