Biography

Jessica Pickering is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree from the Homeland Security Studies program within Tulane University’s School of Professional Advancement. She earned her BA in International Relations, focusing on foreign policy, diplomacy, peace, and security, from the University of Washington in Seattle.

After completing her undergraduate studies, she worked for a state-owned enterprise in her home country of New Zealand. She then served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea, West Africa until the COVID-19 pandemic caused her evacuation. Once she returned home to Seattle, she enrolled at Tulane and has spent her first academic year as a graduate student adjusting to and learning to navigate online distance learning.

Jessica is passionate about international security, foreign policy, and intelligence, and has a strong affinity for West Africa regional studies and the French language. She is an avid dog lover and enjoys spending her free time hiking with her Guinean dog, Kumi, who she brought back to the U.S. after her Peace Corps service.