Phoebe Gor (’21): Advancing global engagement with the arts

“IWP has walked with me and continues to walk with me every single day.”
-Phoebe Gor (’21)

Originally from Nairobi, Phoebe Gor has a passion for cultural diplomacy and a family that deeply values higher education. When she found that IWP would be a good fit for her academic interest, she moved across continents to Washington, D.C. to pursue her master’s degree.

She has put her education to use in her development work at the Kennedy Center and now at the George Mason University College of Visual and Performing Arts, where she has been working with performers, students, and supporters from all over the world.

A deep appreciation of higher education

Phoebe was born in Nairobi, Kenya to two economics professors who instilled an appreciation for education in her from an early age.

She watched her mother travel to the U.S. to earn her MPA from Columbia University. Phoebe accompanied her mother on trips to the U.S. and to her graduation.  This opened up the world to Phoebe, and she followed in the same footsteps when she started her journey in higher education. She also emulated her two uncles, who earned their master’s degrees in the U.S., proudly carrying on the legacy of her grandfather, Mwalimu (which means “teacher” in Swahili) Joseph Ombam.

After studying foreign policy and national security at the United States International University in Africa, Phoebe was ready to study abroad. She began by studying cultural and public diplomacy with the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) in Germany.

Public diplomacy was Phoebe’s interest, and she knew she wanted to dig deeper into this topic.

Studying cultural diplomacy in Washington, D.C.

When looking at graduate schools that emphasized public diplomacy, Phoebe found IWP. The recruitment team walked her through the application process, and soon she was on a plane, ready to begin her M.A. in Statecraft and International Affairs.

Moving from Nairobi to D.C. was no easy feat. She landed on a Sunday, and her first class was on Monday. She was so jetlagged that her professor told her she was welcome to go home and sleep! She didn’t.

It was also lonely at first to move to a brand-new international city. But, Phoebe said, “I had a lot of support from the faculty, other students, and the Student Government Association. I met really great people at IWP, and I found my own little family in the Marlatt Mansion.”

She feels that she learned much from her fellow students, many of whom are now her friends.

In her classes, she focused on public diplomacy and learned how it can be integrated with the other arts of statecraft. She said, “IWP opens your eyes to your own knowledge and shows you the world from several perspectives. National security, international relations, and intelligence are all different but related. Coming to IWP gives you all these different lenses to look at a given issue, so you have a bigger perspective of the world. You learn how to think outside of the box.”

Cultural diplomacy in action

After graduation, Phoebe raised funds for refugees from the Congo and Kabul. It was a crucial time for this work because the U.S. had just evacuated out of Afghanistan.

“The IWP education helped me understand how to relate to refugees and their plight,” said Phoebe. “My classes with Dr. Chodakiewicz gave me a deeper understanding of the impact of war, how it shapes a country’s culture, and how refugees perceive different things.”

Because of her passion for cultural diplomacy, Phoebe eventually transitioned to a position as a major gifts officer at the prestigious Kennedy Center. There, she worked with international and local artists, embassies in Washington, D.C., and supporters from around the globe.

This year, Phoebe joined the George Mason College of Visual and Performing Arts as an Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts. “I take the time to make sure our patrons and supporters understand the impact of what we are doing: preparing the next generation of artists who will influence how society is moving.”

In her fundraising roles, Phoebe has used her IWP education. She said, “I have to connect with people from all walks of life. The study of cultural diplomacy involves knowing how to convey your message to all people.”

Her IWP education has equipped Phoebe with cultural knowledge that enhances her interactions with performers and supporters from different countries. Phoebe can understand others’ perspectives and make them comfortable: “I am quickly able to draw a connection with people who are very different.”

As a part of the Development Team at the Kennedy Center, Phoebe fundraised for the Family Holiday Opera, the Jungle Book – which included a prominent Southeast Asian dance troupe, showcasing their culture and dance, through Opera. She also got a chance to meet renowned actor Laurence Fishburne at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors.

Phoebe works with faculty, staff, and students of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, primarily focused on fundraising for the School of Dance, Theatre, Film, and Music, in addition to the very necessary renovation project that is underway for GMU’s Center for the Arts, which is one of the University’s premier performance venues, welcoming both local and international artists, further fostering community, and sharing all art forms within Fairfax County and beyond.

“There is such diversity among the students at George Mason and the surrounding community,” said Phoebe.

Notably, this fall, Indonesia’s Papermoon Puppet Theatre is going to be a part of Mason’s Artists-in-Residence and is on tour in the USA as part of Center Stage, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government. It is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations.

Phoebe feels that her work is very meaningful. She enjoys seeing the George Mason students nurture their talents and become performers.

“We have to preserve certain art forms; otherwise, they will go extinct,” said Phoebe. “To see students preserving a part of history that aligns closely with them makes me do my job with even more passion. I’m impacting the future.”