Kayla Barral

Nestled just south of the Canadian border lies the quaint town of Flaxton, North Dakota. With a population of 61, the town was founded and named after its predominant crop, flax, in 1900.

It’s also the little town that Kayla Barral calls home.

Growing up in this small town, Kayla enjoyed the connections she formed through her school years.

“I really enjoyed how focused they were on you and that you could try anything you wanted,” she says. “They would help you and every teacher knew your name.”

And when it was time to start thinking about college, Kayla sought a university that would offer the same sense of community and support. And she found exactly what she was looking for at UND. 

Originally from Texas, Kayla and her family moved north during the oil boom in 2012. With family ties to Switzerland and Brazil, she knew from a young age that she wanted a career in which she could explore the world beyond the borders of her tiny town. 

“I am able to be the eye in the sky to support the troops on the ground,” she said.

Motivated by her ambition to immerse herself in diverse cultures, Kayla made the decision to double major in Global Studies and Political Science. She saw this as a crucial step in acquiring the expertise necessary to pursue her aspirations of becoming a public servant.

“I wanted to better my connection to other cultures and put myself into these diverse situations,” she says.

Through her studies at UND, Kayla has cultivated strong connections with various faculty members across her fields of study. “They’re really helpful. They care and they remember your name,” she says.

“You mean something; you’re not just a number. And they’ve been supportive in looking for scholarships and internships.” 

If I keep my fervent determination, I think after UND, I’ll be where I want to be.

This support paved the way for Kayla to apply for the Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellowship for Emerging Leaders, a prestigious training program designed to broaden awareness and access to foreign service careers for students.

Out of numerous applicants, Kayla was one of 20 students selected to participate in the 2024 program in Washington, D.C. 

“They’re really focused on working with emerging leaders from underrepresented communities and they want to help give them a voice and a network so that their futures could be smoother,” Kayla explains. 

The Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellowship is just the beginning of her journey as she works toward graduation and her dream of joining the Department of State. 

Reflecting on her college experience so far, Kayla explains that UND has played a pivotal role in bringing her goal within reach. “The coursework itself works with what you want to do. With Global Studies, you’re talking about studying the whole entire world, there are so many paths you can take.

UND does a great job catering to your interests and what you want to pursue, rather than forcing what they think you should do. You get the experience you want.”  

Kayla continues to work toward her dream career in the Department of State and has applied for two internships run by the Department of State’s Virtual Student Federal Service program. She was recently accepted into one of them. “If I keep my fervent determination, I think after UND, I’ll be where I want to be,” she says.