Building Community that Forges Lasting Connections at Fletcher

During his undergraduate years, Paolo Caglioti, F25 taught in France and was a Fulbright Scholar in Cameroon. Seeing his interest in global affairs, Caglioti’s college counselor encouraged him to apply to be a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellow. Caglioti took that advice and is now attending Fletcher. Later, he will commit to five years in the diplomatic corps.

When Caglioti was considering Fletcher, what stood out to him was how the alumni and students he spoke with talked about the school.

“It was the excitement, energy and warmth when they were talking about Fletcher that really stood out to me,” said Caglioti.

Today, he is a significant part of building the community and culture of Fletcher.

You Can Be a Part of Creating Meaningful Experiences for Fellow Students

Caglioti was the 2024 student Convocation speaker and shared his love of Fletcher with incoming students.

“My message to them was that you can make the experience you want at Fletcher and that this school will give you the grace to find your footing, be a part of creating meaningful experiences for other students and take leadership roles,” he said.

Working with student-led organizations has been a hands-on learning experience for him.

“When I was interning at the State Department, I saw how the experience I gained working in student-led organizations, like organizing conferences, operating on a limited budget and having to change everything on the fly, were skills that have prepared me for my career,” said Caglioti.

“This is the result of Fletcher empowering students to take charge, pick up the mantle and lead things. If you want to run a conference or start a club, do it and your fellow students will support you," he said. 

Having Fun and Creating Lasting Relationships Through Clubs and Activities

Caglioti enjoys the sense of community among Fletcher students, which is enriched by student clubs and extracurricular activities, and he contributes to it, whether competing on the soccer pitch with the Fletcher Futbol team or playing in a Fletcher band.

“What’s most enjoyable about these activities is that they bring together people who might not have interacted before,” he said. “It’s so much fun and a great way to build relationships with people and to know that ten years from now, when we are working in the world, we can say, ‘We played soccer together, and look at us now, we are working on this issue together.’”

This cultural focus on community building and creating lasting connections at Fletcher is reinforced for Caglioti when he speaks to people attending other schools.

“What I’ve heard from friends at other institutions makes me realize that what’s particular about Fletcher is that there are a lot of traditions, clubs and groups that allow you to build relationships that you know will last a long time," he said. 

Faculty Are Part of the Close-Knit Community Too

Caglioti enjoys the ability to create meaningful relationships with faculty, as well.

“There’s accessibility with the faculty, which surprised me given their caliber and high profile in global affairs,” said Caglioti. “For instance, I stopped by the law faculty office to say hello to the team and popped my head into Professor Chidi’s office. He welcomed me in, and we talked for an hour about politics and shared stories about our families. He’s a brilliant, internationally respected lawyer whom so many people would want a minute of his time, and here I was, a student, having a thoughtful and casual conversation with him.”

Fletcher on the Tufts Campus Allows All to Be Present and Build Community

Caglioti believes that Fletcher’s location on the Tufts University campus just outside of Boston helps build these strong bonds among students and with faculty.

“The reason why the community and traditions are so strong at Fletcher is because this setting brings us together and allows the faculty, administrators and students to all be present and working together,” said Caglioti. “You are building a sustained community and relationships over two years by virtue of the fact that you’re all in the same place, and this means that years from now, you can call upon people around the world to help you with the work you are doing."

Read more about Fletcher’s Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy degree program.