Natalia Simmons-Thomas

2024 McHenry Fellow

Natalia Simmons-Thomas is pursuing a Master’s in Security Studies with a concentration in Intelligence at the Walsh School of Foreign Service. Natalia graduated from The George Washington University in 2019 with a Dual-degree in International Affairs and Chinese Language & Literature. In 2017, she received the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship and completed an intensive language program in Xi’an, China. Presently, Natalia is a senior consultant and open-source analyst at Guidehouse and has been a Chinese linguist for over four years, specializing in the analysis and translation of Chinese language sources including corporate records, Chinese military journals, manuals, and various open-source materials. Previously, Natalia worked at RAND Corporation where she conducted Chinese language research and analysis on Asia-specific security topics for government sponsors. Beyond her official capacity, Natalia is on the board of Black China Caucus, a start-up initiative designed to advance and develop black professionals who focus on China.