“To anyone who is thinking of becoming a Passport Specialist, I would say that no matter what your background is, no matter what your first language is, no matter where you’re from, don’t feel shy about the process or don’t be intimidated about applying to become a Passport Specialist.”

“Being able to have a direct impact on migration, being able to somehow contribute to my community. It’s quite exciting to be here and be doing policy work, but also getting a glimpse of the reality that I made here.”

“I think someone who’s coming into being a Specialist has to be very willing to learn and have to be willing to have a lot of information be given to them at one time. They have to be open to change and be flexible because there is a lot of shifting and changing.”

“One of the most fulfilling aspects of this job is how quickly your turnaround gets over from your development network to production…Every process you streamline, you’re going to see the benefits of that live, and you can measure your improvements right there.”

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve learned interpersonal skills, working with directors, folks from all levels of government, working with people who aren’t inside the government…the different and totally vast opportunities that the Department offers are unparalleled in comparison to other agencies.”

“The people that I work with are just so professional, so well-meaning we’re all drawn together by a collective sense of mission. It may not be identical in the details of how it’s done, but it’s a shared vision for improvement, and encourages me….”

“I would definitely encourage anybody, no matter what age, to definitely look at the State Department… I don’t have the political science or international type background. I studied sociology, business, and Russian.”

“What the Department of State offers is do something for my country… that was the most inviting aspect to it all. It’s very difficult to live in Washington and not be a part of the political scene.I think that once you connect, you begin to understand what Washington is all about….”

“I had the opportunity to talk about my experiences as an American, as somebody who wasn’t born here but grew up here, learned to speak different languages…I think I was able to broaden perspectives of the people that I met who had a very narrow view of what it is to be an American.”