“If you’re intrigued by foreign cultures, if you find that when you travel you really get a kick out of it, and you’re kind of the type who likes to go in the back alleys and see what people are really doing beyond the tourist resorts, look at the Foreign Service because that’s kind of what we do.”
“This is a very educational and challenging experience for me. It definitely gets me out of my comfort zone as well as gives me the opportunity to serve my country. I don’t have to worry about staying in a cube 24/7. There’s always something exciting going on.”
“I went into the middle of what seemed to be thousands of people with cameras clicking, tape recorders whirring, people with pen and pencils, just flying, and a million questions at the same time. And I just thought, okay, this is a situation where I can really make or break, and I thought this is where being a Foreign Service officer really makes such a difference, and that you can be cast into situations where you never would have expected to be in the middle of.”
“It’s a sense of adventure, and the sense of obligation and pride for the country that accepted my parents. I always thought I would join the Foreign Service, do it for a couple of years, and then move on. And after a couple of years, it was infectious. I didn’t want to leave.”