How I Came to the Foreign Service - 1

I am often asked how I found out about a career as a U.S. diplomat and why I decided to pursue it.

I first learned of the Foreign Service about 10 years ago while on a trip to China as part of a cultural exchange program. One of the other participants mentioned looking into working at an embassy, living overseas, learning languages, etc. and the job instantly intrigued me. I must have looked into it at the time, because I remember realizing that I was a bit too young (minimum age is 20).

me (center) in China, circa 1999

I didn’t seriously revisit the idea until about two years ago. My undergraduate work was wrapping up, and I had the urge to continue studying. I found myself steering toward graduate programs in International Affairs. I didn’t know where it would end up (international business, law, teaching abroad, etc.) but knew I wanted to see the world.

I started visiting the Department of State’s website with some regularity, reading through the information and familiarizing myself with the selection process. I found some Foreign Service Officer’s (FSO) blogs and read about their lives. By the end of 2007 I was committed to a course of study (International Affairs at the Bush School of Government – Texas A&M) and eventually a Foreign Service career.

Next post…what motivated me to join the Foreign Service…