The Foreign Service Journal, March 2017

44 MARCH 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL mates opened the first Chinese restaurant in midtown Manhat- tan. It was he who petitioned for his grandson to leave Shanghai and immigrate to the United States. On May 4, 1983, Gu and his family started their new life in a small studio apartment in Elmhurst, New York. Gu still remembers how astonished he was back then by the abundance and choice offered in American grocery stores. In China, staples such as oil, salt and cooking oil were rationed, and eggs were only consumed on special occa- sions. Gu wasn’t accustomed to escalators, indoor plumbing or the luxury of hot tap water, either. Pete Kapoukakis is the child of Greek immigrants. His father was a barber in Athens before he and his wife decided to journey to America to open their own business in the late 1960s. Neither of his parents spoke any English, nor did they have much money. They understood they would face significant obstacles, but were not deterred. They worked long hours and, eventually, their per- severance paid off. “They learned English, saved enough money to start a business, bought a house, had kids, sent them to col- lege, helped plan two weddings, had grandkids and eventually retired to Florida—pretty much the American dream,” Kapouka- kis recalls in an interview with the author. Diverse Paths to DS Agents from all backgrounds have amazing stories to tell about their pathway to joining DS, but for immigrants, or chil- dren of immigrants, the stories are especially remarkable. Christian Poulsen, born and raised in Denmark, was work- ing at U.S. Embassy The Hague as an independent contractor. Intended to last three weeks, the assignment was converted into a programmanager position that lasted two years. Poulsen’s DS colleagues noted his exceptional performance and strongly encouraged him to join DS. Poulsen discovered that in order to apply, he would need to acquire his undergraduate degree and convert his U.S. permanent residency into U.S. citizenship. Given the age restriction of 37 for applicants, Poulsen had just 2.5 years to accomplish these tasks. During that time, he earned a degree (with honors), became a U.S. citizen, applied to DS and was hired. It was all worth it, Poulsen says, because his DS career offers him opportunities to “be a force for high safety and security standards for fellow Americans abroad.” He views DS as a “unique and incomparable agency,” where opportunities for personal and professional growth, meaningful impact and challenge are widely available. In 1982, at the age of 19, Miguel Eversley emigrated from Panama to New York City and became a U.S. citizen six years later while serving in the U.S. Army. After fulfilling his obligation to the military, Eversley wanted to continue in public service; he joined the Washington, D.C., police department. While respond- ing to a violent robbery, he encountered an Hispanic couple traumatized by the event. Eversley immediately switched to his native tongue, Spanish, which reassured and calmed them. Afterward, to express their gratitude, the couple invited Ever- sley to their home for dinner. It was there that he met Foreign Service Officer Daniel Santos Jr., who happened to be the son of a famous Puerto Rican balladeer adored by the Eversley family. Santos described his career and sparked Eversley’s interest in Christian Poulsen (seated at right) eats lunch with colleagues at one of the Afghan Public Protection Force regional training centers in Afghanistan.   COURTESYOFCHRISTIANPOULSEN Wayne and Alicia May, and Emma MacNamara, the ambassador’s wife, pick up Brianna May from FANA (the Spanish acronym for the Foundation for the Assistance of Abandoned Children) Orphanage in Colombia on her adoption day. COURTESYOFBRIANNAMAY