The Foreign Service Journal, March 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2017 45 Foreign Service life. By joining DS, Eversley discovered, he could continue his law enforcement career as a diplomat—the perfect combination for him. A Multiplicity of Skills Given the vast demands of the job, DS agents must come equipped with a variety of skills to be successful. Dur- ing my own tenure with DS, I have often noted, and at times been envious of, the skills that DS agent immi- grants or children of immigrants innately possess. Eversley believes that his experience growing up poor in a developing country is advantageous when working in challenging overseas locations. “Little of what I experienced in Cameroon, Senegal, Nicara- gua, Equatorial Guinea or any other of the develop- ing countries where I served was surprising,” he says. “Having dinner at a Foreign Service National’s home, sitting on a cinder block while holding a plate and having a conversation was not new to me. Walking into a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood while conducting investigations does not make me uncomfortable. I feel camaraderie and kinship with people living in these conditions because I grew up the same way. This makes my work easier because I can gain the trust of those who are likely to provide information that could be beneficial to the embassy.” Strong interpersonal skills are a hallmark of many DS agents, and especially agents with multicultural backgrounds. Poulsen recalls that while he was working in Afghanistan, one of his local contacts was hospitalized. Having spent time gaining The U.S. Consulate Shanghai Dragon Boat Rowing team competes in 2014, Miguel Eversley is the last rower in the top boat.   Miguel Eversley (inset, second from left) as a child in Panama and, in 2006, providing security services to the U.S. Navy at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. COURTESYOFMIGUELEVERSLEY COURTESYOFMIGUELEVERSLEY