The Foreign Service Journal, April 2008

A P R I L 2 0 0 8 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 55 A F S A N E W S HONORING THE STUDY OF HARD LANGUAGES AFSA Announces Sinclaire Language Award Winners BY BARBARA BERGER, PROFESSIONAL ISSUES COORDINATOR P roficiency in foreign languages is one of themost valuable skills in today’s Foreign Service. AFSA’s Sinclaire Language Awards program honors lan- guage students for outstanding accom- plishments in the studyof “hard” languages and their associated cultures. Candidates are nominated by the lan- guage-training supervisors at theNational ForeignAffairsTrainingCenter’s School of Languages or by the instructors at desig- nated field schools. They are selected by a committee composed of volunteer AFSA members, includingone fromtheGovern- ingBoardwho serves as chairman, and the AFSA coordinator for professional issues. Each winner receives a check for $1,000 fromtheMatildaW. SinclaireEndowment and a certificate of recognition. In an unusual move, the committee decided to award one of this year’s recip- ients, Drew Schufletowski, an additional $500 in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishment. He is the only foreign- language student of Polish to achieve out- standing successwhile enrolled solely as an online student for three semesters. During his testing, Schufletowski received a score of 4 in speaking and a 4 in reading (on a 1-to-5 scale). And he achieved this while working full-timewith theU.S.mission to the U.N. in New York. AFSA received a record number of nominations in2007, referring a total of 21 to the committee. The languages includ- edChinese,Japanese,Dari,Farsi,Hungarian, Polish, Lithuanian and Ukrainian. AFSA congratulates the 16 winners of this year’s Sinclaire Language Awards and commends the School of Language Studies for its dedication in preparing students of hard languages for the intense challenges of modern diplomacy. This year’s winners are: Kelly Adams-Smith Bulgarian Mark Thornburg Chinese-Mandarin Eric Barboriak Chinese-Mandarin Bulkin Carleton Dari Ethan Chorin Farsi Jeffrey Hovenier Greek Carol Kalin Greek Berenice Mariscal Greek Robert Mearkle Hungarian Edward Kwok Hee Dong Japanese Jean E. Akers Khmer Rona Rathod Lithuanian Worth Anderson Polish Drew Schufletowski Polish Christine P. Jackson Tagalog Viktor Karabin Ukrainian A FSAPresident JohnNaland recent- lymetwithmembers of the Foreign ServiceRetireeAssociationof Florida inSarasota, aswell aswith retirees inAustin and Houston, Texas. At a statewide retiree luncheon in Sarasota on Jan. 26, attended by some 180 retirees, Naland highlighted the extreme challenges currently facing the Foreign Service in Iraq aswell as other issues affect- ing U.S. diplomacy. He also presented AFSA’s prestigious Retiree Service Award to outgoing Florida Retiree Association Director Paul Byrnes, who has skillfully guided and enhanced the association over the past decade. Nalandalsosat for interviews, alongwith incoming Florida Retiree Association DirectorAmbassadorKennethHill, oncur- rent global perspectives on U.S. diploma- cy. Thesewere carriedona leading region- al radio talk showaswell as by the Sarasota Times. On Feb. 7, Naland engaged in a lively luncheondiscussionwith some 40 retirees inAustin, hostedbyAustinRetireeAssocia- tion Director Florita Sheppard-Samario. The discussion focused on a range of resource and discuss other challenges affecting the Foreign Service. Naland also presented a lecture for undergraduates at theStraussCenterof theUniversityofTexas on the subject of “TheMilitarizationofU.S. Diplomacy,” stressing the recent comments by Defense Secretary Gates calling for increased resources for U.S. diplomacy. The followingday,Nalandaddressed the full gamut of issues affectingU.S. diplomacy at a luncheon inHoustonhostedbyRetiree AssociationDirectorWilliamCunningham, and attendedbynearly a dozen retired and active-dutyForeignServiceofficers. Naland then visited an undergraduate class at St. Thomas University and spoke about Foreign Service careers and related issues. AFSA is grateful to these retiree associ- ation directors for affording Pres. Naland the opportunity to have discussions with retirees and local opinionmakers on a host of Foreign Service-related issues, as well as for their tireless efforts in promoting and sustaining the activities of their associations. Naland looks forward to meeting with retirees inother regions of the countrydur- ing the year ahead. KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH RETIREES IN FLORIDA AND TEXAS ASFA President Meets with Retirees and Presents Award BY TOM SWITZER, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS John Naland presents AFSA’s Retiree Service Award to Paul Byrnes, who is seen here with his wife, Hope.