The Foreign Service Journal, April 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2013 51 AFSA NEWS I had few expectations when I applied to the Virtual Student Foreign Service (an intern- ship program launched by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton) in mid-summer last year. Therefore, it was with great surprise and delight that I got a call from Perri Green, AFSA’s coordinator for special awards and outreach, inviting me to fill the AFSA e-Intern position in late December. Admittedly, I was unfa- miliar with the work of AFSA and its role in maintaining the Memorial Plaques at the Department of State. I was also initially puzzled as to how my background as a graduate student in East Asian studies, would be help- ful in bringing the project of finding more about those listed on the plaques to frui- tion. As it turns out, my aca- demic preparation has been invaluable to my success in the research, collection and organization of biographical data related to members of the diplomatic community who lost their lives over- seas. Scouring archives for snippets of life histories has been, at times, arduous (the Internet does not always easily yield its secrets), but AFSA’s First Virtual Student Foreign Service Intern always worthwhile to piece together a more complete picture of the individual. In a small way, I like to think I have helped to keep alive the memory of those whose stories had yet to be told. When difficulties arose in my searches, a triangula- tion approach was often most helpful: using multiple sources to fill in gaps and to verify the accuracy of dates and places. Not only did the process introduce me to useful online resources like Ancestry.com and the Google News archive, but it also taught me much about America’s diplomatic engagement with the rest of the world. I am currently working to compile the information in a way that makes it easily accessible to AFSA members and others who might be interested in finding out more about our diplomatic heroes. Working on the Memo- rial Plaques project has helped me to become a more efficient researcher, and to consider a Foreign Service career. It has also given me a better perspective on the risks that the diplomatic community confronts each day as it works to promote world peace and cross-cul- tural understanding. n BY ANTHONY ROSS Working on the Memorial Plaques has made me seriously consider a career in the Foreign Service. Federal Benefits Speaker Series: “Geriatric Care” On Wed., April 10, at 2 p.m., the fifth program in the Federal Benefits Speakers Series will feature Carol Kaplun, the Nurse Care Manager at Iona Senior Services. She will speak on “Geriatric Assessment, Assistance and Care Management,” a topic of importance to many. The event will take place at AFSA headquarters, 2101 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. The series has previously focused on Medicare, federal health benefits and the Thrift Savings Plan. All events are available for online viewing at www. afsa.org/AFSAvideos.aspx. For questions regarding these events, please contact Bonnie Brown, AFSA’s Coordinator for Retiree Benefits and Legislation, at brown@afsa. org or (202) 944-5509. RSVPs should be sent to NEWS BRIEF