The Foreign Service Journal, May 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2015 59 AFSA NEWS AFSA Staff Take Part in Panel Discussion on Careers in International Relations Foreign Service Journal Editor- in-Chief Shawn Dorman and AFSA Executive Director Ian Houston recently took part in a panel discussion for young people interested in careers in foreign affairs. Hosted by AmericanWomen for Inter- national Understanding, the event was held at the National Press Club inWashington, D.C., on March 4. Dorman and Houston joined other panelists from the State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investiga- tion and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as representatives from univer- sity public health, public policy and international relations departments. Mr. Houston urged stu- dents to find issues they are sincerely passionate about and acquire real management experience whenever possible, because, he said, knowing how to man- age people, budgets and programs is essential to career longevity and promo- tion. Ms. Dorman introduced the audience to the Foreign Ser- vice career path, which many students were unfamiliar with. An FSO herself from 1993 to 2000 before joining the FSJ , Dorman described the skills needed to succeed as a Foreign Service officer and answered questions about lan- guage training, career cones and typical tasks for FSOs. State recruiter and retired FSO Ramona Harper high- lighted the many internships and fellowships State offers each year to students and recent graduates to kickstart their careers in international relations. Each student who attended received a copy of AFSA’s popular book, Inside a U.S. Embassy . n —Shannon Mizzi, Editorial Intern AFSA/SHANNONMIZZI 17th Annual National High School Essay Contest Receives More than 450 Entries AFSA’s 17th annual National High School Essay Contest received more than 450 entries from 41 states and eight countries. The contest asked eligible high school students to write an essay describing how they, as newly arrived diplomats, would address one of these issues currently facing U.S. diplomats today: Liberia and its response to the Ebola epidemic; Hon- duras, and the crises of crime and violence; the complicated status of Taiwan and its relationship with the People’s Republic of China; the Syrian refugee crisis and the pres- sure it places on Jordan; the predicament of Kazakhstan as it seeks an independent role beyond that of a former USSR satellite; and Ukraine and the U.S. response to the ongoing conflict. Their essays were to include a discussion of how or whether social media can be leveraged as part of the solution. Most entrants wrote on Honduras. Qualified essays moved on to the second round of judging, which took place in early April. The final round of judging began in late April. Awinner is expected to be chosen in May. The winning essay earns the student an all-expenses paid trip with family to Washington, D.C., to meet the Secretary of State, a $2,500 prize, and an educational voy- age courtesy of Semester at Sea when the student enrolls in an accredited university. The runner-up wins a full scholarship to participate in the International Diplomacy program of the National Stu- dent Leadership Conference. Learn more at www.afsa. org/essaycontest or contact Perri Green, AFSA’s coordina- tor for special awards and outreach, at green@afsa.org or (202) 719-9700. —Leo Martin, Awards Intern AFSA Executive Director Ian Houston (front row, right) and FSJ Editor-in-Chief Shawn Dorman, (second row, center) with other panelists and audience members.