The Foreign Service Journal, May 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2016 71 STAY INFORMED. STAY CONNECTED. abroad. (You can!) The anecdotes Amb. Butenis tells at these events include the rewarding, the tragic and the difficult: issu- ing visas to children being adopted by Americans, running to a bunker when the siren sounded for an incom- ing rocket attack, investigat- ing human rights abuses and providing assistance after a devastating earthquake. She provides a personal connec- tion for students and their parents who may only have read about such events. Amb. Butenis also appreci- ates being able to speak with younger students who may have no idea about diplomacy or the work of the Foreign Service. Providing information about what Foreign Service officers and specialists actu- ally do is an important func- tion of AFSA outreach efforts. When talking to students of all ages, Amb. Butenis says, “I link the Foreign Service to the values of tolerance, cultural understanding and respect for other religions and hope the students share those values as well.” She always asks how many of them or their families come from another country. She tells students about her own immigrant grandparents and discusses how America is still admired for its acceptance of diverse cultures. Amb. Butenis says that she always congratulates students on their interest in foreign affairs and asks that they keep that interest, even if they do not end up pursuing a career in the Foreign Service. n —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor AFSA Retiree Newsletter’s New Look AFSA has recently made some changes with the AFSA Newsletter with an eye toward improving communication, practicing sound environmen- tal stewardship and respon- sible use of members’ dues. As of last month, the AFSA Newsletter went all-digital and will no longer be distrib- uted in paper form. Look for it in your email inboxes. It will also continue to be posted to the AFSA website at www. afsa.org/newsletters. Between the electronic AFSA Retiree Newsletter , the Retiree Corner (which will appear in every other issue of The Foreign Service Journal) and the long-established Retiree VP Voice Column, AFSAmembers can expect to continue receiving robust coverage of issues of interest in retirement. And, of course, AFSA’s website will continue to have a dedicated retiree section at www.afsa.org/ retiree. To ensure that you receive the bi-monthly email newslet- ter, please make sure that AFSA has your email address. Notify us at member@afsa. org or (202) 338-4045. n