The Foreign Service Journal, June 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2022 37 America abroad? Why did our department not showcase to the world the true melting pot of the United States? Unfortunately, no one had a good answer for me. Changing the Question So I changed my “why” questions, which were accusatory, to: “Why not?” Those ques- tions were more thoughtful, created dialogue and gave birth to a way forward. Why not have a Foreign Service that truly represents the interwoven tapestry of so many ethnicities and cultures coming together for a common purpose? Why not reach out to young people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds, and get them excited about a career that would take them around the world helping bring about change? I continued to ask everyone, ad nauseam… why not? Over the two decades that passed since I first attempted to enter the dynamic world of diplomacy, a renaissance of sorts has taken place. I believe the why-nots took center stage. Conversa- tions were going on at the water coolers, in the corridors and in those now-mandatory meetings focused on change. People were talking, that word, “diversity,” was flexing its muscles throughout the U.S. government—and FAS was no longer a spectator. I was one of those people at the water coolers, in the cor- ridors, and the first to show up at the diversity and inclusion meetings. Now that diversity was to be the cornerstone of the new and improved structure that we were erecting for our future America, how were we to get the right people to the table? It wasn’t enough to set the table and prepare the meal if no one was there to partake of the feast. Over my career, I’ve stood beside my colleagues, both domestically and abroad, telling of the small role I played in the diversity narrative, and the response has been tremendous. The emotional outpouring from young women with newfound confidence and clear direction for the future was extremely gratifying. At one assessment center, I was thanked by a young man for being an example of what is possible, just because of my presence. The accolades, tears and compliments made my day, fed my ego and made me feel that change was brewing—but the impact was not long-lasting for them or me. Each Monday morning, I returned to my 9-5 (more like 7:30 to whenever), did my job, sad- dened by the fact that I did not have the bandwidth or a formal path forward for the young minds I had piqued. That is, until now. How It Happened In the fall of 2021, under the leadership of newly appointed Administrator Daniel Whitley, the FASDiversity Fellowship Program was created.This was amoral checkbox of the sort I referenced earlier.The FDFP is an intentional change that took place because it was time. AdministratorWhitley, a former director of the FAS Office of Civil Rights, hadworked throughout his career to amplify the voices of the fallen and correct obvious injustices. Fortunately for the agency, his perspective didn’t change with his newest title. It took a village to craft an impactful program for Administrator Whitley to sign. Here’s how it happened. Earlier in 2021, as I sat in Dubai doing the job I was assigned, I heard a rumor that our sister agency, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, had just rolled out a fellowship program for their Foreign Service.They had figured out the answer to “why not?” and we had to follow! My fellow “ag avenger”—also known as Agricul- tural Attaché Lucas Blaustein—and I set out to determine howwe couldmake this happen for FAS. Our amazing colleagues at APHIS, Glenn Germaine (APHIS management analyst) and Eric Coleman (APHISWhite House Fel- low) introduced us to Patricia Scruggs and Nijhier Lattimer at How- ard University’s Diplomatic Fellowships division; and from there, the earth began to shake.The gentle rumblings of transformation took place, and it was time to present the proposal to FAS’ current civil rights director, Adriano Vasquez. He was receptive and willing to do what was necessary but neededmore than just a notion. The road to success was filled with a few potholes, starting with the fact that I lived on the other side of the world attempting to drive a program that had never been attempted previously.There weremany sleepless nights, but anyone that knows me would say, “What’s new, Valerie; you never sleep anyway.” What was newwas that the clock was ticking, and roadblocks were plenty. Fortunately, with fierce determination and the support of Brooke Jamison (FAS associate administrator), Mary Ellen Smith (FAS deputy administra- tor of foreign affairs) and Earnest Smith (FAS acting chief financial officer), an idea became a reality. Within a fewmonths, the team had created a proposal that would change the future of the FAS’ Foreign Service… forever. It wasn’t enough to set the table and prepare the meal if no one was there to partake of the feast.