The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 49 AFSA NEWS WOMEN IN SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT FOCUS AFSA NEWS CALENDAR 7/4/2013 Independence Day: AFSA Offices Closed 7/10/2013 12:00 - 2:00 PM AFSA Governing Board Meeting 7/11/2013 2:00 - 3:30 PM AFSA Book Notes: “50 Years in USAID” 7/15/2013 New AFSA Governing Board Assumes Office 7/24/2013 2:00 - 3:30 PM Benefits Seminar: Divorce in the Foreign Service 8/7/2013 12:00 - 2:00 PM AFSA Governing Board Meeting 8/28/2013 3:00 - 4:30 PM Annual Adair Memorial Lecture: Ambassador John Campbell THE OFFICIAL R CORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION Presenting the 2013 AFSAMerit Award Winners musical arts, performing arts or creative writing. Art applicants were judged on their art submissions, two letters of recommendation and an essay. Pallas Riedler was selected as the Art Merit Award winner for her musical arts (piano) submissions. Alicia De Jong and Meredith Hilton were selected as the Art Merit Honorable Mention Award winners for their visual art submissions and creative writing submission, respec- tively. Nine academic merit named scholarships have been established to date. These awards were bestowed on the highest- scoring students: Calder Hannan received the John BY LORI DEC, SCHOLARSHIP DIRECTOR On May 3, local Academic Merit Award winners jump for joy after receiving their Merit Award certificates during a ceremony at AFSA. (L to R) Elisabeth Merten, Calder Hannan, David Ernyey, Garrett Healy, Lee-Ellen Myles, Mirelle “Mimi” Verdonk, Aubrey Wahl and David Banks. AFSA is proud to announce the 21 Foreign Service high school seniors who were selected as the winners of the 2013 AFSA Merit Awards Competition. These one- time-only awards, totaling $41,500, were conferred on Washington, D.C.-area win- ners on May 3. AFSA con- gratulates these students for their academic and artistic achievements. Winners receive $2,000 awards and Honorable Mention winners receive $1,000 awards. The best essay award winner and the community service award winner each receive $750. Judges are members of AFSA’s Scholarship Commit- tee, chaired by Ambassador Lange Schermerhorn and made up of individuals from the Foreign Service com- munity. This year, 67 students competed for the 16 Aca- demic Merit Awards. They were judged on grade point average, standardized test scores, an essay, two letters of recommendation, extra- curricular activities and any special circumstances. Among the Academic Merit Award applicants, Brett Fouss was selected as best essay winner, and Elisabeth Merten was selected as com- munity service winner. Sixteen students submit- ted art merit applications under one of the following categories: visual arts, and Priscilla Becker Family Award; Meredith Hilton and Lee-Ellen Myles received the Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield Awards; Dorothy Jones and Pallas Riedler PHOTOBYDONNAAYERST Awards continued on page 55