The Foreign Service Journal, October 2010

S ecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented the first-place award for AFSA’s 2010 National HighSchool EssayContest toEvaline Bai on Aug. 11. The award comes with a check for $2,500 and a $500 check to the winner’s school. Bai, an 11th-grader at Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio, submitted her winning essay on the subject, “Challenges to theU.S. For- eign Service: Rebuilding Afghanistan.” Bai’smother JinLiu, her father FredBai and brother Jason Bai, also met Sec. Clinton, who commended Evaline for herwork and encouragedher topursue a career in the Foreign Service. Twenty-four finalists receivedhon- orable-mention certificates for their excellent essays. An AFSA advisory panel of judges selected the winners. This year’s winning essay was deemed one of the most outstanding submissions in the history of the con- test. Bai emphasized that, “The great- est hope for Afghanistan is manifested in the form of the American Foreign Service, which, through a civilian- military effort, has pledged to help Afghans gain the resources and estab- lish the institutions necessary for a sta- ble and successful future.” The goal of AFSA’s High School S tate Vice President Daniel Hirsch presented the George Kennan Excellence in Writing Award to career State Department civil servant Andrew Weinschenk in an early morning ceremony on June 4 at the National War College cam- pus at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. Every year since 1992, AFSA has conferred the award for the best paper written by a State Department employee, with a $250 prize that is specifically designated for the purchase of profession- al books. Hirsch representedAFSAat the ceremony, andpresented Weinschenk with a certificate and check for his paper, titled “On the Cusp of Empire: The Limits of Coercive Diplomacy in the Venezuelan Boundary Crisis of 1895.” Weinschenk is currentlybeginning anassignment as senior advis- er to the assistant secretary for economic, energy andbusiness affairs. State Employee Wins National War College Writing Prize BY ASGEIR SIGFUSSON, MARKETING AND OUTREACH MANAGER Continued on page 46 Continued on page 47 American Foreign Service Association • October 2010 AFSA NEWS Secretary Clinton Hails AFSA Essay Contest Winner BY TOM SWITZER, AFSA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR OC T OB E R 2 0 1 0 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 43 AFSA State Vice President Daniel Hirsch (left) presents AndrewWeinschenk (center) with the George Kennan Excellence inWriting Award at the National War College. The commandant of the college, Major General Robert Steel, is at right. NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY Sec. Clinton presents Evaline Bai with the first-place award for the 2010 high school essay contest on Aug. 11. Left to right: Jin Liu, Jason Bai, Evaline Bai, Sec. Clinton and Fred Bai. MICHAEL LAIACONA