The Foreign Service Journal, October 2012

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2012 63 AFSA NEWS In accordance with Article VI, Sec. 1 of the AFSA Bylaws, the Committee on Elections certifies that all three proposed amendments were approved by the membership. The table below provides a breakdown of the votes cast: Proposed Bylaw Amendment Yes No Blank Total Online Voting 4,016 57 2 4,075 Board Elibility Requirements 3,822 250 3 4,075 Name Change for Committee on Education 3,992 81 2 4,075 The Committee on Elections notes that just over 25 per- cent of the membership voted, the highest participation levels for a bylaw, referendum or Governing Board election in recent history. Moreover, members completing the online survey overwhelmingly expressed satisfaction and approval of the new online voting process. n AFSA Bylaw Amendments Pass BY JANET HEDRICK, DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES Since 1992, AFSA and the Thursday Luncheon Group have sponsored a minority college student for a summer internship at the Department of State. The collaboration provides a hands-on foreign affairs experience to stu- dents who otherwise might not have such an opportu- nity. This year’s intern was Angela Addae, a native of Vicksburg, Miss. Angela is a second- year Ph.D. student in sociology at the University of Arizona. She is a first-generation American, the daughter of two Ghanaian immigrants. During her undergraduate years at Fisk University, Angela had the opportunity to study abroad in Ghana. Her internship in the Office of India Affairs reflected actual desk officer duties, with tasks ranging from attending briefings and forums to drafting points on pertinent economic issues. She also assisted on the Subnational Engagement project, which promotes city government-level partner- ships between cities in India and in the United States. “I had no idea what to expect, but my experience exceeded anything I could have ever imagined. The Office of India Affairs has been a fantastic place to work with people who are energetic and passionate. From attending think-tank forums on public-private partnerships to participating in meetings with high-level officials, there is never a dull moment on the India desk,” she declared. Angela’s per- sonal highlight of the summer was the opportunity to attend the swear- ing-in ceremony for Makila James, the new U.S. ambassa- dor to Swaziland. Angela recounts that “the ceremony was a defining moment during my summer internship because it allowed me to witness Ambassador James, also a woman of color, take on the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service. It was an inspirational, yet humbling experience that enabled me to learn of her journey and envision myself on that platform.” AFSA thanks the Office of India Affairs for their ongoing willingness to host the TLG intern, and we look forward to welcoming another deserv- ing student next summer. For more information, please visit www.afsa.org/minor- ity_internships.aspx. n TLG Intern Has “Fantastic” Summer at State BY ÁSGEIR SIGFÚSSON, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND OUTREACH AFSA Welcomes New Interns Three new interns have joined AFSA for the fall semester, bringing energy and ideas with them. Jonathan Yuan, from Breinigsville, Pa., is the communications, marketing and outreach intern. A junior at Cornell University, majoring in government and China and Asia/Pacific studies, he participated in a State Department externship last year. Edward Hardrianto Kurniawan joins AFSA for a six-month tour as the new FSJ advertising intern. He is a student at the HAN University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem, Netherlands, where he is in the third year of an international business and manage- ment program. Edward is originally from Jakarta. Rounding out this year’s fall interns is Emily Haw- ley, the new Foreign Service Journal editorial intern, a senior at Santa Clara University in California. We thank the departing group of interns for a job well done, and wish Beth Romagnoli, Claudia Gerken and Eva Moss the best in their future endeavors. NEWS BRIEF TLG intern Angela Addae. PHOTOBY IANHOUSTON