The Foreign Service Journal, October 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2013 43 AFSA NEWS WOMEN IN SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT FOCUS AFSA NEWS CALENDAR THE OFFICIAL R CORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION 10/2/2013 12:00 - 2:00 PM AFSA Governing Board Meeting 10/6/2013 - 10/11/2013 AFSA Road Scholar Program 10/13/2013 - 10/16/2013 AFSA Road Scholar Program 10/14/2013 Columbus Day: AFSA Offices Closed 10/16/2013 12:00 - 1:30 PM Luncheon: The 174th A-100 Class 10/18/2013 12:00 - 2:00 PM Luncheon: USAID’s DLI-25 Class 10/20/2013 - 10/24/2013 AFSA Road Scholar Program 10/21/2013 2:00 - 3:30 PM AFSA Book Notes: “Mongolia and the U.S. - A Diplomatic History 10/28/2013 12:00 - 1:00 PM Job Search Program Brown Bag at FSI 11/1/2013 12:00 - 1:30 PM Job Search Program Reception at FSI 11/6/2013 12:00 - 2:00 PM AFSA Governing Board Meeting On Aug. 8, Kailee Marie Pedersen, this year’s winner of AFSA’s High School Essay Contest, and her parents, Jon and Conni Pedersen of Lincoln, Neb., spent a day in Washington, D.C., with AFSA. During a breakfast meeting at the association’s head- quarters, AFSA President Robert Silverman presented Kailee with a check for $2,500. The group then met with Secretary of State John Kerry at the Department of State, where he presented Kailee with AFSA’s first-place certificate and a scholarship from Semester at Sea (a sponsor of the contest) for one semester on an edu- cational voyage around the world. In the afternoon, Kailee and her parents visited the U.S. Capitol with AFSA staff. Meg Murphy, protocol and foreign travel coordinator for the Senate Foreign Rela- tions Committee, graciously arranged a private tour. Kailee was invited to sit in the chair where such luminaries as President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry have all sat. In summing up her day in the nation’s capital, Kailee said, “The making of policy is not only exciting, but it is also the making of history. To witness the wheels of gov- ernment turning is truly an astounding experience.” Upon returning home, Kailee met with Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., for a brief discussion. She also delivered 10 copies of AFSA’s book, Inside a U.S. Embassy , to her alma mater, Lincoln East High School. Kailee graduated from high school in June and began her studies at Colum- bia University in September. Keenly interested in foreign policy, she is engaged in East Asian studies, with an emphasis on politics and lit- erature. Kailee is proficient in five languages, but is focused on Russian, Japanese and French philology and culture. She firmly believes that the key to understanding a foreign culture is gained by knowing the language. In 1999, AFSA created the annual nationwide High School Essay Contest for grades nine through 12, to stimulate student interest in U.S. foreign relations, and AFSA Celebrates the 15th Annual National High School Essay Contest BY JENNIFER LOWRY, COMMUNICATIONS INTERN PHOTOBYMICHAELGROSS,U.S.DEPARTMENTOFSTATE Secretary of State John Kerry presents AFSA’s first-place certificate, and Semester at Sea’s scholarship, to Kailee Pedersen, this year’s winner of the association’s National High School Essay Contest, during a meeting at the Department of State on Aug.8. Contest continued on page 48