The Foreign Service Journal, October 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2013 51 AFSA NEWS L I FE I N THE FORE I GN SERV I CE For 21 summers in a row, AFSA has partnered with the Thursday Luncheon Group to offer a minority college student an internship at the Department of State. AFSA’s collaboration with TLG, whose mission is to expose black Americans and other minorities to foreign policy, provides valuable experience to students who may not oth- erwise have such an oppor- tunity. Since the collabora- tion’s launch in 1992, TLG and AFSA have supported 26 students. This year’s intern, Leah Castleberry, spent the sum- mer working in the Office of India Affairs in the South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau. Projects Leah worked on included preparation for two annual events: the U.S./India Strategic Dialogue and the U.S.-India CEO Forum. She also worked on several state- to-state and city engage- ment projects, and various public-private partnership initiatives. Leah’s favorite part of the internship was working directly with Indian nationals to implement proj- ects that advance the U.S./ India bilateral relationship and bring the two countries closer together. Attending the Thursday Luncheon Group’s 40th Anni- versary celebration in the historic Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room AFSA/TLG Intern has a Rewarding Summer BY JENNIFER LOWRY, COMMUNICATIONS INTERN on June 28 was a highlight of her summer. Seeing how happy the luncheon attend- ees were to meet her, Leah reflected, “I will never forget how it felt realizing that I had a support system throughout the State epartment, which was much larger than I could have ever imagined.” Prior to her internship, Leah had thoughts about joining the Foreign Service, but since her experience in the department, she now feels confident that one day she will be an official representative of the United States, serving abroad as a Foreign Service officer. Overall, Leah says her intern- ship exceeded her expecta- tions and that she plans on keeping in touch with several people she had the opportu- nity to work with, from fellow interns to ambassadors. n 2013 AFSA/TLG intern Leah Castleberry (far right) attends the Thursday Luncheon Group’s 40th Anniversary Gala event in the Benjamin Franklin Room. Also in attendance were John W. Franklin, Smithsonian Institution, and Ruth Walker, U.S. Department of State. AFSA Book Notes Goes to Mongolia On Oct. 21, AFSA’s Book Notes program will feature “Mongolia and the United States: A Diplomatic His- tory,” by Ambassador Jonathan Addleton. The book provides a pioneering firsthand look at the remark- able growth of civil society and diplomatic ties between two countries separated by vast distances yet sharing a growing list of strategic interests and values. Amb. Addleton will discuss the book and take questions. Copies will be available for sale, courtesy of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. The program takes place at AFSA, 2101 E Street NW, at 2:00 p.m. To attend the event, please RSVP to events@afsa.org . NEWS BRIEF