The Foreign Service Journal, October 2016

58 OCTOBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS the caliber that Semester at Sea offers is definitely one of the best college experiences,” he said “I am very excited to embark on that educational voyage.” Prior to meeting with Secretary Kerry, Dylan and his family joined representatives fromAFSA, USIP and Semes- ter at Sea for a luncheon at AFSA headquarters hosted by AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson. In the afternoon, a recep- tion was held in Dylan’s honor at the U.S. Institute of Peace, hosted by USIP President Nancy Lindborg. During the reception, Dylan met with Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Assistant USAIDAdministra- tor for the Bureau for Democ- racy, Conflict & Humanitarian Assistance David Harden. In remarks to attendees, Amb. Stephenson congratu- lated Dylan on his achieve- ments and expressed her hope that AFSA’s fruitful partnership with USIP would continue. She also noted the success of this contest in engaging young people and educating them about the role of the Foreign Service in pro- tecting and serving American interests abroad. In his speech, Dylan explained that he had been drawn to AFSA’s essay contest because of the emphasis on peacebuilding solutions in the essay prompt. Addressing the contest sponsors, he said: “I would like to thank AFSA, USIP and Semester at Sea for your sponsorship of this contest and the work you do every day to show the next generation that peace is not peripheral, it is a central goal for humankind.” During his visit, Dylan and his family also enjoyed an exclusive tour of the Capi- tol and met with legislative staff from his home state of Louisiana. AFSA also congratulates this year’s runner up,Whit- ney Zhang, a senior at Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy in Gilroy, California. Whitney received her cer- tificate fromAFSA Executive Director Ian Houston during a visit toWashington, D.C., on July 12. Whitney’s essay pre- sented the perspective of a Foreign Service member stationed in Pakistan, who works with the Bureau of Energy Resources in an effort to help solve that country’s energy crisis. Whitney urged organizations such as USAID and the World Bank Group to invest in Pakistan’s quest for clean and sustainable energy using private-public partner- ships. AFSA also arranged for Whitney to meet her congres- sional representative, Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). Lofgren and Whitney discussed a variety of issues including gun control, homelessness and immigra- tion. The runner-up receives $1,250 and a full scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference, AFSA’s other partner for the contest, in Washington, D.C. AFSA created the National High School Essay Contest in 1999 to encourage students to learn about the work of the Foreign Service and the significance of diplomacy to national security and prosper- ity. The contest continues to increase awareness of the Foreign Service among high school students across the nation. This year, AFSA received more than 700 entries from 43 states and seven countries. In addition to the winner and runner-up, we congratulate the 23 students who received honorable mentions. The 2016 winners and their essays, as well as the honor- able mentions, can be found at www.afsa.org/essay. The 2017 essay topic was posted on the AFSAwebsite in September. More information about the rules and guidelines of the contest can be found here: www.afsa.org/rules-and- guidelines. We encourage AFSAmem- bers to reach out to their high schools and provide informa- tion about this contest to eligible students. If you are interested in serving as a judge for next year’s contest or have further questions, please contact AFSAAwards Coordinator Perri Green at green@afsa. org. n —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor, with Eunice Ajayi, Awards Intern AFSA/GEMMADVORAK (l-r) AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, Assistant USAID Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict & Humanitarian Assistance David Harden, Dylan Borne, USIP President Nancy Lindborg and AFSA USAID Vice President Sharon Wayne attend a reception for the essay contest winner at USIP headquarters in Washington, D.C. AFSA Executive Director Ian Houston presents a certificate to essay contest runner-up Whitney Zhang at AFSA headquarters AFSA/EUNICEAJAYI Essay Winners Continued from page 53