The Foreign Service Journal, October 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2016 59 AFSA NEWS “One of the Best Decisions I’ve Made” —ATLG Intern’s Experience Each year, AFSA partners with the Thursday Luncheon Group to sponsor a minority college student for a summer internship at the Department of State. TLG’s mission is to increase the participation of African Americans and other minorities in the formulation, articulation and implemen- tation of U.S. foreign policy. The internship helps reach students who may not oth- erwise hear about possible foreign affairs careers like the Foreign Service. This year Camille Swinson spent 10 weeks interning with the Office of Brazil and Southern Cone Affairs in the Bureau of Western Hemi- sphere Affairs. Camille is currently in her senior year at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. AFSA/EUNICEAJAYI TLG intern Camille Swinson meets with AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson. Camille attended many dif- ferent events and discussions, prepared summaries for WHA/BSC staff and assem- bled documents for the assis- tant secretary. She says that she particularly enjoyed tasks under the umbrella of public diplomacy, as they allowed her to see the mechanisms used to cultivate strong ties between the United States and other countries. Camille also used her summer in Washington, D.C., to visit think-tanks and local groups to gain other perspectives. In July she had a chance to meet with AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson for an informal chat about life in the Foreign Service. During her internship she was able to see firsthand how important changes are effected every day through diplomacy, Camille says, and this has encouraged her to pursue a career in the Foreign Service. The internship also gave her an insight into the skills required in a Foreign Service career, and ways in which she can cultivate those skills for herself. These experiences, she said, “will not only allow me to grow into a better diplomat but also a more competent global citizen.” Camille says she is particularly grateful to the Thursday Luncheon Group, because they have enabled her to access mentors of color, Foreign Service officers who can provide insight into navigating the Foreign Ser- vice as a minority individual. “Interning at State under TLG has easily been one of the best decisions I have made during my college career. I grew a lot, learned a great deal about diplomacy,” says Camille. “Once I become a diplomat, I hope to serve as an equally helpful resource to students.” n —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor FLTCIP Counseling at AFSA In July, the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) sent enrollees letters announc- ing dramatic increases in premiums, included a “2016 Enrollee Decision Period” packet of personalized options and gave a Sept. 30 deadline for decisions on coverage. AFSA wrote to Congress to call for hearings on the steep premium hikes and worked to provide accurate, constructive information to members via special email messages, online newslet- ters and the AFSA website. With many AFSA retiree members struggling over their FLTCIP decisions, AFSA scheduled one-on-one coun- seling sessions for them with LTC Partners on Sept. 9. Twenty-nine enrollees attended a session at AFSA HQ to review their choices with an experienced LTC Partners counselor. Virtu- ally every attendee found at least one option that would work for their circumstances and exited their session with confidence. We are pleased that so many of our members found the sessions helpful. Feedback included com- ments such as “Extremely helpful!” and “Great advice; I’m in good shape.”We recommend that all FLTCIP enrollees should talk with an LTC Partners counselor over the phone before making a final determination about coverage. Email retiree@afsa.org or call (202) 944-5509 for more information. n