The Foreign Service Journal, November 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2016 27 regularly asked Fulbrighters their views of what was happening in our host country, for I had learned that diplomats inevitably have a different slant. Thirty-nine years after setting off for Iran on a Fulbright, I have never lost the conviction that the Fulbright Program, founded by an Arkansas senator who recognized the transformative effects of his own overseas educational experience, is one of the most inspiring efforts that U.S. taxpayers support. Martin R. Quinn, a retired Senior Foreign Service officer, served in six Middle East countries and Turkey during his 28-year Foreign Service career. Since retirement he has continued to work for the State Depart- ment in various Re-Employed Annuitant positions, done consulting, served on an advisory council for Ball State University and taught an online course in international relations for Penn State. S I E R R A L E O N E , 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1 A P R I L C O N W A Y M y path to becoming a Foreign Service officer began in 2010, when I traveled to a remote river island located in southeastern Sierra Leone. I was setting out to conduct my dissertation research on the endangered pygmy hippopota- mus, an animal notoriously difficult to study in the wild. Armed with remote-sensing camera traps, my goal was to capture pygmy hippos on film to learn more about their secret lives. My time in West Africa was made possible because of the Fulbright Program. In 2009, while I searched for funding for my project, a fellow student discussed her recent Fulbright re- search and encouraged me to apply. Less than a year later, I was on a flight to Sierra Leone as a Fulbright U.S. Student Program research grant recipient. Both the highest and lowest points of my experience involved Embassy Freetown. Along with my basic biological research, the Fulbright Program gave me the opportunity to partner with the embassy to create environmental conservation murals with local residents in four communities. Residents enjoyed identifying the elements of the murals, and communities were proud of their newly installed artwork. On completion of the project, I hosted Ambassador Michael Owen at my research site, where he and several staff members spent a night in the rainforest. It was a night to remember, with dancers and magicians entertaining us until late and a special appearance by a pygmy hippo “dancing devil” from the local community. The lowest point of my experience was the morning I was robbed of all my belongings at a bus station in Freetown. Con- sular officers helped me through this difficult period. The work of those officers and others at the embassy inspired me to start thinking about the Foreign Service as a possible career. While pygmy hippos and diplomacy may not seem to have much in common, the lessons I learned as a Fulbrighter have followed me into my new career. I learned to work better with different cultures, to maintain a sense of humor even in difficult situations and to manage resources efficiently. I also felt drawn to a life of public service. My Fulbright experience allowed me to interact with and influ- ence hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Sierra Leone. Now, as a Foreign Service officer, I have the opportunity to help people all over the world, both foreign nationals and Americans. n April Conway joined the Foreign Service as a consular-coned officer in 2015, and currently serves in Dhaka. Prior to joining the Service, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger from 2005 to 2007. April Conway with Kambama village women who are preparing rice flour for a celebration in Sierra Leone. While pygmy hippos and diplomacy may not seem to have much in common, the lessons I learned as a Fulbrighter have followed me into my new career. COURTESYOFAPRILCONWAY