THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2024 69 Navigating the Foreign Service Educational Landscape Rebecca McPherson has been a Foreign Service family member for 10 years, serving both overseas and domestically. She joined the Global Community Liaison Office in January 2020, first as the support services specialist and, in September 2021, as the education and youth program specialist. Prior to that, she was a biometrics facilitator in Manila and a community liaison office coordinator in Lusaka. Before joining the State Department, she was in sales and marketing, served in the ministry both in South Africa and New York, and worked as a real estate agent and property manager in Maryland. She is currently on a DETO assignment while posted to Angola. EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT ISTOCKPHOTO/GUGAI W hether you are new to the Foreign Service community or have been posted overseas for years, you’re likely to have questions about education issues that affect you and your family members overseas. What you need to know for your 2-year-old’s preschool education is vastly different from what you need to prepare your high school junior for the college application process. Understanding where to go and who to talk to is paramount when you are navigating your child’s education. For many FS parents, the first stop is the Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO), formerly the Family Liaison Office. GCLO’s mission for the past 46 years has been to advocate for solutions to challenges posed by the Foreign Service lifestyle, to provide programs and client services that cater to all demographics in the community, and to extend these services overseas through the management of the Community Liaison Office (CLO) program. Under the GCLO umbrella, the education and youth team functions as a central resource hub providing comprehensive information and connecting FS members to partner offices that can help answer questions and guide clients to what, where, and how to meet the educational needs of their children. From preschool through college, you’re never alone. Learn about education resources available to Foreign Service families. BY REBECCA MCPHERSON ISTOCKPHOTO/LAST19
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