Dinner with Minister Firestein

Along with a few other students from the ASU Honors Program, I was privileged to have dinner with Minister Firestein yesterday. Fortunately, I was able to sit next to Minister Firestein, who was sitting next to Dr. Joseph Rallo, president of the university. Dr. Rallo, Minister Firestein, and I essentially dominated the conversation at the table, largely because I was one of two students interesting in becoming a Foreign Service Officer. I feel like I managed to be poised, sociable, and relaxed. There was a time in my life, fairly recently in fact, when I would have simply sat and listened, rather than taking an active role in the conversation. Now, I find that I am able to take advantage of situations like these when I have the chance to talk to people with such expertise. I believe I made an impression on him, since he remembered my name from the morning classroom session. I find that university life has been largely about expanding myself and becoming the person I want to be. In academia and politics, the ability to talk to people and network is absolutely vital. Perhaps, I am acquiring that particular skill.

On another note, I am further resolved than ever to pursue Peace Corps service. Minister Firestein commented that it was not only an incredibly valuable experience as a person, but an excellent path into the Foreign Service.

Foreign Minister Firestein

Minister Firestein is currently visiting my university in order to do a speaking engagement about his experiences as a diplomat in Russia and China, some dinners in his honor, etc. This morning, he visited my comparative political systems class, which combined with the diplomatic history class for this event, to speak and answer questions. I was able to deliver concise, well-thought questions, which I would have been to0 shy to do just a few years ago. Afterward, I talked to him about a conversation I had with my Russian friend in which we came to understand each other much more. I told him, "She and I are not particularly important people, but at the end of the conversation, we understood each other a lot more. That's why I'm interested in studying diplomacy. That dialogue is so important." He told me, "you should certainly look into becoming a Foreign Service Officer. I think you'd be a natural at it. The dialogue is the fun part," to which I replied, "I'm looking at taking the Foreign Service exam in July." I'm feeling competent and a little proud of myself at the moment. There was a time when I thought I was not cut out at all for Foreign Service, no matter how badly I wanted to be. The truth is, I am not the same person I was then. I am more confident, knowledgeable, and secure, and now I'm ready to pursue my interests fully and without regret.