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.