U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. The work that diplomats do has an impact on the world as they serve at one of any of the more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in The Americas, Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.

The duties of a Consular Officer include to provide emergency and non-emergency services to American citizens and protect our borders through the proper adjudication of visas to foreign nationals and passports to American citizens. We adjudicate immigrant and non-immigrant visas, facilitate adoptions, help evacuate Americans, combat fraud, and fight human trafficking. Consular Officers touch people’s lives in important ways, often reassuring families in crisis. They face many situations which require quick thinking under stress and develop and use a wide range of skills, from managing resources and conducting public outreach to assisting Americans in distress.

Letters of recommendation

After working at OSU I frequently get asked to write letters of recommendation for former students - especially students who were in Ecuador while I was a resident director. Although they take a bit of time and effort, writing the letters is also very encouraging because I get to see how a past student is doing and where they are headed next. Just this week I was asked to write a letter for a student who wants to teach abroad in South Korea next year - I am so excited for her and am sure she will have a great time! I also got updates recently from past students teaching abroad in Spain and studying economics in Italy.

It's really awesome to watch students change and grow by traveling. Although working in Ecuador was by far one of the hardest experiences I have ever had, it was also one of the most worthwhile and rewarding. Because of that trip, many of the 30 OSU students have gone on to travel, work or study abroad again. It's really exciting to be with students when they realize how big the world is, how much fun it is to live in other cultures and how many opportunities there are to explore outside of your own country.

Though it is harder (and more expensive) for Chinese students to study or work abroad sometimes it happens. One of my former students is now in Canada, my Chinese friend might be able to take a trip to Australia through her work and another friend just got back from England. Last week I met with a few JSTU students who needed help with their applications to get their M.A. in English education in Hong Kong - pretty cool stuff!

True, studying or working abroad might not be for everyone but even a trip to some place different in your own country can make you think a little differently, enlarge your perspectives and challenge you in ways that your own city could never do. I'm grateful to all of the teachers and professors who have not only written countless letters of recommendation letters for me but have also encouraged me to take advantage of some opportunities when I was hesitant to do so - I've never regretted it!

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Wanderlust

In Mandarin: 旅遊癮 (lǚyóu yǐn)

According to my Mandarin teacher, the term 'wanderlust' can best be translated as 'a travel addiction or craving'. In the above translation, 'yǐn' has several meanings such as 'a strong impulse', 'a longing', or 'a desire'.

U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

Letters of recommendation

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