Foreign Service Youth: Sharing the Best of America Throughout the World

I was born in Paris, France. I went to grade school in Canada, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Panama, and I went to junior high school in Kentucky and Texas. I imagine many of you have similar stories, but probably even more far flung than that.

My father was a career Army officer, and as a member of a military family, I grew up, much as I suspect you are, knowing that my Dad’s job had a huge effect on our family’s life. My Mom always joked that as an Army wife, she had a job in the Army, too–the Army just didn’t pay her a salary. One of the most vivid memories of my childhood was sending my Dad off to the Vietnam War, not knowing whether he would come home, which, fortunately, he did.

I share my story to say that I know what it’s like to worry about a parent who may be in harm’s way, whether in a place of war or a dangerous, unaccompanied post. I know it’s sometimes hard to share your parent with your country. What your parents do is important–public service is a very noble endeavor.

The young people in Foreign Service share your parents’ profession in a very significant way. I know it can be hard to move and leave friends and change schools and even cultures. Or to sit at a dinner table where a chair is empty for long stretches at a time, and celebrate birthdays and graduations while mom or dad are on the other side of the world.

And I know that different young people react differently to all these experiences. My sister and I are very different–I’m more extroverted. I remember moving to Panama and finding the tropical beaches, Spanish language, Latin culture exhilarating. My sister, who is more introverted, found it all a little intimidating.

But in later life, we’ve both agreed our experiences really prepared us for the diversity of our world–made us more aware, more attuned, certainly, than friends who have lived in the same place all their lives. And in today’s global world, I think that you will find that your ability to move fluently between cultures, across borders, to speak different languages, will be an incredible asset in your lives.

When you are living overseas, children in Foreign Service families become an unofficial face of America, just as your parents are official representatives. And we are very proud that in your classrooms and in foreign capitals, you are sharing not only who you are but what America is all about.

I know first hand that a life of moving around the world is not easy, yet you do so with creativity, courage, energy, and resilience. That’s why we are here to honor you this afternoon– the young members of our Foreign Service family. You are a special group of young men and women. You have made your country and your families proud.

I like to talk about America’s “diplomacy of deeds,” the concrete things Americans do around the world to help people have better lives, and I understand that many of you have been active participants in that diplomacy of deeds–caring for disabled orphans in Romania, baking cakes to provide aid for the children of Sudan, raising money to help the blind in Thailand, caring for hospitalized children in Muscat. These acts show your good hearts and they demonstrate the caring heart of America in the world.

I wish we could honor all the Foreign Service children, because each one of you represents and serves our country. But our honorees today in a larger sense represent American young people around the world who volunteer and write patriotic essays and create artwork and music that celebrate America’s role in the world.

You are smart, creative, brave and giving. All of us in the State Department thank you for being who you are and for sharing the best of America throughout the world.