During the fall semester of my senior year, I attended the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council’s 2020 Symposium for high school students. Through this community event, I was given the opportunity to observe the importance of diplomacy around the world and how I, as a 17-year-old high school student, can make a difference in our diplomatic world. The Keynote Speaker Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, an American diplomat, was the longest-serving U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta. She held multiple senior positions, those of which included advising the Commander of the U.S. cyber forces on our foreign policy priorities, expanding our counterterrorism partners and programs as Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism, and coordinating the largest evacuation of American citizens from a war zone since World War 2. One of her assignments that stood out to me the most was when she was the first woman to lead a diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where she actively supported gender equality. Within Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley’s speech, she made it very clear that she is a strong advocate of excellence through diversity across organizations and works to break down barriers to the full participation of women and minorities. I learned that even in the best careers, one will experience setbacks and will make mistakes. To know that the Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley is such a strong proponent of a topic that is currently deemed as controversial, brings us hope for improvement within the diplomatic system.
The final part of the symposium included a group discussion where we questioned American diplomacy and how it needs to be handled from this point going forward. Our group began the discussion by creating a list of what the U.Ss should be prioritizing in the given moment. We further emphasized that the U.S. should be conscious and have the intention of striking a balance between international and national interests. We also had a fervent discussion on the role of public education in a society. While our group didn’t necessarily come to a consensus about public education, we all did agree that some form of education is necessary for the betterment of a country and their citizens. Based on my personal opinion and others, I did come to the conclusion that a public education shows how successful a country can be/is and that more money and resources should go to support our public schools. The Symposium pushed me to learn more about our diplomatic world and the role the United States has when aiding other countries.