The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council selected three charter members of its Youth Diplomats Program to go on a June 2018 trip to Washington, D.C. where they spent two days exploring international exchange, diplomacy, and the U.S. government through a series of meetings and site visits with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Diplomacy Center, the office of Senator Marco Rubio, Meridian International, the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus, and Georgetown University. This trip was largely made possible through donations from Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council members.
Here, two of them reflect on their time with the Youth Diplomats Program and their time in the nation’s capital city.
Visiting D.C. for the First Time
visiting d.c. for the first time is like
finding a quilt from your early childhood.
pieces of cultures and countries
recognizable from old bedtime stories
sewn together in fantastic shape and color.
a patchwork of familiar symbols from a lucid dream,
the district materializes in a living, breathing fabric,
embroidered with iconic history
and stitched with personal significance.
– Savannah Patterson, Youth Diplomat 2018
Youth Diplomats Reflection
When I first learned about the Youth Diplomats Program with the Gulf Coast Citizens’ Diplomacy Council, I was not sure that it was for me. I loved to learn about foreign cultures, sure, but I was (as always) very busy between school and theatre. How could I commit to this? Nine months later, I am incredibly glad I made time for this program. All of the Youth Diplomats would meet once a month to learn about the State Department and foreign nations. Guest speakers would come in, we would meet people from around the world, and we would do workshops or simulations to better understand the role of the State Department. One of my personal favorites was meeting with a group of Japanese exchange participants to discuss the United States’ approach to divorce and child custody cases. Speaking with the group was an eye-opening experience. I was able to see how another nation dealt with a situation in a different manner from what I am accustomed to seeing within my own culture.
Eventually, three Youth Diplomats were chosen to go to Washington, D.C. to visit the State Department. The three of us ended up learning about everything from study-abroad programs we could do now to careers we could hold as foreign-service officers later on in life. Through the trip, I discovered many new opportunities that I would never have dreamed of looking into otherwise. This entire program has been a fantastic opportunity to take on a leadership role in my community while in a safe environment. I look forward to another year of learning about the world and my place within it as a Youth Diplomat. I certainly hope that other students are also able to join and discover a similar passion for the people of the world.
– Katherine McCrackin, Youth Diplomat 2018
Outside Meridian International Center, the
first appointment on the group’s itinerary