This year, we asked current and former Youth Diplomats how they viewed their participation in our program. From their responses, we are happy to share many feel their time with us has positively impacted their lives. Though not every Youth Diplomat plans to pursue a degree in international relations, this program has inspired them to begin looking at the world through a global lens. From our perspective, it is a pleasure to watch them become insightful, young leaders with skills in diplomacy, public speaking, and collaborative work styles.
“I have made so many incredible relationships with the other Youth Diplomats and international visitors. I have also learned so many skills that not only help in diplomacy but everyday life that I will take with me when I graduate.” – Kaitlin Murphy, Youth Diplomat 2018-2021
When asked about her most significant takeaway from the program, Kaitlin responded, “The life skills of how to speak in public, plan and lead meetings, facilitate discussions, and problem-solve effectively.” An experience that stood out to Kaitlin was our youth exchange with the program Jóvenes en Acción with Mexican youth leaders. “They became so close to us and taught me how similar teenagers are from all over the world.” For our last question, Kaitlin answered what being a Youth Diplomat has meant for her: “It is something I am proud of because we are well-rounded and open-minded individuals who learn from each other and the international visitors.”
“Youth Diplomats has opened my eyes to the world around me and the importance of building meaningful relationships in diplomacy. I am forever grateful to the program for fostering my love of other cultures and communities through connecting me to outside opportunities like The Experiment Digital (TED) as well as through the various activities, simulations, discussions, and panels I participated in during our monthly meetings.” – Graybill Partington, Youth Diplomat 2018-2021
Graybill described how, “Being a Youth Diplomat means I have had the opportunity to experience life-changing interactions and build meaningful and impactful relationships, both of which have deepened my knowledge regarding diplomacy and international relationships.” She further described how, “The Youth Diplomats program has introduced me to a tremendous number of representatives from countless countries and allowed me to build meaningful connections with them, specifically the students I met through the Jóvenes en Acción program. Additionally, I was able to serve on the Leadership Council as well as both a participant and Facilitator in TED.”
“Previous to the Youth Diplomat’s program, I was nervous to talk with people about global issues because I thought that if I didn’t have enough knowledge on the subject, I would look unintelligent. The Youth Diplomats Program gave me the confidence to discuss global issues and has taught me how to ask questions.” – Lorelei Abell, Youth Diplomat 2021
In her interview, Lorelei described her most significant takeaway from her time as a Youth Diplomat this year, “My biggest takeaway from Youth Diplomats is that even though different people present them in different ways, everyone has ideas for a solution. Most people always want to solve problems, even if their solutions aren’t clear.” She also described the opportunities she discovered through this program, “Through this program, I’ve talked to people in places I never thought I could, and I’ve had the opportunity to be presented with new people, new ideas, and much more.”
“[Being a Youth Diplomat] means wanting to learn more about the world around us and the people that inhabit it.” – Anonymous Youth Diplomat 2019-2021
This Youth Diplomat’s most significant takeaway from their experience in the program is that “It’s important to have empathy and patience with every new person you meet.”
“Youth Diplomats has most greatly impacted my life by introducing me to people and topics regarding current events that I can approach from a different angle through discussion and diplomatic simulations. Learning to solve these real-world issues through effective communication and the understanding of incentives is another valuable impact Youth Diplomats has had on me.” – Andrea Contreras, Youth Diplomat 2020-2021
Andrea Contreras has been a part of the Youth Diplomats program from May 2020 to the present and serves on the Leadership Committee for the current cohort. She describes how the program has introduced her to cross-cultural interactions and the development of communication skills. For example, Andrea explains how interacting with students from Kosovo has helped her expand her understanding of cross-cultural communication and has been one of her favorite experiences from the program so far. “To me, being a Youth Diplomat means taking the extra step in solving miscommunication and problems among people of all cultures. Building relationships that deepen our understanding of the differences we have and facilitate the discovery of similarities is another important part of being a Youth Diplomat.”
“This program has widened the lens that I view the world through, creating a vastly more refreshing and globally-minded perspective that myself and others get to enjoy. Working side by side with my fellow Youth Diplomats has allowed me to foster friendships that will last a lifetime.” – Isabella Brammer, Youth Diplomat 2019-2021
Isabella describes one of her favorite experiences from the program, “The diplomatic simulations in our monthly Youth Diplomat meetings have continued to be a favorite of mine. Coming to the final solution after working through all of the conflicting ideas and beliefs of participating members is incredibly satisfying every time.”
Isabella describes her most significant takeaway from the program, “Youth Diplomats has led me to pinpoint my desire of having a career in the field of foreign affairs and diplomacy all while helping to build up the skills necessary for accomplishing that goal.” Furthermore, she described the opportunities she’s discovered, “Through Youth Diplomats, I’ve learned about opportunities from the Department of State such as The Experiment Digital, Youth Ambassadors, and 80 Faces of Exchange.” She continued to add, “Youth Diplomats has been an absolute game-changer for me, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the positive impact it has had on my growth as a person and citizen diplomat.”
“Being a Youth Diplomat means I get to take part in a world that is a lot bigger than my own, creating an identity as a global citizen that I didn’t even know was possible before joining this program.”
Gulf Coast Diplomacy is committed to fostering global awareness and citizen diplomacy for the youth in our community. These responses have reaffirmed this goal and motivated us to continue the gratifying work of connecting them with the global world.
– Eden Davenport
