Clare Reilly has been involved with Gulf Coast Diplomacy since 2020, first as a Youth Diplomat and then as a seasonal program officer with the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Her curiosity about the world expanded with each interaction with exchange participants via the IVLP, Open World, and the Youth Ambassadors program, leading her to...
In December 2025, Youth Diplomats participated in a virtual exchange session with Emma Kruusmäe, an honorary citizen of Pensacola. Emma shared her academic journey and her experiences with local governance and civic life in Estonia. The session provided students with an opportunity to learn how young people in different countries engage with their communities through...
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Gulf Coast Diplomacy is proud to expand its local impact in Northwest Florida. Exchange programs and citizen diplomacy help make our nation stronger and more secure, starting right here on the Gulf Coast. In 2026, we look forward to expanding on program themes that highlight how our community protects...
Youth Diplomats is a locally rooted program that equips high school students in Northwest Florida with the skills and confidence to engage with the world through education and dialogue. Each month, 34 students are invited to gather for interactive, youth-driven sessions that spark curiosity, leadership, and intercultural understanding. Many participants return year after year, creating...
When an IVLP group comes to Northwest Florida, we don’t just host them, we connect them with the people and places shaping America’s future. In September 2025, Gulf Coast Diplomacy welcomed eight participants from the Indo-Pacific for a seven-day International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) focused on cooperative efforts to combat transnational crime. The project was...
Gabby Hultstrand combines her love of golf with service to children in her community. Through her partnership with First Tee Gulf Coast, she organizes putt-putt tournaments to raise funds for pillows at Sacred Heart Hospital’s pediatric center and to provide scholarships for youth interested in golf. Inspired by her own experience receiving a blanket while...
Deborah Watts is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur whose work is grounded in providing a “voice to the voiceless.” She is the co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, created to honor the memory of her cousin, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was brutally lynched in Mississippi in 1955, and his mother, who devoted...
Daryan “Dare” Rose-Havens has built a life of service rooted in compassion and community support. A librarian in her 20s, she devotes much of her time to the Amazing Grace Bully Rescue in Pensacola, where she cleans kennels and fosters animals in need of homes. Her motivation comes from the belief that “we as a...
Jen Deubler’s dedication to environmental stewardship began when she discovered Ocean Hour on social media and embraced its mission to “defend our natural environment and wildlife by promoting a clean, peaceful, and fulfilling existence through community involvement and education.” She has played a key role in large-scale cleanups and the Borrow-Bins program, which promotes sustainable...
