Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic with Global Learning Semester students.

U.S. university students spending a warm autumn in Cyprus through the Global Learning Semesters program learned about the challenges and opportunities of life in the U.S. Foreign Service during a visit to Embassy Nicosia on December 2, 2009. The students, hailing from both coasts of the U.S. and other countries around the world, are in Cyprus to take classes in international relations, history, and business. They are also absorbing new experiences first-hand by traveling to countries throughout the region during their semester abroad.

After an initial presentation and welcoming remarks from U.S. Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic, himself a former foreign exchange student in France, the students heard from officers working in different sections of the Embassy, including the Management, Public Affairs, Political, USAID, Economic/Commercial, Consular and Regional Security sections. They learned about the pre-Foreign Service backgrounds of each speaker that included careers in academia, investment banking, the military, law, and non-governmental organizations. In addition to learning how a U.S. Embassy operates day-to-day, they heard exciting stories highlighting the unpredictable and memorable experiences that help bond the men and women serving in the U.S. Foreign Service around the world.

Several students said that they were interested in pursuing a career with the U.S. Foreign Service, either as Foreign Service Officers or as Foreign Service Specialists. If you are a U.S. citizen interested in joining the ranks of the U.S. Foreign Service, you can learn more by visiting us at http://careers.state.gov.