‘Passing the Baton’: Powerful Women Empower Aspiring Professionals
By: Samantha Hiller, Bureau of Human Resources, U.S. Department of State
From my first day as an intern at the U.S. Department of State, I have been treated as a capable and valuable employee, which in turn has made me want to take part in all that I can. Recently one of the most rewarding experiences here was the opportunity to participate and assist with the second annual Career Opportunities for International Relations (COIR) Symposium, an event promoting career opportunities for women within international relations.
The State Department partnered with American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) to host the symposium with this year’s theme of “Passing the Baton.” The all-day event provided the opportunity for students and young professional women to hear from and interact with an incredible group of women, ranging from ambassadors to senior producers at renowned television networks.
One of the first panelists of the morning was Ambassador Kristie Kenney, the Counselor for the U.S. Department of State. After hearing about Ambassador Kenney’s experiences being a woman in the Foreign Service as well as her encouraging perspective on women in the workforce, I said to myself, “When will you ever have the chance to stand up and ask a professional woman of her caliber a question directly?”
The intimate and safe environment created by the event’s organizers allowed me to feel comfortable asking a question I may have never had the courage to pose in other settings. I asked, “Being a young woman, walking into a room, sometimes I feel that I have to prove my worth before my opinion can be valued. What has your experience been with this type of situation and what type of advice could you provide?” The essence of her response — if you are invited to sit a table, then you have the right to be there. Sit up straight, roll your shoulders back, and speak up when you know the subject matter, and simply listen if you don’t. This answer is a piece of advice that will never leave me.
Each woman on the program that day had a different story to tell and no two stories was the same. Hearing how each of these women has excelled throughout their lives reminded me that there’s no one career path, but only endless possibilities.
It was extremely motivating to engage with this series of panels that included over a dozen remarkable women. An essential factor that contributed to the event’s success was instead of simply hearing stories from these women’s lives, there was an open discussion. The level of engagement from the group of young women who attended was high and the speakers’ advice was well received. I personally appreciated that these women exemplified the importance of never letting the stigma that still sometimes exists with being a professional woman dishearten them or discourage their efforts. For me, the symposium solidified the need to take advantage of professional opportunities as they become available to me while ultimately following my own moral compass.
The entry also appears on DipNote, the State Department’s official blog.
