This semester I am interning at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. Ambassador Ken Brown is the President of this private non-profit organization that runs many educational programs about the history of diplomacy. ADST is located at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia. My internship has given me a first hand look at the Foreign Service, and has given me the opportunity to meet many esteemed retired Ambassadors as well as many current Foreign Service Officers. For anyone who is interested in a Foreign Service career, it is a great place to get hands on experience.

Leavy: Ambassador Brown, when did you decide to go into the Foreign Service? Had you traveled a lot growing up?

Ambassador Brown: Well in high school I decided I wanted to do something with civic service, and then a girl in my class told me about the Foreign Service and told me about majoring in international affairs― it seemed like something I wanted to do. I went to Pomona College in California and then I went to Yale University for a one-year graduate program. Both of these programs were in International RelatLife in the Foreign Service: ions. I took the Foreign Service exam during graduate school and passed it. I then spent a year and half in the military, and then finally was hired by the State Department as a Foreign Service officer. Today the waiting time between passing the exam and getting hired is about nine months. Actually, my first post with the Foreign Service was my first time overseas. I had traveled around the United States, Canada, and Mexico but I had never been anywhere else.

L: So I’ve heard a lot of rumors about this brutal Foreign Service exam…What was it like when you took it?

B: Well, it was basically like taking a final exam in every course ever taken! Like one big SAT! There is a general knowledge section which is the body of the exam― it tests subjects you would expect like American History, American Government, Geography, and Economics. But it also tests subjects like Architecture and Art. Very few of the questions had to do with International Relations. There is also an oral section of the test; I was interrogated by three State Department officials. Today the oral section is more of a group workshop; they test to see how well you work in a group. I think reading the New York Times every day helped me pass the test.

L: Okay, so a year and a half after you passed the exam you finally got hired― where did they send you?

B: My first post was in Algiers, Algeria. I served as a consular officer and then as a political and economic officer. Over the course of my career I also served in Washington, DC a number of times. I worked for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research on Africa. I was also a desk officer at the State Department for Zambia and Malawi. This means I was the main contact for the US Embassies in these countries and for the foreign embassies here. Later on I served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in Africa at the State Department in Washington DC. Throughout my career I served in Congo and Belgium as a Foreign Service officer of different levels. I was appointed as an Ambassador, the highest position at the post, first in the Republic of Congo from 1981-1984. I then served as the Consular General in Johannesburg, South Africa. This was a great time to be there because of all the resistance against the Apartheid- it was so interesting to see what was going on. I have also served as the Ambassador of Cote D’Ivoire and of Ghana –each for three years. I retired in 1995 and became a professor and an administrator at Davidson College and am now the President of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training in Arlington, VA.

L: Wow, for a kid who’d never left the country, you did so much. Do you have a favorite post?

B: The interesting post, as I said, was South Africa. Politically it was so incredible to see what was going on. I also really enjoyed serving in Ghana- the people there were very approachable.

L: Ambassador, you have so many great things to say about your experience in the Foreign Service- what were the harder aspects about living abroad?

B: Well my first wife hated living abroad, my first post we had a 10 month old child, and they sent us into the war zone of Algeria. The marriage didn’t work in the end― maybe because of all the moving around. I did find a woman who took to the Foreign Service like a duck to water. She loved moving around and was great at serving at the post. It can be very hard to raise children abroad- especially at hardship posts where amenities are rare. Schools can be hard to find, especially qualified and English language schools. Additionally, posts can be unsanitary and it can be hard for children to make friends. It is harder for women, men traditionally aren’t willing to give up their career and follow their wives’ career. However, that is changing; there are many couples who both work for the Foreign Service and can serve together. The State Department is also great at providing jobs that are available for spouses at the posts. Although it can be hard to leave friends and family behind, to pick up and move even when you don’t want to, and to do whatever is asked of you- at any time, I would do it all over again if I had the chance. My children are educated and well-rounded, speak different languages. I’ve lived all over the world, and served my country in a job that actually matters.

L: Ambassador Brown, your experiences sound truly incredible- I know so many of my peers would love to able to tell stories like these one day…do you have any advice for us?

B: Well you know there’s no educational requirement for the Foreign Service― technically you don’t even need a high school diploma. But I recommend a major in International Relations and probably getting a Graduate Degree. Be well read- especially in current events. I never had an internship in college, but they seem like great experiences. Do a semester abroad. The Foreign Service is really looking for people who can adapt well to foreign cultures. Many Foreign Service Officers have served in the Peace Corps. Also, something I think is really important to know how to write accurately and concisely― it is a skill we use every day. Also, don’t expect to make a lot of money. You don’t go into the Foreign Service to get rich. But there are housing allowances, also hardship allowances for more dangerous posts, and sometimes an allowance for entertaining local politicians. I really think the Foreign Service is one of the best lifestyles and career options available.