School of Public Policy

Considering a Career in International Public Service:

An Intergenerational Conversation with Giants Who Blazed the Trail

Join us for a Generations Dialogue based on the content and lessons learned from The Young Black Leader’s Guide to a Successful Career in International Affairs: What the Giants Want You to Know. Generations Fellow Leonard Cisneros (current George Washington University graduate student* from Southern California) will engage in conversation with Mr. Jesse Coronado, who blazed a trail in the US Foreign Service. The conversation will dive into Mr. Coronado’s experiences, challenges, and advice drawn from his career in international public service. This conversation will include topics such as the rewards of an international public service career, convincing your family it’s a good idea, imposter syndrome, being your authentic self, and more. This session is part of The Generations Dialogue Project for supporting a more representative American foreign policy.

Mr. Jesse I. Coronado served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State in Bangladesh, Jordan, Belize, Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Portugal, Haiti and Colombia. He served as interim Deputy Chief of Mission in Belize, Honduras and Portugal; led logistical support efforts for visits by Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama; headed real estate acquisitions of new consulate general properties in Sao Paulo and Tijuana; and, purchased a large parcel for an embassy housing compound in Port-au-Prince after the 2012 earthquake. Jesse was the recipient of two Superior Group Awards, a Meritorious Step Increase and five Meritorious Honor Awards.

The Generations Dialogue Project aims to increase the number of under-represented youth who pursue and succeed in American foreign policy careers by connecting young Americans with giants who blazed a trail in American foreign policy and international affairs.

The Project seeks to:

• increase the number of participating high school students who pursue university study related to international affairs;
• increase the number of participating undergraduate students who pursue graduate study related to international affairs;
• create for all participants an informational and support network for careers in international affairs;
• and demonstrate a model for generating pipelines of under-represented groups and supporting them to successful American foreign policy careers.

* The George Washington University is home to the Elliott School of International Affairs, whose mission is to educate the next generation of international leaders.