Sunday morning in Macap√°, several representatives from the US Embassy in Brasilia stepped off a boat in the middle of the Amazon River and climbed aboard the MV Explorer.
The 5-member embassy contingent included John Matel, a Public Affairs Officer in Brasilia, Assistant Information Officer Aimee Dowl, and her husband Derek Kverno, Vice Consul Michael Cavy and his wife Shan Shi, .
Our guests had a busy shipboard schedule, attending Sunday classes such as “Global Marketing,” “Development Economics,” and “Anthropology of Food.” The most meaningful activity happened on Monday, though, when each hosted a separate informal classroom discussion.
The conversations were a perfect example to show students that international engagement doesn’t have to end with this semester. All five guests have vast international experience in a variety of fields, and students were eager to hear their stories and career advice.
Matel has made a career in the Foreign Service, serving for 26 years with assignments in Norway, Poland, and Iraq, and spoke to students about opportunities in the Foreign Service. Dowl additionally offered advice on travel writing and discussed her past career scouting for Lonely Planet guidebooks throughout South America. Cavy and Shi fielded questions on their two years with the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan and their experience teaching in Tibet prior to joining the Foreign Service. Kverno chatted with students about his career as a high school physics teacher with International Schools in Ecuador, Tanzania, and Brazil.
The shipboard community would like to thank our guests for their enthusiasm, advice, and insight. Although the visit was short, the impact will be long-lasting.
Click here to see what the diplomat’s visit meant to the students.
