May 2023

I just returned from a wonderful trip to Bali and Bangkok. In Thailand, I hosted a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Alumni Summit for 200 people. See this link to a video to learn more on the YSEALI program. The public diplomacy team out of the U.S. Embassy in Thailand was great to work with. Our YSEALI alumni were delighted to be back together. All three goals of the Alumni Summit were met: (1) connect or reconnect with fellow YSEALI alumni, (2) develop professionally through workshops co-facilitated by YSEALI alumni with our program staff from University of Nebraska at Omaha and our partners at Arizona State University, Portland State University, and Kennesaw State University, and (3) spark ongoing collaboration across the ASEAN region. A highlight was having U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, Robert Godec, as our keynote speaker. Love my job!