Diplomat in Residence Floyd Cable visited campus Thursday to discuss government internship opportunities in Washington and abroad.
Cable spoke in the Campus Center Living Room during Chapel with 60 students of various majors and classification in attendance. He discussed various opportunities that joining the Foreign Service can offer as well as the different roles one can serve in as a foreign diplomat.
Cable joined the U.S Department of State as a foreign service officer in 1987 and has worked his way up to Minister Counselor. Cable is currently stationed in Austin serving as the Diplomat in Residence at the University of Texas.
Cable also touched on several different opportunities students have access to ranging from the professional side of political diplomacy, scholarship opportunities and loan forgiveness to the less tangible perks of traveling the world.
Cable urged students who expressed interest in diplomatic service to do additional research on opportunities available and offered students handouts and encouraged them to visit careers.state.gov to explore different job opportunities.
“If students possess any interest at all, do the research and check it out,” Cable said. “Visit the website and explore. We desire diversity. It’s not just for Ivy League graduates. Foreign service has constant variety, constant change and experience to diverse backgrounds all while serving your country.”
Cable didn’t start out wanting to be a Foreign Service Officer.
“I went to grad school with someone who did a Semester at Sea which is now under the University of Virginia,” Cable said. “I followed the next year, and for a year I lived on a passenger vessel at sea. While we were at sea, we were in class. When we got to port, we got to explore a little. One of my professors had previously served as a Foreign Service Officer and since I loved being overseas, I thought I would give it a try.”
Those in attendance seemed to respond positively.
“It’s interesting,” said Aaron Steward, freshmen political science major from Marble Falls. “It’s a different route and one that I have never considered before.”
