Congrats on making the brave decision to leave the Foreign Service! Its prestige and allure can suck us in and keep us trapped in an unhealthy environment. My own experience as an entry-level female U.S. diplomat of color can be compared to going to a gourmet restaurant and getting very severe food poisoning. It’s only after the shock wears off that you realize that the facade was an optical illusion.
Hi Jenny - I was one of your A-100 coordinators and found your substack through your Fortune article. I'm so sorry you had the negative and gaslighting experiences you detail so clearly. I'm so grateful you're sharing your experience and look forward to following your work/buying your book/telling all my friends and colleagues to do the same!
Hey hey - As for bilingual education for your kids, even if they're home with you you might want to supplement. We do distance learning with 2 great teachers (one in Peru in Spanish) and another in Portugal (for Portuguese). We started in the US and have kept them wherever we've traveled. And just 2x/wk has been great for their fluency and pre-school aptitude. And it is affordable. If you want recs, lemme know.
And happy to help w/ your writing pursuits: nafeesahallen.com - book publishing is a beast w/ a lot of different players in the mix.
Keep well sis. And protect your peace at all costs :)
I love the perspective you're sharing here. A mom, journalist, traveler, first-gen... I know so many moms that have had to pivot in their careers because of the exact things you share: cost of childcare, burn out, etc... Looking forward to hearing more about your pivot!
Congrats on making the brave decision to leave the Foreign Service! Its prestige and allure can suck us in and keep us trapped in an unhealthy environment. My own experience as an entry-level female U.S. diplomat of color can be compared to going to a gourmet restaurant and getting very severe food poisoning. It’s only after the shock wears off that you realize that the facade was an optical illusion.
Hi Jenny - I was one of your A-100 coordinators and found your substack through your Fortune article. I'm so sorry you had the negative and gaslighting experiences you detail so clearly. I'm so grateful you're sharing your experience and look forward to following your work/buying your book/telling all my friends and colleagues to do the same!
Hey Jordana! Of course I remember. Thank you so much for your kind words!
Hey hey - As for bilingual education for your kids, even if they're home with you you might want to supplement. We do distance learning with 2 great teachers (one in Peru in Spanish) and another in Portugal (for Portuguese). We started in the US and have kept them wherever we've traveled. And just 2x/wk has been great for their fluency and pre-school aptitude. And it is affordable. If you want recs, lemme know.
And happy to help w/ your writing pursuits: nafeesahallen.com - book publishing is a beast w/ a lot of different players in the mix.
Keep well sis. And protect your peace at all costs :)
thank you so much for reading and these great suggestions. I have checked out your website and I am a subscriber!
Such a marvelous set of experiences & insights! Excited to hear how you develop these ideas! Write on!
Thank you for your kind words and support ! It means a lot!
I love the perspective you're sharing here. A mom, journalist, traveler, first-gen... I know so many moms that have had to pivot in their careers because of the exact things you share: cost of childcare, burn out, etc... Looking forward to hearing more about your pivot!
Thank you so much for everything Martha! as usual, I am grateful for our friendship
How long did you work at the State Department before resigning?
almost 5 years