Director's Message

This winter quarter marks the arrival of our twentieth class of John Glenn Fellows in the nation's capital. With an alumni network of over 265 Fellows, many now living and working in the Washington community, others around the country and the world, we are proud of our students’ professional successes. Now, we look forward to another academic term that includes stimulating guest speakers and terrific study tours to The World Bank, The Library of Congress, The National Air and Space Museum, Mount Vernon, and other regional treasures.

At the heart of our program is the mission to cultivate sophisticated policy analysis and a dedication to public life. Our alumni are working in professions that reflect their training, are in graduate programs that are giving them expertise in a variety of fields, and are publishing articles and papers on topics triggered by their experience in the Washington Academic Program. I expect the same rewarding results from this class.

The current cohort of Glenn Fellows is composed of students from a variety of backgrounds and diverse majors, from International Relations to Physics and Astronomy, from Economics to Geography, Anthropology to American-Indian Studies. Their field placements range from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to the White House Initiative for Tribal Colleges and Universities, from Capitol Hill to the International Women’s Democracy Center. I expect our seminar discussions will be as lively, informed and diverse as this range suggests.

Since September 11th, 2001, our students have felt both a renewed commitment to public service and active citizenship, but also the insecurities of contemporary life in a dangerous world. It is hard for many of us to get used to going through metal detectors and having our personal belongings searched when entering America's secular cathedral, the majestic Library of Congress, or the repository of the People's treasures, the National Gallery of Art. These new realities are daily reminders of how much our city, our nation, and our world have changed over the past five years.

I am proud of our students for continuing to seek opportunities for personal and professional growth in Washington and for their commitment to public service. Washington remains one of the most interesting and compelling places in the world to see how people sort out the various contemporary challenges facing this society and the world. The presence of the vibrant Embassy communities and the many international journalists and organizations based in Washington give us richness, texture, and other views of ourselves and the world. Now more than ever, we cannot afford to be parochial.

Despite the tremendous tensions, violence, and complexities in the world today, we hope that the future will bear peaceful fruit and remind us of the good work public institutions and public-minded individuals can accomplish when one puts community and country before self-interest, and when political life is informed by rich debate, intellectually compelling arguments, and diverse opinions exchanged with mutual respect and civility.

---EMB, January, 2007