High profile visit: Two US diplomats at DFG
Last Tuesday, November 14, the two American diplomats Heidi Ramsey and Linnette Franco visited the Deutsch-Französisches Gymnasium.
Ms. Ramsey works as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt, while Linnette Franco works as a diplomat for “Cultural Affairs and Press Relations” at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin.
The main reason for the visit was a discussion with class 1ère ES1 and three students from Terminale ES. The meeting was organized by the German-American Institute Saarbrücken.
The topics were very diverse: from “culture shocks” in Germany, especially when crossing the street when the traffic lights are red, to career choices. The difference between consulates and embassies was explained and stereotypes were refuted.. The biographies of the two diplomats were also traced in great detail: For example, their places of work ranged from Spain and Germany to Japan, Guatemala and Pakistan.
When asked what they particularly like about Germany, they both immediately mentioned people’s friendliness and tidiness.
However, what was most important to both of them was the choice of career. You shouldn’t be afraid to take risks in life. Even if you make decisions that later turn out to be “wrong”, you can always try something new: Ms. Franco herself was a Spanish and German teacher before her career as a diplomat. When asked what she likes best about her current job, she replied: “No day looks the same”…
