Sydney Scarlata, Class of 2012, works in the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. She serves in embassies and consulates abroad, protecting the interests of United States citizens. Most days, Ms. Scarlata spends about four hours in the morning interviewing hundreds of people who want to travel to the United States for tourism, as temporary workers or as international students. In the afternoon, she confirms that all of the cases that she approved actually move forward.
Under this new administration, I understand that it has had an effect on many State Department workers. Has it had an effect on your job in any way?
“I think that we’ve been pretty lucky — we as in the whole of the Foreign Service — in terms of how the new administration has affected our operations and our current posture overseas. That said, everything can change day to day, including new policy that could affect our jobs or if we still even have jobs.”
Looking back on your time at U-High, what experience or moment had the greatest impact on shaping who you are today?
“Lab taught me how to ask good questions, how to think critically about the world, how to be open and curious, and how to thrive in new and diverse spaces. So I don’t think there was any one moment, but just studying in the U-High environment made this career possible.”
When you were at U-High, what career path did you envision for yourself, and what inspired that choice?
“I thought I would be a journalist after working on the Midway for four years. And it’s funny, some people I’ve run into, who I haven’t kept in touch with, will even ask me if I ever became a journalist, given who I was at Lab. But I think that experience taught me how to talk to any type of person. And that’s a huge part of my job here, so it still translates a little bit. Also being a good writer is always an asset.”
What led to that change in direction?
“After Lab, I studied international relationships and was inspired to work and live abroad. I joined the Peace Corps after undergrad and served in Morocco for two years. The Peace Corps inspired me to continue doing work in public service.”
What achievement in your career are you most proud of, and why does it stand out to you?
“Before moving to Toronto, I worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the U.S. government has a very large and influential presence. The country is still recovering from the 1990s war, and unfortunately there’s a huge amount of corruption in the country today. A lot of my work in Bosnia was to combat this corruption by holding bad actors accountable for their actions.”
Throughout your career, what event or experience has most reshaped your understanding of the country?
“It’s pretty clear to me that many Americans don’t know how our system of government works, what we do in the government and what we do for American citizens. Honestly, it’s been a real honor to serve the public. And I try my best to help people understand how the State Department works for them and at the end of the day, works to uphold the U.S. constitution.”
What do you think about public service? Is there anything else you would like to add that you think U-High students should know?
“I think government work gets a bad reputation as lower paying and pushing paper through a slow moving bureaucracy. That said, I’ve had the opportunity to live in three different countries working for the US government. I got paid to learn a foreign language for nine months. I developed and implemented a girls empowerment program in rural Morocco. There’s just so much diversity in government work and something for everyone. So if you have a passion for service, it could be a great option.”
