All photos in this series were taken by Zoe DeYoung.
On Friday, Jan. 27, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Global Public Affairs Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau visited Webster’s School of Communications. During her visit, a forum was opened for students and faculty to ask Trudeau questions.
The Q&A, led by Dean Eric Rothenbuhler, covered a range of topics from foreign affairs, what it’s like to work at the U.S. Department of State, the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war and wise social media use.
Trudeau also acknowledged the current misinformation crisis.
“Be conscious consumers of media. If you see something that enrages you, realize you are being manipulated,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau delved into stories of her travels while working as a senior member of the Foreign Service. This caught Khoushleem Bano’s attention, pictured, who is an international student from Pakistan.
“I felt so connected when I came to know that she also served in Lahore, Pakistan as the U.S. Consul General,” Bano said. “As an international student, I was so curious to hear about her experiences in other cultures and if it was easy to adjust and mingle with them. Upon asking this question, she said that ‘when we learn about other cultures, it’s easy to adjust with them.’”
As the session ended, Trudeau took time to answer personal questions, offer advice to students about internships with the U.S. Department of State and stopped to take selfies.