Alvizures, Seten receive national scholarships
Kendra Alvizures ’19 said South Dakotans are grossly underrepresented in the U.S. Foreign Service.
That could change in the near future thanks to her selection as the first South Dakotan chosen for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program for 2021 and Hattie Seten chosen as South Dakota State University’s second-ever Rhodes scholar.
Seten, who is set to graduate in May, was named a Rhodes scholar Nov. 21. The Sioux Falls native and Lincoln High graduate aspires to be a U.S. ambassador. Seten also applied for the Pickering Fellowship, and was selected as a finalist, but withdrew due to the Rhodes selection.
Both majored in political science, global studies and Spanish and were in contact during the application process.
“I had reached out to Hattie via Facebook shortly before my interview,†said Alvizures, a Mitchell native. “She had recently been named a Rhodes scholar, so I knew that she had experience interviewing at the same level I had to for the Pickering Fellowship. She provided truly valuable insights into what kind of questions I could anticipate and how to best explain that being a South Dakotan is actually an asset to the service. We also did a mock interview for about an hour one night via Zoom to go through some potential interview questions.
“I would say that the biggest takeaway I had from my Zoom mock interview with Hattie was that I needed to maintain my confidence. It really gave me the reassurance I needed going into my interview that I belonged with the State Department, and that I was just as qualified as the other applicants,†she continued. “Hattie really seemed to have the same passion I do for the Foreign Service and ambassadorship, which just compounded my own certainty.â€
“I’m excited Kendra has this opportunity, and I think that she will be a great representative of South Dakota while she is serving in the U.S. Foreign Service,†Seten said.
Preparing for Oxford
While excited about the honor and moving to Oxford, England, for at least two years to pursue a master’s degree in global governance and diplomacy and another in refugee and forced migration studies, Seten is busy making sure everything is ready for graduation in May. However, despite majoring in three subjects and serving as Students’ Association president, she is also “learning about the University of Oxford and the Department of Politics and International Relations, meeting with other 2021 Rhodes scholars via Zoom and watching ‘The Great British Baking Show’ and ‘The Crown’ to hopefully get ready for my new life in the United Kingdom.â€
Living in another country is nothing new for her as she has already lived in Marrakech, Morocco, and Amman, Jordan, studying Arabic under a U.S. Department of State National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholarship and a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship. She was also a fellow in the Public Policy and International Affairs Program at Princeton University this past summer and completed an internship with the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City in 2019.
All of that work, and hours of coursework and extracurricular activities were part of her plan for a career with U.S. Foreign Service that started as a child.
“My mother (Stacie Gehret) is an artist, and my childhood was enriched by the arts and visits to all types of museums. Viewing and learning to appreciate works of art from across the globe has long made me curious about the world,†Seten said. “I now channel my curiosities into my passions for foreign affairs and helping those around me. Though I’m not quite an artist, I find beauty in language, culture, service and relationships, and those each drive my desire to pursue a career abroad.â€
Meeting sparked drive
Alvizures met former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright when she was at SDSU in 2015 as part of the Daschle Dialogue series, which has brought several individuals to campus to talk with former Sen. Tom Daschle ’69.
“I remember Dr. (Evren Celik) Wiltse saying I’d have the opportunity to meet Madeleine Albright, who had been a personal hero of mine,†Alvizures said. “To see that a woman like her cared about what was happening in South Dakota, it proved people in Washington do know we’re here and care about us. If a woman like Madeleine Albright, who was not born in the U.S., can work her way to be the first woman secretary of state, there’s nothing to stop me in my pursuit of a career
in the State Department.
“I seriously started considering a career in the State Department after my first semester at SDSU,†she said. “I had a few faculty members who were really invested in me and my goals. I knew it was my pipedream career and never realized it was a possibility until I applied for this fellowship.â€
Thankful for assistance
That career idea started when studying other cultures as an elementary student. It picked up steam when reading “The Ugly American†for Introduction to Global Studies.
“It opened my eyes to the potential that sincere efforts of dedicated, well-informed civil servants have to change the lives of those around the world,†Alvizures said. In every aptitude and interest exam I took, the Foreign Service was at the top of my lists of potential careers. As I researched the Foreign Service further, I realized that it truly was perfect for me. Not only is the career everything that I’m looking for, but the lifestyle and organizational culture are, as well.
“The opportunity to experience the world, while also performing extensive volunteerism and cultural connections, is the perfect combination of service education that I believe in. Sadly, South Dakotans are grossly underrepresented in the Foreign Service. In working for an organization who values diversity in its workforce, I am honored to represent my home state on both the national and international stages.â€
Seten agrees.
“Receiving the Rhodes scholarship is a testament of the strength of the academics, support and opportunities available at South Dakota State University,†she said. “I am thankful for my professors who challenge me to think deeply and critically, our administrators who ensure that students like me have access to support and enriching opportunities to learn and grow, and my peers who provide encouragement and friendship outside of classes.â€
-Matt Schmidt
