Angolan youth get a taste of Embassy work through the Junior Achievement program
Photo: A. Bird, USAID/Angola
The Mission held a very successful Junior Achievement Job Shadow Day on August 13, with 29 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and State staffers being shadowed by an equal number of senior high school students. Student "shadows" started the day with a welcome by Ambassador Mozena and other staff in which the students learned why countries exchange embassies, with specific examples of how each counterpart works to advance national interests in host countries. Students shadowed staff in USAID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and State sections of finance, public affairs, general services, and maintenance.
The importance of this experience for students and staff alike was palpable during a pizza lunch where volunteers presented certificates of participation to their student shadows, culminating a six-hour program. The Junior Achievement Shadow Day gave students an objective view of the United States in Angola, a practical glimpse of possible careers, and a window into what it would take to make their dreams a reality. As Eliza, one of the students, remarked: "This was a very helpful and eye-opening experience because it allowed students to work with a professional for a day."
USAID supports Junior Achievement in concert with several private-sector partners in Angola.
