While finishing his master’s degree in 1996, Samuel Werberg ’94 says that it was then when he realized how big the world was and how little he’d seen of it. After three years volunteering for the Peace Corps, he briefly worked in the private sector before deciding he was meant to be abroad. He joined the U.S. State Department as a diplomat in 2004 and has been there ever since. Living and working in places like Kuwait, Bangkok, Baghdad, Rabat, and his current post in Cairo, have allowed him and his family to travel around the world and experience different cultures.
As press attaché and embassy spokesperson, Werberg believes that the most important lesson he’s learned during his career advocating for the United States is that “just as we have our own American interests and work to defend them, so do others as they work to defend their countries’ interests all over the world.” He says we have to find ways to meet each other in the middle as best we can, while still holding onto our values.
While studying sociology at Hamilton, Werberg became friends with several international students and credits them with igniting his interest in seeing the world and recognizing the importance of understanding others. He strongly encourages Hamilton students and graduates to consider working and interning at the State Department. “... without a doubt, a strong part of my skill set is the writing and speaking skills I picked up at Hamilton,” he says.
(See how more Hamiltonians are making a difference in their communities and beyond on the Because Hamilton campaign website.)
