Step by Step
Some prospective college students embark on cross-country tours of a dozen potential universities and, once they arrive at their chosen institution, spend the next four years trying to decide what to do after graduation. But Hannah Urtz (SFS’20) enrolled in the SFS with a specific plan in mind. “I often say that I had decided to pursue a career in the Foreign Service in high school and then reverse-engineered how to get there,” she explains.
Now, Urtz is one big step closer to achieving this goal: this fall, she passed the Foreign Service written exam on her first try. Ambassador Cynthia Schneider, one of Urtz’s former professors, describes this accomplishment as “practically unheard of.” Passing this rigorous and wide-ranging examination—which includes sections on American history, foreign policy, situational judgment, and managerial knowledge—typically requires multiple attempts.
Urtz attributes her first-round success mostly to her Georgetown education. “I have spent the past few months listening to a ton of foreign policy podcasts, and then I spent the preceding week before the exam brushing up on U.S. history and civics, but most of my success is due to me just being at Georgetown and in the SFS,” she says.
An interest in international relations and journalism, as well as Georgetown’s long-standing relationship with the Foreign Service, initially drew Urtz to Georgetown. “It felt right the moment I stepped onto campus,” she adds.
Global Experience, Local Engagement
In her nearly four years at Georgetown, Urtz has taken advantage of a wide range of opportunities both in and outside
the classroom. In the spring of 2019, she enrolled in the Centennial Lab’s Politics and Performance course, which explores the role of art in remembering and recovering from conflict. The class, co-taught by Schneider and Professor Derek Goldman, takes students to Cambodia to explore how local artisans and performers remember the genocide carried about by Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.
“I’ll never forget the experiences of floating down the Mekong in a riverboat while talking with genocide survivors and listening to traditional Cambodian music,” Urtz says. She recalls this experience as one of the most memorable moments in her time at Georgetown.
Urtz also credits the Politics and Performance Lab for introducing her to Amb. Schneider, who she cites as one of many professors who have supported her throughout her undergraduate career. “Amb. Schneider has been a huge influence on my decision to pursue the Foreign Service and has been incredibly supportive and helpful throughout the process so far,” she says. “She’s an incredible resource, like so many of my professors, and truly wants to see me succeed.”
On her part, Schneider describes the class as an opportunity for SFS students like Urtz to apply their political knowledge in a new context. “Our class showed her something she had not previously seen before in her Georgetown classes—how arts and culture can be integrated into policymaking,” Schneider says.
Urtz has also pursued opportunities to apply the skills she has learned in the classroom while living abroad in India and Jordan. In the summer of 2017, she was in Anantapur, India, interning with VFF USA to improve quality of life for poor communities in rural areas. “India was fantastic because of the level of engagement I had with my students while teaching English. I do think it can be difficult to volunteer abroad in a meaningful way, but I loved building those relationships and working to make an impact in the local Anantapur community.”
While studying in Jordan her junior fall, Urtz shared more thoughtful dispatches from abroad, publishing a column in The Hoya about her experiences called Amman It. Throughout the semester, she reflected on drought, cigarettes, public transportation, and building meaningful connections abroad. Urtz also had the chance to brush up on her Arabic while interning. “In Jordan, getting to use and develop my Arabic, particularly in a professional setting, was huge,” she said.
Back on campus, Urtz has served as news editor and a member of the Board of Directors for The Hoya, and she’s a member of Delta Phi Epsilon, Georgetown’s foreign service sorority. “I think my involvement on The Hoya and in DPE have helped round out my educational experiences and prepared me well for the kind of work I intend to pursue,” she says. “The Hoya has been a great way to refine my writing, teamwork, and leadership skills, while DPE has connected me with so many other women interested in foreign service, showing me that there are many different ways to achieve your goals.”
Looking Ahead
As Urtz wraps up her time at Georgetown, she’s looking forward to her own plans after graduation. Based on her responses in the personal narrative stage of the process, in which she was asked to write a series of essays about leadership, intellectual skills, communication, and adaptability, Urtz has been invited to participate in the oral assessments, the final major round of the Foreign Service Officer Test. “I honestly did not expect to make it this far on my first attempt, so I am thrilled,” she says.
In the meantime, she plans on joining a federal consulting firm to gain more exposure to the different departments and agencies within the U.S. government.
If she passes the oral assessment in May, Urtz will receive a conditional offer of employment, through which she’ll pursue the Public Diplomacy track. “My interests in international relations and in journalism and media really fit nicely together within the realm of public diplomacy,” she explains. “I think the work undertaken by public diplomacy officers has the power to shape global narratives and perceptions of the U.S. around the world, and that’s a mission I want to contribute to.”