Many young adults in America today may feel they have little value in the eyes of political figures and elected officials because of their youth.
Don Beyer, however — who recently completed service as U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein — debunked such a notion during his speech last night in Huntsman Hall, which capped off the Penn Democrats’ 2013 speaker series.
Beyer, who also had a long career in Virginia politics and served as lieutenant governor of the state from 1990 to 1998, urged members of the student audience to become involved in the political causes that most interest them.
The former diplomat reflected on his own experiences working on political campaigns and observed, “Most politicians today are accessible as long as you are willing to engage with them.”
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Once Beyer opened the session to accept questions from the audience, he spoke fondly of his days as U.S. ambassador, a post to which President Barack Obama appointed him in 2009.
Beyer noted that his work as a diplomat had a very different scope than the tasks that he managed during his time as lieutenant governor.
He recalled, for example, that as ambassador he had to become involved in negotiations with Iranian officials to convince the Iranian government to release three American hikers who had been arrested on the Iranian border. Such an activity was a far cry from the local tax issues and child support enforcement that he handled previously as lieutenant governor.
Beyer was particularly adept at connecting with the members of his audience. “He really gave an honest speech and had a different path to his position,” College sophomore Bryan Hoang said.
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While Beyer originally wanted to attend medical school and become a doctor, his career goals changed when he started working at one of his family’s car dealerships. Beyer, however, has no regrets. He explains how, in politics, “instead of healing people one at a time, you have a chance to heal societies.”
Beyer’s visit was the last event for Penn Democrats’ 2013 speaker series, which brought a different dignitary to Penn every week of the semester.
College junior and Penn Democrats President Matt Kalmans said Beyer’s speech was a perfect closing for the semester’s events because “we have brought in a lot of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia figures — gubernatorial and senatorial candidates — and it is great to end the semester with someone who has served at the highest level, federally and globally.”
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