A familiar name to AMINEF was featured in the November 2015 edition of Essence magazine. Karen Evans, a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Samarinda, East Kalimantan in 2010, was described by the magazine as “one of 29 powerful Black women in the White House.”

Recently, Karen shared with AMINEF her story on how she ended up working at President Obama’s office and official residence for these past six years.

Life after Fulbright started a little bit rough for Karen. She returned to the States in 2011, after serving as an ETA at public senior high school SMAN 10 “Melati” in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, for ten months. She then joined 14 million other Americans who, according to CNN, were jobless at that time. The high level of unemployment in 2011 was an after-effect of the recession that hit the US economy in 2008.

“Adjusting back to life in the United States was a little tough at first. . . . I was unemployed for a few months, so I was broke and bored,” Karen recently told AMINEF via email.

Karen’s frustrating job search did not stop her, however, from keeping a positive attitude. Instead of idling around doing nothing, she volunteered for President Obama’s re-election campaign. She also volunteered at several institutions and events including the 2012 Democratic Party National Convention. After the Convention, she was hired on as an Executive Assistant.

Karen’s struggle, determination, and positive thinking paid off in 2013 when she started working at the White House as a Special Assistant in the Office of Management. Now, two years later, she is Assistant Director in the Office of Cabinet Affairs.

“Working at the White House can definitely seem like a dream, but it can also be incredibly hard work. I am constantly reminded of how privileged I am to work here – whenever I have a moment to step back and reflect,” she said.

Among her current duties at the White House is to maintain communication between the President’s office and other cabinet agencies. Karen said her Fulbright experience in Indonesia had equipped her with skills to work as a public service officer. In Indonesia, she became accustomed to working in unfamiliar and sometimes challenging situations.

Before starting her Fulbright teaching assistanship in Samarinda, Karen had been afraid that the cultural and language barrier would make people difficult to accept her. In addition, she said, she had been anxious about overcoming Indonesians’ stereotypes of Americans, and vice versa.

“Despite those challenges, I was able to push myself to leave my comfort area and it was great! I don’t think I had a major revelation when I completed my grant but I always remember thinking that no matter how different cultures may be, personalities are the same,” she said.

Recalling her Fulbright experience, she said she had had a great year in Samarinda. The warmth and sincere friendship extended by her fellow co-teachers, students, and neighbors were deeply felt.

“I really felt adopted by my school and a lot of my neighbors in a way that is pretty rare in the United States,” she said, adding that she occasionally chats with her Samarinda friends over social media.

As someone who experienced the benefits from the Fulbright program in her personal and professional growth, Karen said that whenever she met young Americans, she would encourage them to join the Fulbright ETA program.

“I suppose some people are afraid to go so far away from home, but if you go, and decide to stay positive and to have a good time, then you will have a good time,” said Karen.

Photo Credit: http://bitly.com/EssencePhotoGallery