Eastern Grad Zachary Marotte from Middlebury Studies Diplomacy in Poland

2015 Aug 24

Recent Eastern Connecticut State University graduate Zachary Marotte '14 completed a workshop this summer at the European Academy of Diplomacy in Warsaw, Poland. Along with aspiring diplomats from 14 countries, Marotte, who hails from Middlebury, spent a week in July at the academy's School of Fundamental Diplomatic Skills -- he was one of two Americans in the program, which included approximately 20 participants between the ages of 20 and 36.

"Over the course of five days of rigorous instruction, we gained a better understanding of how relations between nations develop and what skills diplomats need in this increasingly globalized world," said Marotte, who majored in history at Eastern.

Led by university professors, media professionals and political figures from the region and beyond, workshop topics ranged from public speaking, to bilateral negations, to leadership styles, to procedures for handling embassy crises.

"Because of the workshop, my world outlook has been significantly altered for the better," said Marotte. "Not only did I learn to appreciate the intricacies of diplomacy, but also how pivotal of a role the United States plays in global politics."

Currently employed by the business solutions company Tsunami Solutions, Marotte aspires to become a diplomat. "Becoming a member of the Foreign Service is a great way to effect change in the world," he said. "With countries opening their doors and economies and international systems so interconnected, diplomacy is more important now than it's ever been."

Marotte's next step toward becoming a diplomat may be serving in the Peace Corps, where he would like to teach English in Ukraine. "There is no set formula for becoming a diplomat, but it's a path I'm wholeheartedly committed to," he said. "Opportunities lay in wait for those who actively seek them out. Moreover, the presence of an enthusiastic mentor always makes a difference," concluded Marotte, pointing out that his former professor Cesar Beltran encouraged him to apply for the program at the European Academy of Diplomacy.