As a part of the Toronto Consulate’s Speakers Bureau Program, Management Officer Lisa Liao gave a presentation to International Baccalaureate (IB) students at Robert Bateman Secondary School in Burlington, Ontario on April 12, 2016. Robert Bateman Secondary School has an academically diverse student body and is a smaller school of 800 students in the Halton School District. The students in the IB program, who come from different backgrounds, travel from many different cities to attend the high school and most speak more than one language. Liao’s presentation focused on her experience in the Foreign Service and the opportunities and challenges that are part of a life as a diplomat. Student participation was good with approximately half of the students asking questions. Liao also handed out prizes to encourage students to answer her own set of questions which she peppered throughout her presentation. Among the questions asked by the students were: How do the different U.S. agencies work together with the Consulates and Embassies abroad? Is your job a 9:00-5:00 p.m. job? Are you on call all day? Has your ethnicity been a challenge for you in the diplomatic service? After her presentation, many of the students approached Liao to thank her and take photos with her.
