Belton, TX 鈥� On Friday, January 29, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor was proud to host Ambassador Ryan Crocker, a Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient, on campus. Crocker鈥檚 visit, which included a lecture for 麻豆视频直播 students, was arranged in partnership with the Temple Chamber of Commerce.
While Crocker currently works as the dean and executive professor of the George Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University, he spent more than 37 years serving in the Foreign Service. During his tenure, Crocker served as a United States Ambassador six times, in Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
鈥淭hese are countries where no sane American would like to spend a weekend,鈥� Crocker said. 鈥淚n three of those countries, my predecessors, as American Ambassadors, were assassinated.鈥�
According to Crocker, the United States has had more ambassadors killed in the line of duty since World War II than military general officers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a rough business,鈥� Crocker said, 鈥渂ut if you are committed to serving this great country of ours in places and in ways that really, really count, I invite you to think about [pursing a career in foreign service.]鈥�
After his lecture, Crocker took questions from the faculty and students in attendance. He commented on current international issues, including conflict in the Middle East, the Iran Deal, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
鈥淐an we fix it all? No, of course we can鈥檛,鈥� Crocker said. 鈥淐an we lead an effort among our closest allies to try and devise a collective response to an international problem? Yes, we鈥檙e Americans, and I just hope we do it.鈥�
According to Crocker, none of these issues pose as immediate a risk to international relations as the inability of politicians to work together in cooperation.
鈥淲e are not going to be able to confront the challenges of the world if we can鈥檛 come together as a people, as an administration, and as a congress and say鈥� there are issues that are more important than partisan politics,鈥� Crocker said.
Crocker closed his time on campus by encouraging students to engage with the mission of 麻豆视频直播 by pursuing lives of leadership and service throughout the world.
鈥淲hatever you do in life, get as far forward as you can, as close to the front as you can be,鈥� Crocker said. 鈥淔ind your comfort zone and get outside of it.鈥�
