Both of the guest speakers that came into our Supply Chain Management class brought insightful information on the topic of sustainability in Greece as well as the US embassy. The guest speaker regarding sustainability at the American College of Greece was super passionate about the topic and provided good insight into how the college has been changing its campus. She explained how they have a sustainability club on campus, which encourages everybody to join in keeping the sustainability conversation relevant. Also, the guest speaker mentioned how the college is fighting for the usual renewable water bottle on campus, as she mentioned it is more common for students from the United States to carry reusable water bottles around. She said that plastic water bottles are very popular in their culture. However, this is obviously very detrimental to the environment. She explained how the campus will have to build water stations, which can be costly, so that is their current hurdle. It was amazing to hear how passionate the speaker was about this topic and how she knows there is a lot of work to be done on campus.

I found the guest speakers from the US Embassy incredibly fascinating, and I was so excited to hear everything they had to say about their lines of work. The lady was explaining how she had to intention of working for the government during or even after college, but as she gained her experience, she realized it might be something she’d be interested in. She explained the application process to the Embassy and how she got rejected several times but had to work with the system in order to eventually become accepted. She provided helpful advice regarding applying for jobs, and I admired her dedication and focus. She went on to describe the lifestyle of the employees in the Embassy, and I was completely shocked by how much traveling and moving it requires. She told us that employees are required to move every 4 years, around the world, to various locations. She explained that when you have a family, it is obviously more challenging however the Embassy provides great accommodations for a family. For example, the government will pay for the children to go to school, so the kids end up going to prestigious private schools. She also explained how the government pays for various expenses such as housing, travel, and education, so the job comes with many perks. Hearing her story taught me that it takes a specific person to do this occupation, and even though the pay might not be the best, the benefits that come with traveling around the world are worth it.