Ben D.

Background

About Ben D.

Ben is an Officer Candidate in the Foreign Service of the United States of America. Among other professional experiences prior to his appointment into the U.S. Foreign Service in July 2024, Ben taught oral English at Mianyang Teachers' College in Sichuan, China, as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer and was a Desk Officer for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management in Washington, DC.In addition to his professional experiences, Ben also volunteers as the provisional president of the Peace Corps China Association, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Washington, DC, dedicated to preserving the legacy of Peace Corps China and to promoting a sense of community among Peace Corps China alumni.He holds a Master of Arts degree with concentrations in China Studies and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Furthermore, he is also the recipient of the 2020–2023 Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Dean’s Scholarship, 2021–2022 James and Margaret Loe Memorial Fund Fellowship in China Studies, and 2021 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship.His interests include diplomacy, history, federal HR regulations, personal finance, Chinese elite politics, and musical theatre. All views are his own.