Students Meet U.S. Ambassador George P. Kent at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn

Insights from Ambassador George P. Kent and Public Affairs Officer Michael Snyder

We had an amazing visit to the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, where our students had the incredible opportunity to meet with U.S. Ambassador George P. Kent and Public Affairs Officer Michael Snyder. In this blog post, we’ll share some insights from that memorable visit, and at the end, one of our students, Bella, will recount her personal experience from a previous visit to the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn when she met with embassy officials.

The Ambassador George P. Kent warmly welcomed us, offering an insightful and engaging session on U.S.-Estonian relations. This was a particularly meaningful visit for the students, as Ambassador Kent is also a former CIEE student. During the meeting, the conversation touched on a wide range of important topics, including current political issues, the security landscape in Estonia, and how the U.S. continues to support Estonia. Sustainability and energy resources were also discussed, along with efforts to encourage Americans in Estonia to exercise their right to vote. Ambassador Kent shared fascinating stories from his career, providing students with valuable insights and advice for pursuing a career in international relations. His key message? Stay curious and open to learning. 

Now, we’d like to share a personal story from Bella, one of our Russian Language and European Studies program students, who visited the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn also in the beginning of her semester. During her previous visit, Bella had the chance to meet with Public Diplomacy Officer Mike Snyder and Political/Econ Officer Joe Bernath, and here is her account of that experience:

Bella’s Conversation with U.S. Embassy Officials in Tallinn

During my second week in Tallinn, I got the opportunity to visit the U.S. Embassy and meet with two Foreign Service Officers. During my recent summer as a Charles B. Rangel Undergraduate Scholar with Howard University and the U.S. State Department, I met Megan Tetrick, a former Thomas R. Pickering Fellow and current Baltic Unit Chief and Estonian Desk Officer at the State Department. Ms. Tetrick connected me with Estonia Public Diplomacy Officer Mike Snyder and Estonia Political/Econ Officer Joe Bernath.

The Embassy in Tallinn is quite different from other U.S. embassies, as it used to be an old apartment building! In the 1930s, the U.S. Embassy was just a room in the building, but it closed after the illegal occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union. When it reopened in 1991, the U.S. bought the building from its owners, who lived in the U.S. at the time. They are currently building a new embassy, which will open in 2026!

Mr. Snyder and Mr. Bernath informed me about the U.S. mission in Estonia, which includes providing a sense of peace for the country despite neighboring Russia. Mr. Snyder also talked about a recent camp that united Estonian-speaking children with Russian-speaking children. The U.S. works hard to foster unity and trust with Russian-speaking Estonians. We then discussed the importance of learning a foreign language, regardless of whether you end up using that language in your career. The experience of learning one language makes learning another easier! Finally, we discussed working in a medium-sized embassy like Tallinn versus a large embassy like the one in Moscow, where both officers had been posted previously.

Thank you to Ms. Tetrick, Mr. Bernath, and Mr. Snyder for this wonderful and informative experience!

Photo: U.S. Embassy in Tallinn

A Shared Journey of Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange

Both our group’s visit and Bella’s personal experience reflect the invaluable role of cultural exchange in fostering mutual understanding and cooperation between the U.S. and Estonia, while offering students meaningful opportunities to engage with global diplomacy and build lasting connections