The regional officer for American Spaces in Central Asia talks about her path from librarian to diplomat, her work with 32 American Corners, and what she has discovered living in Kazakhstan.
Miquela Burke, Regional Public Engagement Specialist
About me
I'm the regional officer for American Spaces in Central Asia. I work with 32 spaces across the region, including 10 here in Kazakhstan. But I grew up in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Growing up, I didn't know that diplomacy or being a diplomat was even an option. My dream in high school was to become a doctor, but I eventually decided against that. When I was pursuing my master’s degree, I had to choose between a Master’s in Education or a Master’s in Library Science. I chose Library Science with a concentration in school libraries so that I could combine the two.
I was a school librarian in the United States for almost a decade. Then my husband became a diplomat and we moved to China, his first post. We later lived in Bolivia and Estonia. This is my first post as a U.S. diplomat, serving as a regional public engagement specialist. Living in all these countries, and sometimes working at the embassy or consulate as a spouse, I saw the wonderful work being done in public diplomacy, and I learned about American Spaces. One of the requirements for the job is a background in libraries, because American Spaces are often located in libraries. It seemed like a natural direction and something that I was very excited to do.
About my work
I'm a fairly new diplomat, but I have worked in other embassies and consulates before. I also worked in Estonia in the public diplomacy section, where I was involved with American Corners as well as press, media, and exchange programs. The main difference now is that in Estonia, I worked with one country and became familiar with it. Here in Kazakhstan, as a regional officer, I had to keep my eyes on what's happening across all five countries. It's nice, because I now have a broader, bird's-eye view of what's going on in Central Asia, instead of deep knowledge of each country.
I would consider myself a perfectionist, but working in this field has taught me to be more flexible. There's a saying, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Every day, some challenges or things change, and you have to be flexible to make them work. That's probably the biggest lesson I've learned — just be flexible.
On Central Asia
I am a librarian by education and profession. As a librarian, the first thing I did when I found out that I was coming to Kazakhstan was research, because that's what librarians do. But no matter how much research you do, you're never fully prepared for life on the ground once you get somewhere. What pleasantly surprised me most was how much more beautiful the country is than I had imagined. Almaty is gorgeous, especially with the mountains. The region I grew up in the U.S. also has huge mountains, so I immediately felt comfortable here, almost like being at home. In every country I live in, it's nice to meet people and discover what we have in common.
Last year, in September, when the Nomad Games were held in Astana, my family and I attended, and it was such an amazing and interesting experience. I watched the kokpar game and saw some of the horseback archery, and it was incredible not only to see the traditional clothing but also to watch people hit targets while riding at full speed!
One of my absolute favorite foods here — probably because it's the same dish that we have where I grew up — is baursak. In New Mexico, where I grew up, we have something similar called a sopaipilla, which is also similar to fried bread. The first time I tried baursak here, I thought, “This is so delicious — a little bit of home in Kazakhstan”.
The most difficult part is just figuring out the day-to-day things you take for granted back home. But there haven't been any difficult situations, because Kazakhs have so much hospitality. I work closely with our American Corner coordinators, who are from Kazakhstan. They're not only wonderful professionals, but people in general.
On work in Central Asia
American Spaces are designed to serve as U.S. cultural centers abroad, but what we're trying to do is build relationships between the United States and the people of Kazakhstan. Ultimately, we want to see Kazakh youth being equipped with the skills to succeed in life. When they do, it strengthens our relationship and makes both countries stronger in the long run.
Although I live in Almaty and work at the consulate, my position is regional. I work with all 32 American Corners in Central Asia. I'm an advisor for the different American Spaces, and I help train our coordinators. If there are questions about types of programming, that's what I help with.
There are similarities between Central Asian countries, but also differences. My experience has been that everyone I’ve worked with — whether at the embassy in Tajikistan or with coordinators in Turkmenistan — is intelligent, has a wonderful work ethic, and is nice to work with. I feel lucky that this is the first region I’ve worked in, and I wonder whether my next region will measure up.
Just last week, I attended the 89th International Federation of Library Associations World Library and Information Congress in Astana. Librarians from all over the world were there, and it was the first time the congress was held in Central Asia. Some sessions were in Russian and others in Kazakh, and I was impressed by how easily people switched between the two. It is such an amazing skill. I'm impressed by all of the people who switch between English, Russian, and Kazakh all the time.
Aside from flexibility, another aspect that I take away is the value of listening. I like to listen first and learn about the region, because that's really what informs the work everywhere we live, and the context is different everywhere. That's something that I learned when I traveled to another country for the first time. For instance, the first time I went to Tajikistan or the first time I went to Uzbekistan, part of what I do is talk to the coordinators and to the staff at the embassy, and listen to what’s going on here — what are your challenges, what are the things that you’re most proud of — and then we could move from there.
About plans
Unfortunately, I will be in Kazakhstan only through the end of the year, before moving to my next post, working with American Spaces in another region. In the meantime, I encourage readers to check out the Instagram pages for each American Corner, because each of them has a very different schedule. We do have some countrywide programs, such as the NASA Space Apps Challenge, which is coming up in October. It takes place in nearly all corners. More individual programs — different English clubs, reading clubs, guest speakers — depend on the individual corner, which is why Instagram is the best source for weekly schedules.
Advice
My most valuable piece of advice isn’t just for expats or women diplomats: find what you love and pursue it. When you're passionate about what you do, creating impact naturally follows. I’ve always been interested in working with youth, and American Corners give me that opportunity. The impact goes on for a long time.