Former Ambassador to Slovakia Visits Hawken’s Campuses
Last week Tod Sedgwick ’66, former US ambassador to Slovakia, experienced Hawken’s intensive classes first-hand by sharing his knowledge and expertise with students in both Scott Looney’s Politics and Public Opinion course at the Gries Center and Ken Clark’s Genocide class at the Gates Mills campus.
Middle School students also had an opportunity to engage with Sedgwick during a conversation held in the Headmasters Chapel at the Lyndhurst campus. In addition to sharing what it’s like to be an ambassador, he welcomed questions from some very curious students. Among the messages he shared were the following:
If you are interested in politics, get involved. Join a campaign, and don’t be discouraged if your candidate is way behind in the polls. The only thing we know for sure about politics is that it’s unpredictable. Sedgwick explained that he joined the Obama campaign in 2008 because he believed what the then senator stood for - even though he was not confident that Obama could win due to the fact that he was not widely known.
He also shared that US embassies operate differently than most others because we don’t just try to push agendas that benefit our own country; we are also global advocates for basic American principles: freedom of speech, protection of minorities, equal rights, the rule of law, democracy and independence.
Sedgwick closed by emphasizing to students that no matter what we all may hear about the waning influence of the US Government, we are still the most powerful nation on earth.
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If you are interested in politics, get involved. Join a campaign, and don’t be discouraged if your candidate is way behind in the polls. The only thing we know for sure about politics is that it’s unpredictable. Sedgwick explained that he joined the Obama campaign in 2008 because he believed what the then senator stood for - even though he was not confident that Obama could win due to the fact that he was not widely known.
He also shared that US embassies operate differently than most others because we don’t just try to push agendas that benefit our own country; we are also global advocates for basic American principles: freedom of speech, protection of minorities, equal rights, the rule of law, democracy and independence.
Sedgwick closed by emphasizing to students that no matter what we all may hear about the waning influence of the US Government, we are still the most powerful nation on earth.
An independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school, toddler through grade 12
Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
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