 Good afternoon, and thank you, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Chulit, for all of your hard work and that kind introduction. It is indeed a privilege to be here to conclude another remarkable historically Black colleges and universities foreign policy conference, and I share the State Department's deep appreciation to all of you for your participation today. As you learn about the work of the State Department, and I hope you are encouraged to think about how you, too, can become leaders in foreign affairs. I am a proud HBCU alum myself, having graduated from Howard University School of Law, and now serving as the first African American chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. My time at Howard is the foundation of so much of what I have done throughout my career. I've walked in the same hallways as Charlotte E. Ray and Thurgood Marshall and so many other notable Howard icons and Black civil rights leaders, which spurred my desire to pursue a career that would allow me to give back to my community. It's what inspired me to become an attorney, then an Assistant District Attorney, an Assemblyman in Queens County, and now a member of the United States Congress. And as a member of Congress, it has been my priority to create opportunities for those who come from communities like mine to explore careers in foreign service. After all, foreign service is public service. Our Foreign Service officers are representing America abroad, and it's important that those public service, our diplomats, look like the America they represent. When we have diversity in national security-related fields, our nation is better for it. Your opinions go a long way. Your thoughts are important. So I hope you gain a greater understanding of diplomacy and its value worldwide. This opportunity is unique and very important. I want to thank Secretary Blinken and the Senior State Department officials for acknowledging the importance of historically Black colleges and universities, and all the talent that they nurture. My good friend, who's a graduate of Howard University, and now the Vice President of these United States of America, Kamala Harris, serves an example of those contributions to our great nation. It is important that Americans around the country understand why U.S. foreign policy matters. You heard from diplomats who are committed to tackling the global challenges from climate change, environmental policy, to the utilization of technology and data to support our efforts abroad. Clearly, our world is more interconnected than it's ever been, and the global challenges we face require global solutions. And democracy is at the heart of it. So after you leave the conference today, we ask you to keep conversations going at your college or university, and in your communities and your homes. Talk to your brothers and your sisters, your nieces and your nephews, and your friends. I have no doubt that our future ambassador is viewing this live stream right now. And I challenge you to take today's discussions, suggestions, and testimonies to fuel your goals. Whether you plan to apply to Howard University's Wrangler Fellowship, or the Donald Payne International Development Fellowship, or the Pinkerton Fellowship, or take the Foreign Service exam, this opportunity at the HBCU Foreign Policy Conference was meant to build your leadership to become the future diplomat of tomorrow. So thank you for your time, and we hope to see you for day two of the HBCU Foreign Policy Conference. Enjoy.