At the age of 10, Uzbekistan native, Nursultan Eldosov, traveled internationally for the first time to Moscow, Russia for a visa interview at the US Embassy. After his family’s selection in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery to move to the US, his global perspective changed: “I found the 6000 mile journey showed me that there was a bigger world and international community of people.”

A People to People International trip to D.C. during high school, in addition to his experiences within the walls of the US Embassy, sparked his interest in public service, as it combines his interest in community service with his own personal international background, which includes speaking four languages.

Eldosov’s experiences at Georgetown University and internships at the US State Department through his Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship prepared him for various roles at The Fletcher School like being a family resource coordinator at the Tufts University Refugee Assistance Program (TURAP).

His coursework at Fletcher, particularly Professor Alan Henrikson’s class focusing on sustainable development and diplomacy, gave him insight into how to best guide the Afghan family he worked with.

In addition, Eldosov cited Professor Henrikson as role model after taking two classes with him. Professor Henrikson’s frequently discussed topic of “intellectual capital” in particular resonated deeply with him.

“Intellectual capital stems from your dedication to the study of a specific subject. When you sit down to study it [the subject] thoroughly and take notes, you can hold it in your brain and tie it into other things that you may not be able to see by just googling something,” he said.

When reflecting on his transformational experiences outside the classroom, Eldosov recalled his own immigration journey and the help his family received from his American neighbors. He stressed how small actions can have a large impact: “It doesn’t take much to have an impact but that doesn’t mean you take those responsibilities lightly.”

He will continue to take on public service responsibilities as a diplomat for the US Foreign Service in DC. For those interested in this field, Eldosov had the following advice: “Public service starts individually. Make the best of what you have and prepare yourself with education and experiences because that is public service within itself, having educated citizens.”

Learn more about other Fletcher alumni at: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/Students/Recent-Alumni