Brenda Soya is the Public Affairs Officer at the Consulate General in Mumbai. She directs public diplomacy and outreach efforts to reach 400 million people in western India, further U.S. policy, and strengthen people-to-people relations. She leads Consulate General Mumbai's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility organization and is committed to the aspirational goal of women's economic empowerment. Her State Department career includes working in Sierra Leone, the Holy See (Vatican), Togo, and Burkina Faso.

Brenda received a master's degree in security studies at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, and used that degree to teach International Relations at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Brenda has a B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder, was a Presidents Leadership Class and a Boettcher scholar.

In this conversation, Brenda is sharing her personal ideas and not as a representative of any organization or of the U.S. Department of State.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

• Mind is Your Worst Enemy.
• The Many Layers of Culture.
• Recognizing and Managing Self-Doubt.
• Creativity as a Tool for Problem-Solving.
• Seeking Out Advice, When Ready for Feedback.
• Shadowing Adults to Broaden One's Perspective.
• Work-Life Integration: to Achieve Holistic Well-being.
• Living in a Diverse Community, Adapting to a Mountain Lifestyle.
• Making choices, serving one's Country, and sharing one's own Culture.
• Embracing Change: Focusing on the Potential for New Experiences.
• Navigating Cultural Differences, Cultural Faux Pas, or Cultural Shock.
• Being Open to Seizing Opportunities, Even if They Entail Uncertainty.
• Connection Between Language and the History and Culture of a Country.

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