Letter from the AAFSW President

June 2026

To our supporters, Department of State colleagues, federal stakeholders, and the global SOSA community,

For more than three decades, SOSA has nurtured imagination and initiative within the Foreign Service community, encouraging embassy personnel, including family members, spouses, and partners, to explore the human, unscripted dimensions of American diplomacy.

Through their volunteer work, SOSA awardees extend the impact of their roles beyond traditional expectations, showing how creativity, compassion, and civic engagement strengthen the U.S. presence overseas.

Across the U.S. Department of State's regional bureaus, SOSA has supported interdisciplinary projects that merge diplomacy with service. These efforts build community ties, support underserved populations, and create meaningful connections between American diplomacy and local engagement. The experiences generated through SOSA initiatives offer a lens for renewed understanding, inviting us to reflect on the values that shape the American story: service, resilience, generosity, and the belief that individuals can create meaningful change.

SOSA has also become a hub for connection among unlikely partners, a place where ideas become action, sparking new relationships, long-term commitments, and innovative solutions for our global community. The SOSA Legacy Report illustrates how the Award continues to open new perspectives. AAFSW thanks Former Secretary James A. Baker III and Mrs. Susan Baker for their vision, the U.S. Department of State for its support, the Una Chapman Cox Foundation for supporting this report, and all who have taken part in the SOSA journey.

With warmest wishes,

Celine Ford

President 2022–2026

The Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW)