After growing up on a farm in southern Idaho, I found Linfield College to be the perfect stepping stone to the rest of the world. With the academic opportunities and the people I met, I really came into my own during my four years in McMinnville, Oregon. I wouldn't trade that for anything.
I was pushed by my professors and peers to exceed my personal expectations, but I never felt overwhelmed. I left Linfield a better student, a harder worker, and a more conscientious person than when I arrived. I thrived on the small campus, where I was able to connect with people whose backgrounds and beliefs were vastly different from those of the people I'd grown up with.
Linfield's priority of exposing students to the outside world was what first attracted my attention as a high school student, and I took advantage of the opportunities by spending a semester in Austria and a January term in Cameroon. These Linfield experiences–both abroad and on campus–ultimately shaped my long-term career goals and my personal values.
Ryan Jones is a special assistant to the spokesperson at the U.S. Department of State. In that capacity, he drafts and compiles press guidance for the spokesperson’s daily press conference and for the Secretary of State’s media appearances around the world.
Jones grew up outside of Twin Falls, Idaho. After graduating from Linfield College with a degree in mass communication, he lived and worked in Austria on a Fulbright grant. After two years there, he moved to Washington, DC, where he earned a master’s degree in German and European studies from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.