Nelia Hill:
CLASS OF 1975
J. Eugene McAteer High SchoolClass of 1975
San francisco, CA
Nelia's Story
I am one of the first members of the JROTC Girls Drill Team - joined when we had to attend Polytechnic until the McAteer campus was finished and ready for students. Being in JROTC was great for me. I enjoyed the camaraderie of everyone and the activities we participated in..
After high school, I went to City College and took random classes not knowing what career track to take. Worked for hospitals, schools, insurance companies and the Government as a secretary or an Admin Assistant. Stayed on the Government track and eventually got into the Foreign Service with the US Department of State in Washington, DC where I became an Office Management Specialist (OMS). After extensive training, including language, my family and I were sent to Prague, Czechoslovakia.
While my three children (then 12, 9 and 5) attended the international school, I worked at the U.S. Embassy (1991-94). Following this, I was assigned to other embassies in Abidjan, Cote d’Iviore, West Africa (1996-1998); Tokyo, Japan (1998-2001); Seoul, Korea (2001-2005); Brussels, Belgium (2005-2008); Seoul, Korea again (2008-2011); Prague, Czech Republic (2011-2014); Washington, DC (2014-201...Expand for more
7); then Beijing, China (2017-2020).
During my career, I met many wonderful and talented people, including Ambassador Shirley Temple Black, Presidents Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr., George Bush Jr., Bill Cliinton, Barack Obama, Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, and Hillary Clinton, Governor Arnold Swartzenegger, numerous NASA astronauts, including John Glenn; and worked with countless U.S. Ambassadors, Foreign Service officers and specialists, and law enforcement agents of various agencies.
Life in the Foreign Service was not always easy - living in foreign countries, adjusting to their cultures and languages, and missing family, friends and life back home. But we made the best of everything. My children adapted well, and graduated from high schools overseas. They put themselves through college in the U.S. and earned degrees, have great careers, and are now married and raising their own families.
I am happily retired and married to a retired Navy Chief who loves making me laugh. Along with my three children, I helped raise three of my five step-children. We currently have nine grandchildren, and live in Texas!
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