Sweet Briar College Magazine - Spring 2017

Susannah Cooper
Susannah Cooper ’95 joined
the State Department in 1997
and has worked and lived
overseas 15 of the past 20
years, mostly in the Middle
East (Jordan, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab
Emirates)—and Jamaica. She
and her family are now in
Amman, Jordan, where she is
the economic counselor at the
U.S. embassy.
How she got there:
I wanted to work for the State
Department since I was in
high school. My husband and
I studied Arabic and have
worked mostly in the Middle
East. Coming to Jordan was a
great opportunity to serve at
the crossroads of so many of
our foreign policy priorities:
advancing Middle East peace,
defeating ISIS, promoting U.S.
business opportunities, expanding
people-to-people ties.
What surprised her
most: How much it’s the
same! U.S. products and
franchises are so popular. A
Magnolia Bakery (the NY
cupcake company) franchise
just opened in Jordan. The language,
culture, customs, traffic,
and more are all different, but
my kids can eat Cheerios wherever
we live.
How Sweet Briar
helped: I studied International
Affairs and Dr. Barbara
Perry and Dr. Jeff Key were
instrumental in my career
success. Dr. Perry supported
my application for a Truman
Scholarship, which funded my
graduate studies, including a
year at the American University
in Cairo. Their support not
only prepared me for a career
with State but also helped me
feel confident in my career
choice.
How she stays in
touch: Social media helps a
lot, but I wish I had more time
in the U.S. to visit the campus
and attend reunions. The alumnae
community has become so
much more connected over the
past few years, and that’s been
a great chance to catch up with
friends.
28 SBC.EDU | SWEET BRIAR MAGAZINE