FYIDC | WHO’SNEXT
WHO’S NEXT
The Embassy of Panama’s Karla Gonzalez is a rising star on a mission
BY ERICA MOODY
A
Fulbright scholar and former
transactional attorney, Karla
Gonzalez, 29, is the Embassy of Panama’s deputy chief of mission. She
speaks of a journey devoted to scholarship and service.
WHEN DID YOU START WORKING AT THE EMBASSY,
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS ROLE AND WHAT DO
YOU DO? I started working at the Embassy four
years ago as part of my post-Fulbright commitment, following a stint at a New York City law
firm. In terms of transition, it wasn’t about a
client’s needs anymore but about the country’s
national interests. I quickly fell in love with
the possibility of contributing to my country
in some way and making it a better Panama
for Panamanians. What started as a short term
20
YOU ARE VERY ACCOMPLISHED AND PRESUMABLY VERY BUSY. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU
LIKE TO DO AROUND TOWN TO UNWIND?
Concerts. To me, there’s nothing like
live music. I also love to draw and paint
pieces inspired by the local architecture
that only I can call “art”; it’s mostly
unintentionally abstract paintings that I
will only hang in my apartment.
commitment, is now my current job. I am the
senior advisor to the Ambassador of Panama on
bilateral matters with the United States, which
is a great honor that carries great responsibility.
Panama’s alliance with the U.S. is one of the
most strategic and durable in the hemisphere.
THE FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP IS AN AMAZING
ACHIEVEMENT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT RECEIVING
THAT HONOR FELT LIKE AND HOW HARD YOU WORKED
TO GET IT? Honestly, I was surprised I passed the
exams, and even more in shock that I scored
the highest in the country. The multiple Fulbright exams and interviews are designed to
test all of your academic abilities, but also your
weaknesses. I wasn’t sure my score in physics
(yes, physics!) was going to be the best; after
all, I was going to law school. But there’s a life
lesson there: you succeed when you are able
WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT PANAMA? I miss
the beach. Panama is forever connected
to the sea and it shapes who we are
and our place in the world. I miss the
short distances and having lunch with
my family at home every day. I miss the
roads that will take you from our very modern
city to the beautiful countryside in no time. I
miss our people and their kindness, our food,
our slang, and the feeling of being at home.
I miss long conversations in Spanish and our
beautiful old quarter (Casco Viejo). And did I
mention I miss the beach?
YOU ALREADY HAVE A DISTINGUISHED CAREER.
WHAT’S NEXT? WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE LIFE AMBITION? I don’t have a singular, ultimate life
ambition. I think the journey is all about the
collective experiences and relationships one
accumulates over time that lead to a truly rich
life. I do have personal and humanitarian values
that guide that journey, which can be summed
up in the Latin American maxim: “enjoy life
and help live.” If I have done both of those
fully, I can say I’ve had a good life.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| O C T O B E R | washingtonlife.com
P H OTO BY TO N Y P OW E L L
YOU MOVED TO THE U.S. FROM PANAMA
TO ATTEND HARVARD LAW SCHOOL. WHAT
WAS THE TRANSITION LIKE? The “American way” isn’t foreign to Panamanians
because of the historical relationship
between Panama and the U.S. In my
case, I grew up in the city in the ’80s
and ’90s, with “Seinfeld,” twinkies,
and friends from the Canal Zone,
so the transition was a comfortable
one in terms of culture and general
understanding. I must admit, though,
that Google Maps saved my life a few
times. I grew up speaking English and
Spanish at school: it wasn’t thrilling
to take World History twice a day in
different languages but it served me
well later on. Coming from a very close and
annoyingly happy Latin American family, it was
hard to be away from my loved ones although
technology made it a tad better: Skype wasn’t
optimal, but came in handy especially in that
time of the year when it gets dark at 4 p.m.
and is really cold!
to combine your abilities and use your
weaknesses to solve a problem. How I
think I achieved it? My parents made
sure that my education consisted of an
integral training of the brain, body, and
soul – and I am grateful for that every
day.