During her first visit to Tunisia, Cairo-based Information Resource Officer Suzanne Miller visited the American Corners in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax. She had the chance to meet with the coordinators and volunteers who make the spaces so vibrant. At the Franklin Center in Sfax, Suzanne met with members of the debate club, observed a debate session on the topic of Syrian refugees in the U.S., and provided feedback to the debaters. The same day she led a presentation on e-books and how they have reinvigorated reading in the U.S. At the American Corner in Sousse, Suzanne conducted an information session for graduate students on how to use eLibraryUSA, an American digital library available at all the Corners and at the Embassy’s IRC. In both Sousse and Tunis, Suzanne gave a presentation on “The Principles of Leadership” and discussed the qualities and ethics of a good leader. In her capacity as a former librarian, she highlighted the fact that “readers are leaders,” and that leadership and learning are, in the words of President Kennedy, “indispensable to each other.” This session was followed by a writing workshop where students watched a short video about leadership and engaged in a free writing activity followed by a discussion session. Suzanne had a great time interacting with the American Corner coordinators, the students, and the volunteers.
