Equipped with knowledge, our graduates leave with confidence, courage, motivation and drive. Like Catherine McAuley, they are fierce pioneers, passionate about making a difference in their communities and the world. – Mount St. Mary Academy Vision Statement
On Tuesday, January 8, a Mount St. Mary alumna returned to her hometown from Washington, D.C., as a diplomat for the nation’s lead foreign affairs agency. Special Agent Star Hy, who graduated from the Mount in 1997 and currently works for the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security, visited her alma mater to speak with students about her rewarding career path, exciting experiences abroad, and the work of the State Department.
In sharing her story and accomplishments, Ms. Hy shed light on diplomacy as public service and introduced young women to the Foreign Service as a possible career path. “There are many ways to serve your country, but I think one of the outstanding options is working for the State Department,” she said. “It is an amazing career and an amazing experience.”
In addition to getting to see different parts of the world and gain valuable life experiences while being exposed to different cultures, Ms. Hy acknowledged that her work was very fulfilling, as well. “Not only do I love my job, but everyone I work with loves their job, and that’s an amazing situation to be in,” she said.
Ms. Hy, who majored in systems engineering at West Point, encouraged students to consider degrees in STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – if they are interested in pursuing a career in foreign affairs. “You need three things to be successful in this job: leadership, which you gain [at the Mount], character and integrity, and you need to be a problem solver,” she said. “Being in STEM fields is going to show that you’re a problem solver, and right away it’s going to get you a leg up.”
Ms. Hy joined the Bureau of Diplomatic Security in 2009. Her initial work involved conducting criminal and administrative investigations for the State Department in Washington, D.C., as well as providing physical protection for the Secretary of State and visiting foreign dignitaries. Ms. Hy most recently completed a two-year assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, one of the largest U.S. embassies in the world, where she investigated U.S. visa and passport fraud allegations. Her next assignment will take her overseas to the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo.
Before joining the State Department 10 years ago, Ms. Hy served as a senior intelligence analyst for the Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She also served five years active duty in the U.S. Army as a military police officer and is a major in the Military Intelligence branch of the U.S. Army Reserves. In addition to her undergraduate degree from West Point, Ms. Hy holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University as well as master’s degrees in management and strategic intelligence from Troy University and the National Intelligence University, respectively.
Ms. Hy’s visit was part of the State Department’s Hometown Diplomats Program, in which diplomats visit educational, civic and local organizations in their hometowns to share information about the State Department’s work and why it’s important.
Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.