Megan, '04, and Mark Naylor, '05
After graduating with a degree in international studies—with a concentration in world politics and diplomacy—Mark’s first job out of college was working for UR as an admission counselor. In December 2006 he flew into Richmond International Airport following a series of high school visits and grabbed a shuttle into the city. Megan, who was sitting a few seats away, looked familiar to him. He looked her up in UR’s alumni directory as soon as he arrived home, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The two married in May 2010. Megan, a double-major in journalism and urban practice and policy, now works alongside Mark at the American embassy in Liberia as part of a two-year term with the Foreign Service.
Mark earned his master’s in public diplomacy from the University of Southern California and works as a Foreign Service officer with the Department of State. He serves as vice consul at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, where he manages the Fraud Prevention Unit, conducting visa interviews and providing citizen services to Americans. In grad school Mark interned for the Bureau of African Affairs and began his application process to the Foreign Service. After months of training he received the Liberia assignment and moved there in December 2009.
Megan joined Mark in Africa following their wedding. She initially did some consulting work with a local microfinance institution before starting with the embassy’s public diplomacy section in January. As a public affairs officer, she works to help Liberians understand American policy and culture by writing speeches and press releases, coordinating social media, and managing special programs and events. She also manages a large-scale public awareness campaign designed to offer alternative dispute resolution strategies for land disputes.
Before moving to Liberia, Megan worked for AmeriCorps and later worked in regional economic development for Virginia. Ultimately she decided to attend graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned a dual degree in business administration and city and regional planning.
“[Urban practice and policy] sparked my interest in urban issues,” Megan said, “and led to the pairing that would ultimately be at the root of my career—how to use marketing and communications to impact urban issues.”
Liberia is recovering from a 14-year civil conflict that destroyed its infrastructure, economy, and culture, Megan said. Many people live on less than a dollar a day in poor conditions, but she said people are optimistic.
“Living here has been remarkably inspiring and challenging at the same time,” Megan said. “It has certainly made me appreciate so many things I previously took for granted.”
While a student at Richmond, Mark took classes in comparative politics and international relations. He studied abroad in Accra, Ghana—providing the foundation for his interest in West Africa—and returned eager to work for the state department.
“Richmond helped me focus my career aspirations and provided me the opportunities to explore those interests,” he said. He credits his advisor, history professor John Treadway, with helping him narrow his career focus.
After taking a class on career and life development with the University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies, Megan realized she didn’t want to focus on big, aspirational career goals but instead wanted to seek out the most interesting, meaningful, and challenging work she could find.
“I’m probably a career counselor’s nightmare,” Megan joked. “My career goals have always been somewhat fluid, but my Richmond experience provided me with the skills and support system that have been the basis for my professional successes. As a result, I’ve been able to work my way up from one great job to another.”
Though their life in Liberia has been trying at times, Megan and Mark are eager to continue their work in international relations and head to their next post in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mark will be a Foreign Service officer serving as assistant cultural affairs officer; Megan will be a Foreign Service officer serving as vice consul.
“Our lives have almost completely changed since December 2006,” Mark said. “We’ve moved more times than we’d like to count. We’ve left jobs and friends and great apartments. We’ve gone back to school, changed careers, changed coasts, and changed continents … Whether it was fate, divine intervention, or just the pure randomness of the universe, I can’t imagine it turning out any other way.”
Originally printed in the fall 2011 issue of Artes Liberales.