Council on Representative
Leadership Abroad
Connecting students with global leaders through curated speaker engagements and career-focused conversations.
Who We Are
The Council on Representative Leadership Abroad (CORLA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization comprised of senior executives in diplomacy, foreign policy, and international business who are committed to advancing student inquiry into international affairs careers through direct engagement with C-suite practitioners. CORLA partners with academic institutions to expand their global network capacity by connecting students with global leaders through curated speaker engagements and career-focused conversations.
Our Mission
Our mission is to inspire students across the United States to pursue careers in diplomacy, foreign policy, and international business to ensure America’s global leadership broadly reflects the full range of perspectives from every U.S. state, territory, and community.
Career Mapping
Beyond inspiration, CORLA helps students understand how global careers actually work- examining the various international career pathways, the professional journeys of senior-level industry leaders, and the practical steps students can take today to pursue these paths.
Global Leader Engagement
CORLA connects students with senior global leaders including, current and former diplomats, foreign policy practitioners, and business executives through curated conversations that make international careers tangible, accessible, and realistic.
What is Representative Leadership Abroad?
The United States is a vast country in terms of geography, economy, culture, and lived experiences. Representative leadership abroad means ensuring that America’s engagement with the world draws from the full breadth of talents, experiences, and perspectives found across every U.S. state, territory, and community.
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Representative leadership abroad is about participation and advancing the principle that all students should contribute their unique insights to America’s diplomatic and commercial leadership abroad. These perspectives strengthen decision-making, improve international collaboration, and helps the United States to engage more effectively on the global stage.
Partner Testimonials & Student Insights
Freshman, UBalt
"I never considered another language because as a Latino, I'm fluent in Spanish. Now I think I may need to start learning Chinese."
Sophomore, UDC
“Hearing directly from someone who represented our country abroad made everything we’d studied feel real. The speaker didn’t just explain theory, she talked about actual negotiations and trade policy. It completely changed how I understand diplomacy.”
International Educator, UMES
"CORLA made this event so easy for us! We are so grateful for your partnership!"
Freshman, Howard U.
"I thought the State Department was the only path to a foreign policy career. I have so much more research to do now!"
Department Chair, UM
“This was one of the most impactful guest lectures we’ve hosted. The World Bank executive brought real-world credibility and balance to complex economic issues. Our students gained insight they simply wouldn’t get from textbooks alone. We plan to make this an annual collaboration.”
Postgraduate, UBalt
"I never heard of a think tank before today, I would like to be part of a community that comes up with ways to keep our country safe."
Senior, GMU
“As someone considering taking the FSOT, it was incredibly helpful to hear about career paths, internships, and what daily work at the State Department actually looks like. The speaker was honest about challenges with getting hired and how to stand out in the candidate pool, which I really appreciated.”
Postgraduate, UM
“What stood out most was how open the speaker was about real policy challenges and ethical dilemmas. It pushed me to think more critically about what we discussed in class and gave me examples I now reference in papers and discussions.”
Academic Dean, UWM
"From initial outreach to post event follow up, CORLA was professional and responsive. They matched us with a speaker whose expertise aligned perfectly with our department goals. Our faculty and students both rated the event very highly."
Freshman, Howard U.
“I came to Howard as a interdisciplinary studies major because I was still undecided. Listening to the OAS representative who actually represented the U.S. abroad made diplomacy feel more meaningful. After the talk, I met with my advisor and switched my major to Spanish. It helped me see a clear path forward.”
Freshman, UBalt
"The speaker's discussion helped me to realize just how important the United State's role is on the global stage. I learned so much!"
Dean, Business School CU
“The speaker was exceptionally well-prepared and tailored the discussion to our course on investment banking abroad. Students were engaged and asked more thoughtful questions than usual. Mr. Burns handled all the logistics, which made this easy to integrate into our syllabus.”