US Ambassador completes 50 school tour

U.S. Ambassador Robert Dieter’s term of office in Belize is about to expire. Aside from the diplomatic work he was engaged in, one of Dieter’s personal goals was to visit educational institutions around the country and share some of his own experiences with students. Today Dieter and his wife Gwendolyn visited Canaan and Nazarene High Schools in the City. News Five caught up with him as he wound this particular aspect of his mission to the Jewel.

Robert Dieter, U.S. Ambassador to Belize
“Well I visited two high schools today in Belize City. One of my personal ambitions while I was in Belize City was to visit all fifty high schools in the country. So today I’ve accomplished that right before I leave. This is sort of capping off my tour. I’m very proud of that. I’ve wanted to promote the idea of education and send the message to young people of how important education is to their future. Well each of the schools that I visited I’ve tried to bring some books and donate something to their library. Some of the schools in fact, those are some of the first books they received for their library. I’m proud of that and will remember those schools as well as the schools that are better resourced.”

Gwendolyn Dieter, Wife
“We’ve had a wonderful experience, so our departure is bittersweet. We know we have to leave but we’ve had a wonderful tour. Today was especially nice at Nazarene High school. As I said earlier, we lived just five minutes from here the first five months we were here in Belize and I drove by so often so I’m glad that our final school visit is here and it was so welcoming and warm.”

Robert Dieter
“I had a wonderful time in Belize, my wife is here with me today, she normally comes on these visits as well. We had a wonderful three and a half years in Belize and as I told the students we consider the greatest asset of Belize to be its people. The people are generally friendly and very warm. We’ve been welcome wherever we’ve gone and I’ve met a lot of wonderful people and met some new friends. It’s time for us to return home but we certainly always remember Belize fondly and the people we met here.”

Dieter returns to the United States next week. His successor will be named by the Obama Administration.