I've been looking through some of the recent posts on this forum and now I feel compelled to share some unsolicited advice. I'm guessing I'm probably older than most of you posting here, so I'm just going to assume the position of everyone's 선배 ("sunbae" - a Korean term for those older/more senior than yourself).
Applying for the Boren, or one of the similar awards like it that provide the chance to spend time abroad and engage with foreign cultures, is itself a statement of interest and an indication of willingness to commit to at least a part of your career in public sector/international service, etc. That passion for service does not end if you do not get the award (if it does, you had entirely the wrong motivations for applying.) Even if you are a senior/in your last year of graduate school and this is your last year of eligibility for the Boren and some of these other awards, this is NOT your final/only chance to pursue those passions. Of course, you are all aware of this on a logical level, even though it may not *feel* like this on an emotional level (believe me, I've been there.)
Consider this: if you listen to the stories of any given handful of Foreign Service Officers, they will say they transitioned into the foreign service from all sorts of backgrounds (one of the more memorable I recall was a former air traffic control specialist or something like that). A large majority had one or more prior careers between college and entering the foreign service. Not one of the dozen or so FSOs I've met in person mentioned they were a Boren alum.
What do you do if you don't get the Boren? You don't freakin' stop. You apply for jobs in federal, state, or local government; at nonprofits; or the private sector. If you can get jobs in your preferred country/region of interest, or a job that deals directly with your area of interest, more power to you. If you can't, that doesn't mean you can't remain engaged. Read. Read the news, blogs, and/or scholarly articles pertaining to your country/region of interest. You were looking forward to meeting and forming friendships with foreign nationals? Reading literature from that country is the next best thing. (If English translations of literary works from your Boren country are not easily accessible, more reason to seek them out and signal to US publishers and media companies that American audiences are indeed interested in non-Anglocentric stories.) If you leave in or near a city with a consulate for your country, see if they host or sponsor cultural events open to the public. If you're amenable to doing to the teaching English abroad thing, try doing that, even if no such opportunities exist in your Boren country or region. While I had a ton of complaints about my own experiences teaching both in Korea (where I've applied for the Boren) and in Europe, it provided me the chance to work at a foreign workplace and earn income to allow me to more freely explore the culture of the places where I lived - and to travel further afield to nearby countries as well. Twenty-year-old me, who had never been abroad, would have been shocked to learn that in a few short years, I would be standing in front of classrooms of children and teenagers - and on different continents! While I think I've moved on from teaching, I can appreciate the personal and professional growth I gained from it.
What do you tell your letter writers if you don't get the Boren, as @Sarahpennies asked a while back? You don't say, "Sorry I let you down. *List of apologies for personal deficiencies.*" Nah, dude. You put yourself out there in applying for this, and your letter writers believed in you enough to vouch for the value to be gained for yourself, the Boren Awards program, the United States, and your host country should you be granted this opportunity. So, you thank your letter writers for taking the time to write and send your recommendation. You explain to them how you will continue your interest in and engagement with this country and/or language. They know it's basically a game of chance in who gets an award and who doesn't. They will appreciate knowing that they attested to your sincere dedication to learning about other cultures, and that you will be undeterred in exploring this interest moving forward.
Finally, keep in mind that, by doing what we are doing, we are disproving the stereotype of Americans as arrogant, insular, and disinterested in the rest of the world. While it may be difficult to remember depending on what circles you run in, the very act of applying to such opportunities is a privilege that few can even imagine. True, there are a lot of Americans for whom Las Vegas passes as an exotic travel destination, but I think there are a lot more who would like to travel or study foreign cultures (but can't, for whatever reason) than acknowledged by popular discourse. Our very engagement with the wider world, and sharing some of our knowledge and experiences with others, bridges an important gap.
