Madeleine Albright

Hello! My name is Madeleine Albright. I was born Marie Jana Korbelová on May 15th, 1937, in a beautiful city called Prague, in a country named Czechoslovakia. My childhood was very different from what you might imagine. When I was just a toddler in 1939, my family had to run away from our home because a great danger was spreading across Europe. We moved all the way to England to be safe. After the war finally ended, we were able to return to our home in Czechoslovakia. But our peace did not last for very long. In 1948, when I was eleven years old, another big change in our country's government forced my family to leave everything behind once again. This time, we traveled across a huge ocean to a new land called America.

Arriving in America felt like a giant adventure! Everything was new, different, and so exciting. I had to learn a new language, English, and make friends in a new school. I was so thankful for the freedom and safety my family found in our new country. I wanted to be a true American, and on a very proud day in 1957, I officially became a U.S. citizen. I loved learning and I studied very hard in school. My father, who was a diplomat and a professor, was a great inspiration to me. From him, I learned how important it is for different countries to talk to each other and work together peacefully. I knew right then that I wanted to be a part of that important work someday.

I continued my studies and went to college. I worked so hard that I eventually earned a special advanced degree called a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1976. After all that learning, I became a professor, just like my father! I taught students all about world affairs and how countries interact with one another. But I didn't just want to teach about it; I wanted to help make a difference. I started working in the government, where I helped leaders make important decisions. Then, in 1993, President Bill Clinton asked me to take on a very big job. He wanted me to be the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. The United Nations is a place where people from almost every country in the world come together to solve problems. It was my job to speak for America and help build friendships with other nations.

After I spent four years at the United Nations, President Clinton gave me an even bigger responsibility. On January 23rd, 1997, I became the U.S. Secretary of State. This was a huge moment because I was the very first woman to ever have this job! As Secretary of State, I was in charge of America's relationships with all the other countries in the world. I traveled on airplanes to almost every corner of the globe to meet with kings, queens, presidents, and prime ministers. I even had a fun and secret way of sending messages without using words: through my pins! I had a huge collection of brooches, and I would choose a special one to wear on my jacket each day. A sparkly butterfly pin might mean I was feeling hopeful, while a crab pin could show that I was feeling a little frustrated. It was my own special code!

My time as Secretary of State ended in 2001, but I didn't stop working. I went back to being a professor, wrote books about my life and experiences, and continued to travel and speak about the importance of democracy and countries working together. I lived to be 84 years old. Today, people remember me as a girl who came to America as a refugee and grew up to become the first female Secretary of State. I hope my story shows you that no matter where you come from, you can achieve amazing things and use your life to help make the world a better and more peaceful place for everyone.