From an Adobe House to the White House

Last year, The Fletcher School asked alumni to reflect on their experiences for the school’s 90th anniversary. In celebration of the holiday season, Pedro C. Moreno F87 looks back on his journey to Fletcher and where the school led him in his career and life. 

I emptied my mailbox at the post office in Bolivia when I found a crisp, ivory envelope. My heart skipped when I read the sender: The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

I couldn't believe it. It was a miracle. I had been accepted for the summer program, and classes would soon begin. Without wasting a moment, I went to my law school and requested an early defense of my thesis on The UN Code of Conduct for Multinational Corporations. I was a leftist student leader, deeply critical of capitalism.

In just two weeks, I made travel arrangements, defended my thesis before four professors who awarded me the highest honors, and graduated as a lawyer. On my way to the airport, I stopped by the bank where I worked and handed in my resignation. 

Arriving on campus for the summer program, my classmates advised me to drop the class with Professor Alfred Rubin. They said he was the toughest, and I needed an A or better to compete for a spot in the MALD degree program. Determined to earn my spot at Fletcher, I went to work and researched primary sources, including rare books at the Library of Congress. Not only did I receive an A from Professor Rubin, but I was one of only two students admitted to the full program, from a waiting list of about 100. Another miracle.

My first year at Fletcher was paid for by a loan from a relative in the United States, which I repaid with the only inheritance my mother left me. As my second year approached, I still hadn't secured the necessary finances. Then, another miracle: a check from the Organization of American States arrived, covering most of my tuition. Overjoyed, I ran to the bursar’s office, and Fletcher provided a scholarship to cover the remaining balance.

So, how could I not believe in miracles? Sure, I studied hard, earning top marks in law school. I was motivated and determined. Still, so were others who were competing with me and did not make it to Fletcher.  

The miracles seemed to follow me. At Thanksgiving, with nowhere to go to celebrate this uniquely American holiday, I was invited by a minister for international students to join a local family for dinner. I remember feeling surprised that a family with children would welcome a stranger. I was even more shocked to see the parents smiling at each other and the kids being kind. Coming from a very different, perhaps dysfunctional, family, I didn’t know what to make of it. I applied the Socratic method I learned at Fletcher, asking questions like, "Why are you not fighting?" and "Why are you smiling?" Their answers led me to my faith, which has become integral to who I am today. 

After Fletcher, I worked in banking, joined a nonprofit fighting for religious freedom worldwide, and served as a political appointee in two Republican administrations, including at the White House.

Growing up in an adobe house in a small Bolivian town, I never imagined such a future. At seven, when my friends asked if I had a dream, I said I wanted to see the world. They asked how, given my family’s lack of money.

Fletcher was a miracle in my life. It shaped me as a diplomat, provided a global perspective, and helped me connect with others. I’ve visited 68 countries through my work and raised three wonderful, globally-minded children. Today, I live in southern Spain with my wife, Rael, serving as peacemakers among Middle Eastern homeless immigrants seeking work in the vast greenhouses of our area. Through our faith, poetry, paintings, and other artwork, we bring unconditional love to everyone we meet. I couldn’t be more thankful.