Bill Skiffington can think of no better place than La Conner to have grown up but is aware more than most of all the opportunities the world beyond here has to offer.

The 2001 La Conner High grad, who went on to earn economics and law degrees from the University of Washington, will soon be residing in Oman, the oldest independent state in the Arab world, as a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. State Department.

In Oman, located on the Arabian Peninsula, Skiffington will work in the economic section of the U.S. Embassy, serving under the ambassador and alongside other career diplomats rep...