Class

2016

Track

International Politics & Diplomacy

International Experience

Affiliate Provider

Country

Cusco, Peru and Semester at Sea

What are you doing now?

“Software Engineering! People.I meet are often very surprised to learn that I didn’t graduate with some kind of STEM degree, but instead studied International Studies with a focus on politics and diplomacy.

By day I work at Change.org, an online petition platform that helps people around the world advocate for the issues they care about through online campaigning and people power. By night, I’m the founder of a startup called The Green Book Project which helps marginalized folks find inclusive businesses and avoid discrimination using a mobile app I built.

My International Studies degree has been super relevant to all the work that I do. My major has helped me be a better communicator, especially in cross-cultural contexts, it’s helped me understand why some voices are marginalized while others are amplified, it’s taught me to think critically about the narratives we have about other parts of the world, and more than anything, International Studies taught me to have global lens for the issues I care about.”

What advice would you give current and future students?

“Take your time deciding how you want to use your INTS degree to serve your community and the world. After I graduated, I spent a lot of time finding out the career path that made the most sense to me. In the course of 2 and a half years, I switched my career aspirations from the Foreign Service, to TEFL teacher, to translator, before finally landing on software engineering. The amazing part about INTS’s multidisciplinary nature is that it it will equip you to truly chart your own path.”