What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?
Immediately after graduating from Bowdoin in 2011, I completed a Fulbright teaching fellowship in Düsseldorf, where I taught at a junior–senior high school. After returning from Germany, I spent some time in New York working at a small law firm before moving to Washington, DC, where I began as a research intern at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an international relations policy research institute. That role was my entry into working more formally in international relations, building on my Fulbright experience and my longstanding fascination with global affairs. I wanted to understand the structures and science behind international relations more deeply, and I used my skills in research, writing, and critical thinking to contribute to a book project during my time there. I then worked for a small government contractor and, later, as a tour guide in Washington. In June 2016, I left for the Peace Corps, serving as a high school teacher in a small city in Kosovo for three years. After completing Peace Corps service, I returned to Kosovo to teach at American University and worked as a researcher and grant writer at a local nonprofit focused on preserving oral histories. A decade after graduating from Bowdoin, I returned to school and spent sixteen months completing a master’s degree in international conflict resolution at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, an institution with strong ties to Bowdoin. After graduating in 2023, I worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Office of the High Representative (OHR) headed by German politician Christian Schmidt, serving as a front-office staffer and political analyst in the organization responsible for maintaining peace in the country and ensuring that Bosnian leaders uphold the peace agreement that ended the Bosnian War thirty years ago, incidentally exactly on the date we are talking. A distinguished Bowdoin alum, Chris Hill ’74, played a key role in negotiating that agreement. I worked at the OHR until recently and am now planning my next adventure.
Why German?
My interest in German began long before Bowdoin. As a kid, I was fascinated with the language through my early love of history. When I arrived at Bowdoin, that early fascination finally had space to grow. At the academic fair my first semester, I met Professor Jill Smith, who taught Introductory German. We immediately connected, and once I took her class, I was hooked. The seed of fascination had already been planted, and Bowdoin provided everything it needed to flourish. As I took more German classes, my abilities increased rapidly, shaping my path in tangible ways. It helped me earn my Fulbright fellowship and learn more about how I learn, as Bowdoin staff, faculty, and alumni describe as a feature of the Bowdoin education. Even though German and english share similarities, I deeply engaged with the language through writing vocabulary by hand and attending weekly German tables, among other forms of immersion. In the process, I further understood that I am a tactile and inductive learner who learns by doing and by moving from specific examples to general understanding. This realization became essential during my Peace Corps service, where I had often had to work outside my comfort zone, such as art projects that required me to explain information in both English and the local language. German has been surprisingly helpful during seven years in Kosovo and Bosnia. Whenever I failed to communicate with older community members in Kosovo — always men — in Albanian, I could turn to German, as many of them had worked in Germany and Switzerland before. Even though proficiency in German was not necessary for my work in Bosnia for High Representative Schmidt, the language gave me a shared reference point with my "big boss," helping me understand his thought process, since he often translated internally from German to English. This shaped the way I wrote reports and communicated with colleagues across the organization, knowing that Schmidt would eventually read our writing.
Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?
My first-year seminar with Tricia Welsch had a lasting impact. We remain in touch, and her seminar on crime film allowed me to channel my energy, develop my voice, and “geek out” in ways I had often felt ashamed to do in high school. It was a quintessential Bowdoin experience: one that affirmed I had chosen the right place and helped me grow into a more confident thinker and speaker.
One of the most formative courses I took was my first english class with David Collings in Spring 2008. Even though he "tore apart" my papers, making clear that my high school approach would not meet Bowdoin standards, this rigor inspired me to continue on a track that led to my English major, rather than step back. I felt motivated because it showed me exactly why I had come to Bowdoin: to become a clearer and more compelling communicator.
Another influential course was an intermediate German course with Jill Smith in fall 2008. Within a year of studying German, I was confidently presenting in the language, and the course showed me how much progress steady effort can yield. Even though I lacked patience with myself as a Bowdoin student — and still do as an alum, my studies of German taught me that learning happens in small, nonlinear steps and that the work pays off. I get out what I put in.
Another significant experience was applying for the Fulbright in Fall 2010. Writing the two statements felt like taking an entirely separate course. I worked for months with multiple readers, including Jill Smith, Kathleen O'Connor, and Cindy Stocks. This was before Google Docs, so everything happened through printed copies or emailed Word documents. A dozen drafts later, those 1,500 words became some of the strongest writing I have ever produced. Even today, with greater technological efficiency, the fundamental truth remains: That meaningful success takes time and persistence.
What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates interested in your field?
When I was a sophomore during the Great Recession in 2008, the Class of 2009 was graduating into the worst job market since the Great Depression. Many wondered what they could do with their degrees, and the answer often came down to transferable skills. Even today, this remains one of the greatest advantages of a liberal arts education: understanding how you learn and being able to articulate your thinking clearly. Bowdoin trains students to think qualitatively and quantitatively, to move ideas across contexts, and to avoid both rambling and unnecessary complexity. Being able to relate concepts across settings and present ideas clearly is essential. For me, learning German reinforced such skills, teaching me how to communicate, listen, and understand multiple perspectives.
My other major piece of advice is to use the Bowdoin network. It is incredibly strong, and Bowdoin alumni truly love helping students. I would not be where I am today without alumni mentors who advised me and advocated for me; one even wrote a recommendation that helped me gain admission to graduate school. Take people up on their offers to help, even when they seem casual. Many of the doors that opened for me did so because I followed up.
Finally, enjoy Bowdoin and do not rush to grow up. Even when you make mistakes and do not accomplish your objectives, every experience at the College has educational value.
