In our alumni spotlight series, learn about Harvard graduates' most meaningful experiences from college, and how Harvard impacted their professional and personal paths after graduation.
Hometown & Current City: Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI. Current City: Clarksville, TN
House Affiliation: Winthrop House
Concentration: Government
Current Job Title/Company or Organization: Artillery Officer, 101st Airborne Division, US Army
What was your professional path after college?
I commissioned as an Army officer and currently serve as an artillery officer in the 101st Airborne Division, where I just completed my time working as a platoon leader for 38 outstanding soldiers. I've loved my time in the military, but will be leaving and heading to law school next fall!
What fills your time now - professionally and personally?
On the professional side, I'm most focused on applying to law school right now. In my free time I'm working to become a better runner, rooting for a winning University of Michigan football season, and trying new bars and coffee shops in the Nashville area!
What was a favorite class you took and why?
I loved Professor Joshua Kertzer's class, "American Foreign Policy." I found Professor Kertzer to be an extraordinary professor who cared deeply about his students and did a terrific job of explaining complex, nuanced topics. His class was a terrific primer in foreign policy, national security issues, and international relations generally.
Did you have any research/internship opportunities and/or professor/mentor relationships that were influential?
In addition to Professor Kertzer, Professor Meira Levinson at the Harvard Graduate School of Education was a terrific mentor to me. Despite being a graduate school professor, she made time for me as an undergraduate, helped me refine and publish some of my academic work, and was an all-around phenomenal influence.
What is your favorite Harvard tradition and why?
There's something so unique about the excitement and fierce sense of community that comes with Housing Day! It's a day when everyone takes pride in their friends, their House, and Harvard; and I had so much fun being part of it.