|
|
|
 
Kristen Larson | Seattle, USA
MA Candidate (BC11)
Kristen Larson, a Georgetown University graduate, chose graduate study in order to jumpstart her career. She chose SAIS because of her love of Italy, the reputable alumni network, and SAIS's active approach towards international relations and policy engagement.
Her goal of pursuing a career in international law enforcement drove her to seek an institution with an international focus. "I'm interested in combating smuggling and illicit trade," she explains, noting the merits of a degree with a strong combination of international law and economics. "The economics program here at SAIS will help me to figure out what the real underlying economic issues are," she says with special reference to the Mediterranean region.
Kristen contemplates a career with the U.S. government, the UN, or Interpol and hopes to gain contacts in Italy, where she did an exchange program during her undergraduate years and gained fluency in Italian.
Kristen spoke about how Naples is a port rife with illicit transactions and is connected to the larger Mediterranean region. Kristen believes that a highly regarded institution with is alumni network like SAIS will put her on the path toward her prospective career. She will be attending a conference on International Organized Crime: The African Experience in Italy, made possible by the fact that she is in Italy.
Kristen had done research as a Junior Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, interned at a U.S. Consulate abroad and in the U.S. Senate and worked for several years in Georgetown's Office of International Programs as well as having interned at the Seattle Children's Hospital, external affairs unit.
Apart from her strong career prospects Kristen enjoys her community of classmates. "It's been much more than I expected. Before leaving I had nightmares about everyone being in suits and having had careers and answers for everything, instead students just want to advance themselves, whether they graduated last year or ten years ago…and everyone enjoys Italy."
Kristen has done her best to immerse herself into the "fabric of the city" getting the most out of both the secure "SAIS bubble" and exploring what the city has to offer, which led her to take up an all-Italian judo class as a challenge.
Degree: Georgetown University, BSFS
Major: International Politics and International Security Studies
Languages: English, Italian (fluent), Arabic (intermediate)
SAIS area of concentration: International Law and Organizations
Other interests: Judo, gastronomia, running
By Bianca Silva
M.A. Candidate (BC11)
|
|
|
|
