Paying It Forward
It has been a little over four years since Byron Williams graduated from MIS, and he recently reminisced on his experience from the time he was researching graduate programs to find a competitive program to the time he devoted to studying for finals and completing his capstone. Before joining MIS, Byron conducted thorough research of the DC metro area higher education institutions which included interviews with current students and alumni. Byron says that the "School of International Service had a responsive team, a solid reputation, and a program attentive to my professional interests." Additionally, Byron mentioned the support he received from staff and faculty and how his program advisor and director played a crucial role, saying, "they were the key reasons why I never wavered in my choice of school or program, checking in with them on a regular basis steadied my focus.It wasdefinitely arigorous program that allowed me to learn at my own pace yet kept me on track."
Byron also pointed to the different ways in which he was able to impact communities around him and how his current position intersects with international relations.Read on to learn more about the ways in which our alumni are making an impact in diverse spaces!
- Why was MIS a good fit for you academically and for your career?
- MIS was exactly what I needed. At the time I was looking to enter a graduate program, my wife and I were a few months away from our second child entering this world, and I was working full-time for work, which included travel. MIS was a good fit for me because the program spoke to my passion of international service while also delving into history, theory, practice, and impact of foreign policy—all the while allowing me to attend class from home, a hotel room, or a library.
- What was your experience in the program?
- The Executive Master’s inInternationalService program was right up my alley: a program that allowed me tocomplete coursework with other working professionals is exactly what I needed. Having professors like Nancy Sachs, Balázs Martonffy, and Ally Krupar who also understood that made my coursework enjoyable.
- The non-programmatic support I received from offices such as the Office of Graduate Enrollment and from being involved in diversity & inclusion initiatives was a pleasure, too, because I found ways to be involved with recruitment and retention efforts through my previous employer before I even began at AU as a student.
- What was your favorite part of the MIS/MAIR program?
- Oddly enough, it was during finals time. My personal and professional life didn’t necessitate me being near the campus much, but when it came to finals and mycapstone, I practically lived on those SIS study tables. It was calming and so enjoyable studying in my SIS halls and passing all theposters of books on thewalls and thefamous figures ofinternational relations history captured in candid moments.
- What impact has this program made in your professional career? What values of service have you applied to your current role?
- I work with US Department ofAgriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in a humanresources role, and my passion allows me to intersectinternationalrelations with intercultural competence and curriculum design. Having lived and worked in sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe, along with learning three languages, has put me at some jaw-dropping junctures and unbelievable spaces. Ialways value the support I’vereceived to be where I am, and in linewith that, I always make sure to bring otherswith me ormention the contributions of others not able to be present.
- Can you speak to your advocacy as it relates to introducing more African Americans to the field of International Relations?
- As an intern for a local councilperson in my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the early 2000s, I was shown that policy affects my whole life, whether I speak up or not. That led me, literally and figuratively, to translating global news topeople around me and highlighting our contributions in those spaces. In a field where“pale, male, and Yale” has rung aloud for so long, it is important to me that I share with Black people the ways and resources that have been shared with me. Presenting to K-12 grade students, speaking at community events, writing pieces for online and print media, being active in several professional associations, and much more: it’s all about me continuing to finddifferent ways and spaces to draw Black people to this small field with gargantuan impact.
- I also speak to the need for us to be in these nexuses of spaces that typically aren’t known for having Blackpeople as experts: see “forever Eagle” Ms. Fanta Aw in her executive role with Association ofInternational Educators (NAFSA); Erika Bryant as the founder and executive director of alanguage immersion school in DC; Dr. Carolyn R. Payton as the first African American and woman director of the US Peace Corps; and former US Ambassador to Moldova Dereck J. Hogan. All of these people had some formative experience in their adolescence or youth that led them down a path ofcuriosity beyond the United States, and I advocate for African Americans having those opportunities through whatever means I can provide.
We are proud of the impact our alumni are making in diverse spaces!
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