Ethan W. Trask

The environment Norwich University has created and the values it instilled in me have enabled me to pursue countless opportunities for personal growth, academic development, and career advancement. The school’s fantastic instructors have always been there to be that little push I needed to accomplish something great. 

Internship Opportunities

Through the CareerLab program, I spent a semester in Washington, D.C. interning with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. Here, I researched historically contentious military campaigns and events and found engaging ways to write about them for the official timeline of the war. My internship found me working under and alongside military personnel from Sergeant to Major General, attending meetings at the Pentagon, and assisting the Commemoration in interviews, events, and community outreach efforts. This served as a great introduction to federal service, and the experiences and connections made were priceless.

Studying Abroad

I had the exceptional opportunity to spend five weeks in the Western Balkans as part of Rochester Institute of Technology’s Frederick C. Cuny Peace and Conflict Summer Program. Living in Pristina, Kosovo, I attended courses taught by career State Department, United Nations, and U.S. Army instructors on UN mandates, peacekeeping operations, humanitarian aid, and post-conflict reconstruction. Visiting historical sites, learning languages, and immersing myself in the cultures of six countries proved to be more extraordinary than I could have ever imagined. 

The Peace and War Center

With the John and Mary Frances Patton Peace and War Center, I moderated a panel on Special Operations Forces at the 2023 Military Writer’s Symposium, which convenes experts in military history, intelligence, and current affairs to offer perspectives on pressing global concerns. I was later called back as one of four faculty-selected student presenters at the 5th Annual Norwich University Peace and War Summit on War, Memory, and Reconciliation, where I discussed my capstone paper “Confederate Perspectives on the First World War: Narrative Shifts and Reconciliation.”

Experiential Learning

Many of the skills required for the activities I pursued were honed through crisis simulations and competitions that provided me with the perfect environment to develop effective policy and operational responses. From the State Department to Norwich’s own Board of Fellows, events coordinated through partnerships and the extensive alumni network served to shape my understanding of national security and global affairs. Classes like U.S. Security Policy with its ‘D.C. Policy Week’ and Seerist’s Open-Source Intelligence and Global Affairs (a Norwich-exclusive certification course) coordinated curriculums to simulate the real-world relationship between intelligence analysts and key decision makers. I found my experience in this joint endeavor especially beneficial.

My Advice

Be patient, trust the process, and have fun. There will be challenges, but the environment you are entering into has more opportunities than you could imagine—seek them out, follow through, and help carry those around you across whatever finish lines you create. It’s a team effort, and the strangers you meet will become close friends and colleagues before you even know it.