Success
For the past half century, the Patterson School has prepared students for exciting and challenging careers in international affairs. Whether they have pursued positions in the public or private sectors, in the United States or abroad, they have excelled. Many graduates have attained leadership positions in diplomacy, development, intelligence, global security, and business.
Some of our alumni have climbed to the very top. Such distinguished graduates include Ambassador Thomas M. T. Niles, former U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Greece, and the European Union, as well as Assistant Secretary of State for Europe; international banker Dr. Andreas Prindl, CBE, retired Chairman/CEO of Nomura Bank for Europe and currently on the Council of Lloyds (London); the Honorable Timothy Adams, U.S. Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs; Dr. Charles Shearer, President of Transylvania University; and journalist Beverly Kirk, ABC News-Washington.
While the success of the above graduates is noteworthy, it is more reflective of decades of hard work and continuous achievement, than their having attended the Patterson School. The education they obtained here did not take them to the top – it took them to the beginning. It provided them the skills, knowledge and confidence to set out on the paths that they would ultimately blaze to success. Accordingly, we – as our students should be – are focused upon what is required to start such professional careers and life journeys.
Dreams
Patterson School students are often passionate and committed to making the world better. Many have already defined their dreams and are prepared to work hard to achieve them; others are only beginning to weigh the world of possible options. Extended conversation with faculty and fellow colleagues can help them make informed decisions. So can site visits, conferences, and internships. The career pages and links on this website should also help advance that process. Ultimately, however, students will be their own primary professional career development officers. The path is for them to choose.
The list of employers on the right provides some idea of where our students’ dreams have taken them. Behind each name is a story. Some Patterson School graduates are just across town, while others are on the opposite side of the planet. Sometimes, their careers have gone in unexpected, but rewarding directions. Richard Wynne, for example (employer number six on the list), probably never expected that his "dream" job would be in Seattle helping Boeing sell the revolutionary 787 Dreamliner.™
To us, each Patterson School graduate is a success story.