Success
For over half a century, the Patterson School has prepared students for exciting and challenging careers in international affairs. Whether they have pursued positions in the public, non-profit, or private sectors, in the United States or abroad, they have excelled. Our graduates have attained leadership positions in diplomacy, development, intelligence, global security, and business.
Some Patterson School alumni have climbed to the very top. Such distinguished graduates include international banker Dr. Andreas Prindl, CBE, Deputy Chairman of Lloyd's (London); Nelson Messone, former Deputy Foreign Minister and currently Gabon's Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Ambassador Greta Holtz, US Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman; human rights activist Naomi Tutu. Timothy Adams, former Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs; Ambassador Thomas M. T. Niles, former US Ambassador to Canada, Greece, and the European Union, as well as Assistant Secretary of State for Europe; Sung-chul Yang, former Korean Ambassador to the United States; Dr. Charles Shearer, former President of Transylvania University; Beverly Kirk, former National Public Radio anchor and NBC News correspondent.
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 launch such professional careers and life journeys.
Dreams
Patterson School students are passionate and often 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 too 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 a picture 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 eight on the list), never imagined that his "dream" job would land him in Seattle as marketing director for Boeing's revolutionary 787 Dreamliner.™
To us, each Patterson School graduate is a success story.
