KSU alum eyes career as a diplomat
Fresh from a year-and-a-half-long internship helping repatriate former child soldiers
in Ghana,…
Georgia
(Jul 13, 2012) —
Fresh from a year-and-a-half-long internship helping repatriate former child soldiers
in Ghana, Kennesaw State alum Richard Walker picked up his graduate degree in
conflict management and took off for a two-year stint in Botswana for the Peace Corps.
Those experiences, bolstered by a bachelor’s degree in international relations from
the University of Georgia, have set him on a career course that he hopes will ultimately
lead to a job as a career diplomat. He has started the arduous process that could
take up to two years to complete, by studying for the foreign service exam, taking
online assessments, oral exams and establishing residence on a registry for as many
as 18 months.
“Having a direct hand in the peace-building process really catapulted my interest
in international affairs, human rights, international security and international development,”
said Walker, who interned in Ghana with Pittsburgh-based Mediators Beyond Borders.
Walker initially conducted research for the organization, then helped obtain identity
documents for ex-combatants, talked to government officials, representatives of nongovernmental
organizations and village elders to gain support so former Liberian child soldiers
could be repatriated in their communities. He also completed research for his thesis,
“Labor Market and Training Needs: Mapping of Reintegration Opportunities for Children
Associated with Fighting Forces.”
For the Peace Corps, Walker worked as a capacitybuilding consultant for orphans, children
living with HIV and other vulnerable children in Botswana. He helped the organization
find ways to grow, introducing strategies and programming and helping to mobilize
community support.
“The organization grew 10-fold,” he said proudly. “I’m really indebted to my professors
in conflict management for cultivating my career path,” Walker said. “They also equipped
me with negotiation and mediation skills and the ability to work in culturally diverse
and stressful situations.”
Working so intensely in two distinct roles in very different African nations has had
a life-changing and lasting impact on Walker, who grew up in Thomasville, Ga.
“I’m a completely different person, especially in the way I view people,” he said.
“It’s all about simplicity. I’m not too concerned about [acquiring] material things
to be happy. Friendships and relationships are the most important thing to me now.”
-- Sabbaye McGriff
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
