Discovering a Sense of Community that Stretches from Coast to Coast

When the plane hit the second tower of the World Trade Center ... when America experienced a new level of pain and fear, everyone knew that our country would be changed forever. What I didn't know is that the sudden, pressing concern for national security would lead me to a fascinating job — one that has a positive impact on more lives than my own.

Homeland security has become a big priority, and that's what my job as a policy analyst with Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is all about. Based in Washington, D.C., our group is a non-profit, non-partisan reform organization dealing with national defense. Though we cover a broad spectrum of issues — improving port and cyber security, tracing terrorist financial assets — my focus is on bio-terrorism counter measures.

Did you know that the six biggest biological threats to the U.S. today are anthrax, botulism, smallpox, plague, e-bola and tularemia, which can cause respiratory failure? I've learned more about those than I ever wanted to know. And because these illnesses are so scary, our country really needs a bio-defense plan — vaccines, drugs and treatments — to counteract those threats.

Doing is learning -- even beyond the classroom: Guilford's commitment to hands-on learning means you'll have the opportunity to write a senior thesis or pursue independent studies and internships. Like many other Guilford alumni, Andrea Kames had an internship that led to a full-time position. And as she learned, when you're doing something you love, a career often follows and the opportunities are endless.

The President has addressed this by proposing the Bioshield Act, but the government needs the help of the pharmaceutical companies. We have been working hard to get funding for this project to assure their participation and utilize their resources for research and development.

I majored in English, so it's still surprising to me that I ended up in this kind of organization. After graduating, I was looking for an internship with a non-profit where I could do some writing. I landed at BENS and moved up into a full-time position — one that's truly rewarding, because I'm using my communication skills in a way I never imagined.

I don't think I could handle this job if Guilford hadn't prepared me so well to be a writer and an analytical thinker. Two of my teachers, Amanda Bailey and Carolyn Beard Whitlow, really pushed me to go one level deeper, one question further. And I've found that being able to pose the right question to get the answer you're looking for is an extremely valuable skill to have.

In addition to teaching me the importance of questioning, Guilford taught me a lot about listening. When I go to hearings on the Hill and attend national conferences, the value of understanding through listening has really helped me. Some things that you learn in college never leave you, and I suppose this is one of them.

Living in Washington, D.C. — obviously a political hotbed — I interact with a diverse group of people every day. It's a lot like Guilford — a place where people are constantly learning from each other and gaining new perspectives. Here, the stakes are just a lot higher.

Looking back, I realize that the sense of community and openness at Guilford is really something special. I guess it's now part of my job to help preserve a sense of community on a larger scale — from coast to coast and beyond.