A Seat at the Table

Last fall, I was selected as a student delegate to the Student Conference on US Affairs (SCUSA) at the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point. SCUSA is an annual four-day conference held at USMA in which students work with scholars and practitioners to develop proposals that address important topics in US foreign policy. It is the oldest and largest conference of its type, and is attended by approximately 200 students from more than 100 universities worldwide.

This year marked the 75th anniversary of the conference, and the theme was “‘Securing the Blessings of Liberty’: American Foreign Policy in an Increasing Multipolar World.” The roundtable discussions covered topics such as “Multilateral Institutions under Multipolarity: from the UN to the WTO;” “How Multipolarity Affects Russia’s External and Domestic Behavior;” and many more. Esteemed guests in attendance included John Kerry, former US Secretary of State; Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland, the 61st superintendent of the USMA; and the Honorable Douglas R. Bush, Acting Assistant Secretary of the US Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology.

For my roundtable, “Managing Conflict in the Arctic,” we discussed the intricacies of power conflicts in the Arctic region and the diplomatic handling of ties with Russia and NATO, in light of the recent Russo–Ukrainian War. Over two days, we had detailed discussions with specialized researchers and esteemed professors, and created a policy report, which we presented in front of senior military leaders.

It was amazing to see how every group came up with great probable solutions to some big-world problems in a short time. We learned a lot from each other and got a glimpse into what it is like to be a young world leader.

One of the best parts of the conference was staying at the academy for three days and residing with the cadets in their barracks. We got a first-hand experience of the dedication with which they perform their duties. We followed their schedule, waking, eating, and sleeping on their time.

They showed us their mesmerizing campus overlooking the beautiful Hudson River, and little sneak peeks into their culture, such as their band practice, platoon calls, dining halls, and rigorous training.

They lead their lives with discipline and integrity, functioning on minimal sleep. They were always smiling and welcoming, and did their duties as perfectly as possible—all while being extremely funny. The experience changed me as a person and inspired me to value teamwork, punctuality, discipline, selflessness, and serving the community.

The most special part of the conference was the opportunity to meet and interact with cadets, not just from the US, but also from countries such as Poland, Greece, and Canada. I made some lifelong friendships and gained a lot of knowledge and new perspectives to take home with me.

I want to thank St. John’s University Office of Global Programs for sponsoring my participation in the event and motivating me to expand my horizons. Being a graduate student in the Actuarial Science program at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, I had never imagined that I would get an opportunity to transform my hobby of reading about the world into something as prestigious as being a delegate to SCUSA. I think the faculty, administrators, and staff at St. John’s put much effort into providing us with holistic growth—besides earning our degrees, we also get involved in diverse activities and pursuits. No matter your academic background, St. John’s offers plenty of opportunities to pursue anything you want and become a well-rounded student and a proud Johnnie!