pictured with Israeli President Shimon Peres - 2008
(see blog archives for more details)
ששShalom . ששלום . سلام
Shalom and welcome to my site. I invite you to join me as I explore the Middle East. I am currently a graduate student at Tel-Aviv University in Israel. I am studying International Conflict Resolution. My interest in the region began when I was a young teenager, not only because of the media attention the region received during my childhood, but also because of my family's Jewish heritage and my upbringing. Many of my readings and studies during junior high and high school in California focused on the events leading up to the creation of the modern State of Israel. In college, while I was pursuing my Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Political Science, I was able to focus on a broader history of the region, as well as on the policies and conflicts that have morphed the region into what it is today. I first visited the Middle East with my grandparents in 2006, after I graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University. It wasn't until after I visited for the second time in 2008 that I decided to further my education in and on the region. A series of God-directed events happened which lead me to apply for, be accepted to and then enroll at Tel-Aviv University in Tel-Aviv.The question is often raised: "What are you going to do with a Masters degree in Conflict Resolution?" Well... I don't exactly know yet, but answering that question is one of my objectives. While in the region, it is my goal to attain a working knowledge of the history, people, cultures, lands, languages, religions, policies, conflicts, and traditions that ARE the Middle East. Although I don't know precisely which field I want to enter upon completion of my studies, I do know that whichever way I go, I want to have a positive impact on the region whether through business, international relations, or non-governmental involvement.Through this website and blog, I hope I can provide I glimpse of my experiences in Israel. One of my favorite things to do is to travel (when I have the resources and time to do so), and I will also be posting blog entries and photos from the time I've spent and I will spend outside of Israel during my studies.
