Primed to Lead

Preston Miller

Preston Miller ’17

Preston Miller '17 came to Dickinson with a strong interest in international relations, and he’s well on his way to a promising intelligence and international relations career. He talks about his acceptance into the Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va., and his enrollment in the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) 3-2 program, which allows him to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in just five years. (The program is open to Dickinson students majoring in international studies, political scienceinternational business & management or economics with a minimum GPA of 3.7 in addition to high academic achievement in select economics and international-relations courses.) After three years of study at Dickinson, Preston will matriculate to Johns Hopkins University to complete a year at the SAIS Europe campus in Bologna, Italy, followed by a year at Johns Hopkins' SAIS campus in Washington, D.C.

Major:

International studies.

Clubs and organizations:

Varsity squash, Liberty Caps and Kappa Sigma.

Honors/scholarships/awards:

Dean’s List.

On choosing a major:

The international studies major was one of the main factors in drawing me to Dickinson. It allows me to take a broad range of classes in international politics, economics and foreign language that can be used in many different fields of work.

Favorite class so far:

My favorite class at Dickinson was International Politics of the Middle East with [Associate] Professor [of Political Science and International Studies Edward] Webb. This was my first class focusing specifically on the Middle East, my concentration within international studies, and it gave me an understanding of each country’s role in regional politics, something that I think is often overlooked when looking at the region purely from a European or American perspective. I found that the things I learned in this class have given me a foundation for success in my other regionally focused courses.

Favorite book:

Freakonomics by Stephen Levitt and Stephen Dubner.

Favorite movie:

Miracle on Ice.

On studying abroad:

I studied abroad in fall 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. The highlight for me was being able to travel around and see all different parts of Europe. This was a great way for me to see Europe, since I was able to meet up with other Dickinson students at many of the places I traveled. Being able to visit with friends and have them show me around different cities made every weekend a memorable adventure.

Favorite place on campus:

Kline Center squash courts.

Favorite Dining Hall food:

Southwest chicken wrap.

About the 3-2 SAIS program:

I was selected to participate in a 3-2 dual-degree program with Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). This program, in its inaugural year, will give students a B.A. from Dickinson and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins in five years.

Next year I will be studying at the SAIS European center in Bologna, Italy, followed by a year on the main campus of SAIS in Washington, D.C. At SAIS, I will focus my studies on security and international economics with a curriculum that in many ways resembles a graduate version of the international studies major at Dickinson.

Summer plans:

This past spring I was accepted into the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course program, so this summer and next summer, I will attend Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va. If I successfully complete the program, I will be commissioned as a second lieutenant. Following additional training and evaluation, I will be able to give a preference as to my initial assignment. My hope is that I will be able to work in the intelligence field.

If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be …

Henry Kissinger. As national security advisor and secretary of state during some controversial and tense periods in American foreign policy, Kissinger has been both praised and criticized for his policies. I would like to hear him describe how he made many tough policy decisions and whether he defends his actions or has regrets.

Biggest influence:

My mother’s brother is someone whom I’ve often tried to emulate. He is almost always successful in what he does because he is dedicated and works hard. He attributes these characteristics to his time in the Marines, and I hope to be positively influenced in a similar manner.

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Published June 27, 2016