![Photo Credit: Student Spotlight Kyrstin Eastman](images/news/student-spotlight-kyrstin-eastman.jpg)
Majors: Global Studies
Minors: National Security Studies and Global Leadership
Year in school: Senior
Hometown: Manteno, Illinois
Favorite book and why?
This is a really hard question because I absolutely love to read. I think if I had to pick, my top two are "The Testing" by Joelle Charbonneau and "The President is Missing" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. The Testing is about a dystopian society where every year, some students are chosen to do 'the testing'. This series is like a mix of Divergent and Hunger Games!
Favorite movie and why?
At the moment, "Top Gun: Maverick". The original "Top Gun" is a movie I grew up watching with my dad, so when the new one came out I was so excited. This is truly one of the best films I have ever seen!
Why Global Studies?
I originally came into college as a Pre-PA major and declared Global Studies because I wanted to do international medicine. But the more I got into the Global Studies classes, the more excited and interested I got. I eventually switched over to solely Global Studies. My minors, paired with my major, really opened new doors for me and got me into classes I was genuinely excited to go .
Favorite Class:
My favorite class that I have taken at UNL is NSST 360: Weapons of Mass Destruction. I have really enjoyed all of my national security classes that I've taken at UNL but this has by far been my favorite. I think the Global Studies degree path at UNL is underrated. You get to learn about new areas in the world while connecting with professionals in the fields that you want to go into! In my opinion, Global Studies is the most diverse and flexible major that UNL has.
Extracurricular Experience:
I studied abroad during the Summer of 2022 in Copenhagen, Denmark. I studied through DIS and took a class called "Terrorism and Counterterrorism from a European Perspective". Additionally, I am currently a State and Federal Relations Intern over at the Office of the President for the University of Nebraska System. This internship connects me to both the Nebraska Legislature and also our federal partners in Washington DC. On campus, I am involved in several organizations like the Intelligence Community Scholars Program, Yes Theory Club, Arnold Air Society, and a few others. With that being said, I am most involved on the executive team of the IC Scholars Program as the Membership Chair. The IC Scholars is like a career-mentoring program to get students connected to the Intelligence Community. This program is actually run through the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) via the Intelligence Community Centers of Academic Excellence (ICCAE). If you are looking at getting a job in the IC or supporting organizations, I highly recommend you look at getting involved in the IC Scholars Program!
Post-Graduation Plans:
I have an internship lined up upon graduation!