Upper School students recently had the unique opportunity to hear first-hand from General Michael Hayden, the former director of both the CIA and NSA.
Students in Max Kelly's '06 U.S. National Security class connected with General Hayden via Skype and peppered him with questions about North Korea, Syria, and President Trump's foreign policy.
"I found General Hayden to be really informative," shared senior Abigail Chupein. "I found him to communicate his points in a really nice way. I could grasp what he was saying, and it wasn't super abstract. Overall, it was super interesting listening to him talk."
Mr. Kelly and EA Trustee Bill Richards '63 set up the surprise conversation.
"The students were certainly shocked by who was on the other end of the Skype call," said Mr. Kelly. "Bill is dedicated to providing the best experience for our EA students in the studies of history and national security. We have worked in the past to coordinate different events with the Jamestown Foundation. The organization is a prominent think tank in Washington D.C. Bill worked with them to get us connected with General Hayden."
The Upper School elective focuses on national security issues relevant to terrorism and counter-terrorism. "This class is one of its kind that focuses on exposing students to different experts in the field of national security studies," explained Mr. Kelly. "These students are our nation's future. I want to connect them with experts in our field of studies to listen to their insights and perspectives. These experts are in the trenches and their first-hand experience can provide a unique insight to how current events are rooted in historical context."
"General Michael Hayden provided more than just historical lessons and predictions about current events; he presented unbelievable advice for students to navigate a troubling time in the global community. Surrounded by confusing news sources to immediate threats, General Hayden used his first-hand experience to advise our students how to embrace and conquer these challenges," said Mr. Kelly.
- 5/03/17