“During the trip, I was offered an in-depth look into the innerworkings of our nation’s national defense,” said Carver. “Over the course of the seminar, there were panels hosted by actual national security professionals on different topics like cybersecurity and how newer emerging technologies like artificial intelligence affected the safety of our nation. It granted the opportunity to get this information firsthand rather than just through the news where info can sometimes be filtered or biased.”

During the week-long trip to Washington, D.C., the Quinnipiac students collaborated with students from other universities and learned from experts in the national security industry.

“I was able to meet up with students from Quinnipiac, but also from other schools as well,” he said. “There was also a day where our group went on a guided trip into the Chinese embassy where we were able to talk with Chinese diplomats.”

Carver developed new insights about the impact of media in shaping political landscapes after his time in the nation’s capital.

“My biggest takeaway is that not everything is as cut and dry as it seems,” he said. “So much of the information we consume today can be biased or filtered, and getting to hear information straight from the source and being able to listen to testimony and information from parties I otherwise likely would never have heard from gave me a different outlook.”

Outside of the professional opportunities, students had ample time to explore the city and all that it had to offer.

“I would absolutely recommend that other students to take this trip even if they aren’t studying political science,” he said.