Class of 2012 Student Profiles

Barry Mattson , 2012, United States

On Fletcher’s international community: When first visiting The Fletcher School, I was most impressed by the collaborative nature of the program. Since matriculation, this point has hit home for me. I recently had coffee with a classmate to discuss her experience with small business development in Haiti and then met with an accomplished professor to deliberate over agricultural modernization in Latin America. The impressive backgrounds, accomplishments, and aspirations of my classmates never cease to amaze me. Chances are, if you are interested in a particular international issue, there is an expert within the Fletcher network willing to help you learn more about it.

How my experience at Fletcher has changed the way I look at the world: One of my classes, Globalization of Central Asia and the Caucasus, has opened my eyes to an area of the world in which I previously had no experience. Working with classmates from countries in this region who provide insight into the current political economy has proven to be invaluable in understanding the role of the Eurasian steppe at the forefront of global change. The flexible curriculum at Fletcher gives students freedom to take classes such as this that broaden their spectrum of global awareness.