They are curious. They want to make a difference. They want to be changemakers. Those issues -- poverty, hunger, human rights, abuse -- they have been following news or and they are completely distraught when they hear about the plight of refugees or droughts. And they want to make a difference. In a beginner's class to international relations, we just explore issues that are troubling the world right now. Human rights abuse, the HIV epidemic, environmental crises, global warming, ozone depletion, how that was addressed through international law.
When they hear about these issues, they become interested and are willing to pursue a career in international relations. Many of our students have gone to law school as a route of making difference. Others have been working with nongovernmental organizations. We have a student who is working with people living in Guatemala. Students who are interested in Peace Corps, some are working for AmeriCorps. So we have students taking different career paths. But what ties them together is all of them want to make a difference. They want to change what is not right. They want to make the world a better place.
So one of the things I always have enjoyed doing is taking long walks. Apart from relaxing, it helps me develop a perspective. So if I'm worried about a research question, sometimes when you're stuck in your office, you run out of ideas and you feel you're stuck. But when you go outside and you take a walk, you relax, that's when a light bulb goes on. And the good thing about Nevada is that we have lots of parks. My favorite is where we are here right now Radio Springs Park where we can take long walks and we can enjoy some fresh air and energize our minds so that we can come up with good ideas.
