Tyler Wilk, MIA ’23

Name: Tyler Wilk
Hometown: Petoskey, MI
Program: Masters of International Affairs (Global & Homeland Security)

What was one of the most meaningful experiences you had during your time in the MIA program?

The most meaningful experience I had was during Dr. Victor Asal’s Political Violence, Insurgency, and Extremism course. I took this elective in my first semester in the MIA program, and it pushed me out of my comfort zone. This course was very interactive with different forms of discussion, group projects, individual work, and interesting material. Dr. Asal wanted each and every student to succeed. This experience changed the way I looked at grad school and it made me much more confident and outgoing in classes throughout the program.

Where did you complete your internship requirement and what knowledge, skills, and abilities did you develop as a result of this experience?

For my internship requirement, I was working full-time for the NYS Division of Homeland Security Emergency Services. As I continued to grow in my career field, I learned more about the threat environment today and honed my skills, including time management, BLUF style writing, and communication. These skills applied directly to the MIA program while balancing different assignments and communicating with classmates over group assignments.

What specific skills or experiences through the program have prepared you for your transition to postgraduate employment?

I felt that my career lined up with the classes I was taking in the MIA program. I was able to take specific skills or knowledge from the program and apply it directly to my field. In the MIA program, statistics are discussed alongside classes such as Global Security and Global Governance. Being able to comprehend and utilize both the softwares used for the statistics courses has helped me in my current role when data visualization is required. Global Security created a foundation for my understanding regarding the threat environment and the history behind it. Also, having professors that prefer different writing formats has prepared me for a wide variety of assignments and tailored needs.

Where are you currently employed and what is the focus of your position?

Currently, I work for the NYS Division of Homeland Security Emergency Services in the Office of Counter Terrorism as a Homeland Security Program Analyst. The focus of my position is on Public Safety as I work in the Red Team’s Unit, educating both the business and critical infrastructure sectors on what items and locations that potential adversaries might use to conduct an attack. Through large scale exercises, my unit evaluates the effectiveness of Operation Safeguard and suspicious activity reporting.

What advice do you have for students who are considering an MIA degree?

Make friends with the people you are surrounded by. I quickly noticed that everyone that was in a Tuesday night class would be in the rest of my classes for the week and coming months. Ask questions and learn from those around you. Many of your peers and professors come from different backgrounds with different undergraduate degrees/experiences. At times it may seem daunting, but your professors are there to help and are incredibly knowledgeable. The majority of the material you learn, read, and work on can be directly applied to your postgraduate employment.