The day continued with a visit to the Center for European Policy Analysis, where we spoke with the think tank's Vice President about democratic and economic decline in Europe and with two experts at the Brookings Institution about security, strategy, technology, and U.S. congressional efficacy. The opportunity to speak with these thought leaders and ask questions about our own research is exactly why I chose to complete my honors thesis under the Center for Democracy, Development and Rule of Law: these introductions and conversations undeniably pushed forward my thesis’s progress, challenged my prior assumptions about my topic, and encouraged me to think more deeply about my research’s democratic and global implications. 

I was excited about the site visits, and I learned so much from them. But what made the trip especially memorable was being with my cohort the whole time. We had some of the best conversations — about the visits, politics, our lives, and whatever else came up. Somehow, our theses would find their way into those conversations too. Hearing everyone think out loud helped me see connections between topics that had seemed completely separate. It means a lot to go through this process with them.