Vanderbilt University: The Coalescence of Southern Charm and Exemplary Academics Daniel Dolgicer

My academic interests are widely varied, ranging from Hebrew to psychology to architecture. Rather than briefly describing them all, I would prefer to focus on my main academic interest: international relations.

As a strong-willed first grader, I consistently planted myself on the classroom beanbag to stare at a map of the political world. The map was beyond my physical reach, and thus I could not see the minutiae representing rural farming villages and Polynesian island nations. However, national capitals were marked in a bold and imposing font, and were always accompanied by a crisp, pointed star. I was soon able to proudly recite the capitals of nations from Argentina to Zimbabwe. Amidst the crunching sounds of Count Chocula cereal, I consistently defeated any challengers during snack time geography games. This marked the beginning of my infatuation with foreign affairs. My involvement with the world beyond America's borders is the product of my family environment, early experiences with foreign travel, and a childhood spent in New York City.

My family's gatherings have always featured intellectual discussions about everything from the Oslo Accords to the long-term effects of Reaganomics. These discussions informed...