Graduating in 2012 with his bachelor’s degree in International Studies, Caleb Lucas was one of few IS students with a thematic concentration in international relations. Using the knowledge and experience he gained from focusing his studies in Africa and the Middle East, Lucas worked for a nonprofit in Detroit where he assisted newly-arrived refugees from the Arab world. In this role, Caleb helped establish an English Language Program as well as construct a four-season greenhouse all while continuing his Arabic studies at a local university.

While at UK, Caleb sought to combine his interest in political science and the Middle East through the International Studies major. He explained that, “The interdisciplinary nature of the program was appealing as I was exposed to both quantitative social science and ethnographic anthropology.” Now enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Michigan, Lucas feels as though his coursework in international studies has equipped him with both a substantive understanding of the Middle East and the theoretical frameworks employed to explain social phenomena within the region.

As an International Studies major, Caleb was also able to pursue his interest in learning the Arabic language both on campus and abroad. Through his study abroad experiences in both Morocco and Syria, he was able to directly translate what he learned in the classroom regarding authoritarian governments to the events unfolding around him. Caleb’s ventures in the Middle East continue to inform his research as a PhD student and serve as the basis for further developing his Arabic. These student experiences made him a distinguished applicant in the eyes of both employers and graduate schools.