By Deverrick Holmes, Policy Intern
I often find myself wondering how on earth I ended up where I am today. If my resume was my biography, it would be difficult to make sense of my career trajectory. How did someone in his late-20’s, holding a history degree but whose primary work experience is in finance, end up with an internship at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation? Well, as fate would have it, it all started with a tweet.
It was a slow day at the financial firm I used to work for, and as I scrolled through my Twitter feed, I came across a tweet from someone referencing an article about a “launch under attack” scenario. I read the article, which concluded that the President would only have 2-3 minutes to decide to launch the 405 ICBM’s currently deployed. I was shocked. Suddenly I was obsessed with learning everything I could about nuclear weapons and the reasoning behind nuclear policies. The more I learned, the more I grew concerned, and realized that the entire global security framework is built on a volcano that could one day erupt.
My obsession turned to action: I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue a career working toward the goal of reducing nuclear threats and hopefully eliminating nuclear weapons altogether.
I always had a fascination with international security and politics, but making a career out of it seemed far-fetched. Luckily, I was quickly able to land an online-based internship at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Political-Military Analysis. The Hudson internship was a great introduction to the world of arms control and non-proliferation. It drove me to take the next step in my pursuit of making this a full-time career and taught me that this risky career move was the right one.
I now find myself at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. I am excited to learn more about the policy-making process and engage with experts in the field to develop my own expertise. I firmly believe in the mission and purpose of the Center. Everything I have learned since the day I read that fateful tweet has only reaffirmed my belief that nuclear weapons, if they are ever used, pose a real danger to every living organism on Earth. Through my internship, I aim to help the Center in its mission to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and create a more secure world.
