Name: James Alex Garza Jr.
Major/Minor: Global Studies with minors in History, Arabic, and National Security Studies.
Hometown: Laredo, Texas
Year at UNL: Junior
Why Global Studies? I chose Global Studies because it has allowed me to take a wide variety of classes related to how the world and its people interact with each other. Global Studies provides a concentration in the Middle East, which is my area of focus as well.
What are some of the best/most interesting classes you’ve taken? The best classes I have taken have been aimed towards my Middle East focus. I enjoy learning Arabic as a Foreign Language here at UNL with Dr. Abla Hasan and studying the religion and history of the people who speak it in classes such as History of the Modern Middle East with Dr. Bedross Der Matossian. Another favorite class of mine that is not taught at many other universities was History of Radical Islam by Dr. James D. LeSueur.
What are your suggestions for new Global Studies majors? I suggest choosing your foreign language carefully and starting it early as well. Take a leap of faith and don’t be afraid to go to a totally different country to learn it for an extended amount of time. Take advantage of programs such as the Intelligence Community Scholars that will help you begin networking and training for an internationally focused career.
Tell us about your study abroad/internship experience. I studied in Amman, Jordan at Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Summer 2014 for two months in intensive Arabic classes. The experience was life changing and not only did my Arabic improve immensely, but my perspective of the Middle East and its people. I recently came back from Oman on a NU sponsored trip and discovered how different gulf culture was from Jordanian culture and the unique issues that Oman faces today.
My ideal career would include one that I get to use my knowledge of the Middle East and Arabic to support an agency or organization committed to promoting peace and security in today’s world.