William Putt graduated from UNG with three bachelor’s degrees including one in international affairs in December 2016. Putt’s majors include Arabic, history, and international affairs with a Middle East concentration.

According to Putt, “UNG has provided me with opportunities I could never imagine. My teachers and military instructors mentored and developed me, and supported me in taking several international trips. For starters, I was able to study Arabic in the Middle East twice on Army scholarships — in Jordan for three months and in Oman for four. During my junior year, I was selected by UNG to intern at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy, for four months. There I worked with senior officers from all across NATO and the Middle East in fostering a cooperative security environment.”

He continued, “The IA major has prepared me as an officer by giving me insight into strategic-level thinking of senior officers with opportunities such as an internship with NATO. Furthermore, it taught me something that officers have difficulty learning, which is how to adapt and overcome challenges faced with cross-cultural communication. Lastly, the IA program has helped me think critically rather than in a specific way because it allowed me to shape my own views of issues instead of showing me highly politicized approaches. This is in part thanks to the unique background and diversity of the faculty members who encourage such critical thinking skills over an agenda.”

Putt is currently serving in the Infantry and will be stationed at Ft. Benning.

UNG News article on William Putt