After spending time at the U.S. Department of State, Anna Danau decided to return to school to pursue a master’s degree. Georgetown’s Security Studies Program caught her attention because of its reputation, top-notch faculty, and strong ties to the intelligence industry, as well as its flexibility for full-time workers. She began classes in 2011 and simultaneously transitioned to a new job as a project manager in the Intelligence Community.
Anna describes her SSP experience as “unforgettable” because of the program’s professors and the Alumni Mentorship Program. She points to Prof. Gerber’s Key Problems in Intelligence and Prof. Harold’s Security in East Asia courses as especially impactful, and she credits them with helping her succeed in the positions she has held since leaving SSP. The Alumni Mentor Program was particularly notable as it connected her with an alum working at Northrop Grumman who hired her once she graduated in 2013.
Anna worked in Northrop’s Corporate Global Business Development Office, helping the aerospace, electronics, information, and technology sectors do business internationally for a year, but left to move to Vietnam after her husband accepted a new job. Anna has lived in Vietnam for the past four years and founded the company Hospitality Intelligence. Her company works to provide safety training, guest services, and operations for the amusement park industry in Asia. Anna claims that her security studies knowledge has been beneficial in this field because security is at the top of mind for executives of the amusement park industry. She notes that “the SSP program and all of my classes gave me a wider and deeper understanding of the world and the security issues at hand. Every day, I talk to people from all over the world, and I’m glad to have a global perspective and understand that every country and culture has its own unique and nuanced history, perspective, and current situation (though I have more to learn, that’s for sure!).”