In November 2017, Midshipman Dean Williams of the Merchant Marine Academy visited IWP for a two-week internship. Below, he shares about his experience.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Dean Williams. I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. I am a junior at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where I am studying Maritime Logistics and Security while trying to obtain a certificate in Arabic from California University of Pennsylvania. I plan to graduate in June of 2019. Upon graduation, I hopefully will enter into the training pipeline in one of three special warfare jobs in two of our armed forces branches. I am also looking into Army’s and Navy’s active duty intelligence program, along with DIA’s human intelligence and other intelligence agencies’ programs.
What did you learn during your internship?
My time at IWP was phenomenal. Given how my school operates, I was only able to set aside two weeks for an internship; nonetheless I learned a lot. As someone who aspires to go active duty into the military and eventually work for the government in a civilian capacity, it was refreshing and inspiring to see young people working towards Master’s degrees and aspiring to work for the government in various capacities. During my two weeks at IWP, I attended many classes and events with Larry Cosgriff and Captain Chris Glass, all while networking and doing a cyber-assignment with Captain Dean Lane.
What are your plans for the future?
After IWP in December, I will be going to 5th fleet aboard a T-AKE with Military Sealift Command for 6-7 months as part of my 2nd sailing period for my school. Hopefully, one day I will earn my place at IWP to obtain my Master’s degree. It is truly a remarkable and inspiring institution.