Frank Modrzejewski (’23): Counter-narcotics intelligence

“At IWP, I saw it’s one thing to want to support your country, and it’s another thing to know what your country stands for.”

It sometimes pays to stop by happy hour or sit next to someone in class. It certainly helped Frank Modrzejewski (’23). Thanks to an IWP connection, Frank landed his first position at Booz Allen Hamilton. Another IWP friend propelled him into a diplomatic support role in foreign military sales.

It also pays to focus your academic research on your primary field of interest. After writing papers on drug cartels and terrorist organizations for multiple IWP classes, Frank was recently recruited for a role in counter-narcotics. During his daily work, he draws on the research he did at IWP.

Here, Frank discusses what drew him to D.C., how IWP led to some of the most fun moments of his adult life, and how he is making our country a safer place.

“I didn’t want to leave D.C.”

While studying political science at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Frank completed several internships, ranging from the Drug Enforcement Administration to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He also interned for Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Congressman Andy Levin.

Frank moved to D.C. for some of these internships and didn’t want to leave.

He came across IWP and became interested immediately. “I noticed how attentive IWP was when I reached out via email,” he remembers. He also liked the fact that so many practitioners teach at the school. “IWP allows you to learn from people who have worked in these fields,” he said.

Frank enrolled in IWP’s M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs program, where he focused his studies on drug cartels and terrorist organizations.

Launching a career supporting the United States

Through a connection Frank made at an IWP happy hour, he got a job with Booz Allen Hamilton supporting Arlington National Cemetery.

After some time in this role and thanks to an IWP classmate, he was offered a diplomatic support position in foreign military sales. Frank was an analyst for the U.S. Navy and worked with the German and Royal Netherlands Navies as they acquired weapons and weapons systems.

“One of the coolest parts of the job was the opportunity to socialize with the German and Dutch delegations,” said Frank. “Being able to talk about European issues with them made me stand out to the delegations.”

On these social occasions, Frank would remember what Dr. Wood told him in class in IWP: one of the best parts of graduate school is knowing what you are talking about at cocktail parties. “That was definitely the case!” said Frank.

Supporting U.S. counter-narcotics efforts

Frank is now working with the U.S. Intelligence Community to counter drug cartels. He was ready for the interview for this position after gaining familiarity with counter-narcotics issues at IWP.

Now, in his day-to-day work, he said, “I reference my old papers when I try to get caught up to speed on something.”

Frank now mentors new hires to the government and Booz Allen. “These skills were honed when I called prospective IWP students to tell them about the school and D.C.,” said Frank. “At one point, I felt lost and new to D.C. I was able to be a sounding board to those prospective students.”

Reflections on the IWP experience

At a foundational level, Frank wanted to support his country in his professional work, which is why he came to D.C. At IWP, his appreciation for our country deepened, and his work became even more meaningful. “I appreciated the philosophical classes,” he said. “IWP allowed me to study American founding principles and use it as a motivator to work in these different jobs for the government.”

Another important lesson that Frank learned at IWP is that national security and statecraft can be compared to an orchestra.

He said: “If you are focused on one area within national security, you are part of the whole orchestra. You need to understand the big picture and the different arts of statecraft. Knowing diplomacy and military intelligence has helped me tremendously in my professional work.”

In addition to impacting his work and motivation, Frank said, “IWP has led to some of the most fun moments of my adult life.”

In his last semester, he traveled across the pond for the IWP-Oxford Study Abroad Program. “As soon as I got to my flat, it hit me that everything I was studying in school led to this moment. I was ready to use everything I learned at IWP as a background for my research at this prestigious institution. I was able to be there learning with my friends. My workplace was partially paying for me to go to Oxford, and I had that job because of IWP.”

To new students, Frank advises: “Make sure you’re taking advantage of what IWP has to offer, whether it’s social events, tours, etc. Meet your classmates and take advantage of smaller class sizes at IWP. You can get one-on-one experience with a practitioner and make strong relationships with those around you.”