Steven Hawkins’ military service in the U.S. Army Reserves in Afghanistan gave him an up-close look at the principles and ideas behind international affairs.

On May 5, he will have a master’s degree that proves he has both a practical and theoretical grasp of what it takes to navigate the challenging world of diplomacy and armed conflict. Hawkins, who earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Georgia, spent a tour of duty in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, working to build relationships with locals to help build support for the Afghan government.

And now he is completing two years of study in Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.

“It’s been a great experience,” Hawkins said. “I got to a lot of things. I got to travel abroad again through the school, which was nice.”

The trip abroad to Macau, China, featured work with the United Nations University of Computing and Society to study how communications technologies are affecting people in that part of the world.

With such an impressive resume and an even more impressive collection of real-world experience, Hawkins has landed a job with the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Migration and Refugees.

“At the end of the day, it’s the people that you meet that make or break an experience,” Hawkins said. “That’s what made this a positive one for me.”