ISS Student Spotlight | Charlotte McTaggart
Tell us a bit about yourself and what attracted you to this field.
I grew up in a small seaside town in England and moved to Alberta, Canada during high school. I graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society where I also completed the honors program, writing a dissertation on the Reid Technique. In September of 2023, I started the ISS program after serving as the general manager of a brunch restaurant. Currently, I work remotely as a crisis analyst for an AI-driven technology company, leveraging open-source intelligence techniques to provide actionable intelligence for clients to keep their people and assets safe.
Since a very young age, I have been fascinated by the world around me and the motivations behind large-scale attacks. This ever-growing curiosity has fueled my passion for understanding the dynamics of human behavior, the intricacies of conflict, and the factors that drive large-scale events. This passion continues to guide me throughout both my academic and professional journeys, motivating me to contribute meaningful and nuanced insights to complex global challenges, with the hope of creating impactful solutions.
What challenges have you faced as an online student, and how have you managed them?
The biggest challenges I have faced while being an online student with the University of Arizona is attempting to balance my time and energy for all of my major focuses. Working full time, maintaining a healthy social life, and making time for the gym all while completing my studies has been a real learning curve. My best strategy for allocating sufficient time for each of these priorities has been using both a physical and an electronic calendar. I use my Google calendar for time blocking; I will block my regular working hours, my gym hours, social activities, and then study time. Then I will use a physical day calendar to list out all of my tasks for work and school each day. Crossing off each task can help things feel more manageable and rewarding to see the list get shorter!
Looking back on your journey, what are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my perseverance. During my first year of the program, my mother was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, throwing a very unexpected twist into my journey. This was especially difficult as I had already endured the sudden loss of my father during my undergraduate studies. Despite these challenges, my commitment to my studies has always provided me with a sense of stability and control in an otherwise uncertain time. My academic pursuits have become a refuge, allowing me to channel my energy into growth and discipline.
What advice would you give to prospective students considering this program?
Enjoy the journey! I think it can be really easy to focus only on the challenging paper that is due at the end of the week and before you know it, you’ll be nearing the end of the program. The ISS program allows you to truly immerse yourself in the content of each class. You can re-watch lectures as many times as needed, dive deeper into the material at your own pace, and engage in discussion threads with students from every corner of the globe. Take the time to embrace these moments and take advantage of being able to hear the viewpoints from peers you wouldn’t ordinarily cross paths with.