Clara Driscoll, Incoming S-CAR Masters Student
Clara Driscoll grew up in a bilingual household (Danish and English), and lived in Denmark and Singapore. Clara’s parents taught her to place value on travel, exploring different cultures and developing an intellectual curiosity about how the world works. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University in 1999 with a degree in history, Clara joined the United States Army and received a commission as an Army officer. During her 13 years in the Army she has lived and worked in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Kuwait, Italy, and Germany. She made it her goal to develop a genuine interest in the history, culture and, when applicable, conflict that exists in each of those countries. According to Clara, “my time in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo impressed upon me the importance of cooperation amongst all stakeholders in effectively dealing with conflict.”
Clara applied to the S-CAR program because she had a keen desire to better understand conflict and the methods by which it can be resolved. As she said, “I have a real world knowledge of the damage that severe conflict can cause and an appreciation for the role of nonviolent methods of resolution.”
As a newcomer to the S-CAR program and the academic field of conflict resolution, she has yet to decide what her focus in the pro- gram will be, but she is very interested in the roles that culture and religion play in international conflict. Upon graduation from S-CAR, she hopes to use her Masters degree to further the cooperation among stakeholders in the resolution of conflict in conflict and post conflict settings. Clara says, “After the military I will likely seek employment with either USAID or the State Department. My husband, who is also an Army officer, and I moved to the area so that I could attend S-CAR. Currently, we live in Old Town Alexandria with our dogs Gus and Sofie.”