Meet Jessica Erickson, a START alumna who earned her MPS in 2024 as part of the inaugural cohort. With a background in national security and close ties to the military, Jessica has a unique perspective on the value of pursuing a graduate degree in terrorism studies and the advantages of START's programs.
Tell us about your background.
My academic background is in psychology, specifically with a focus on forensics, from Southern New Hampshire University. Over the years, my career has taken several turns through a variety of roles, including sales and then security. I also have a strong personal affiliation with the military, which has influenced many of my career choices. I graduated from START in 2024 as part of the original cohort, which was an exciting experience.
What connections do you have to the military?
I was an army kid. Both my parents were in the army, and my grandfather was in the navy, so the military is in my blood. I’ve also been a military spouse for more than 13 years. These connections to the military were my driving force for joining the national security industry. I originally wanted to join the military like my family, but I was prevented from doing so due to medical reasons. I still wanted to support national security and my country similarly to how my husband, parents, grandparents, and friends have done. This desire led me to national security.
Where do you work now? What are your career goals?
I currently work as an intelligence analyst for the Department of Defense. The department where I work is highly agile and diverse- it’s a very unique space to be in. My goal is to become a regional expert with more training in diverse topics, such as language and the differences in culture between the region we focus on and the U.S.
Why did you choose to pursue a graduate degree at START? What about the program appealed to you?
I actually knew about START before the MPS program launched. I’ve always been interested in the psychology of terrorism, and when I was doing my undergrad at Southern New Hampshire University, I came across the START website while I was doing research for a paper. I was impressed with the amount of information that was housed on the site, as well as the quality of research. After I graduated with my Bachelor’s, I was considering what I wanted to do with my career when START announced the full-time MPS program. Since I’d already seen- and been impressed by- the work START does, I was sold. I knew the high quality of work done there, as well as the people who were publishing, so I knew START had good resources and knowledgeable people. I wanted to be a part of it.
How did START help you achieve your goals?
The program has diverse classes available to students, which gave me the ability to research and learn about topics that support the work I do in my career. The freedom in the classes themselves was also helpful, because as long as I was following the assignments, I was able to study whatever interested me. One of my classmates was focused on African jihadism, while another student in the same class was studying Latin American cartels. Meanwhile, I was focused on national security. There was such a large breadth and width of topics available to learn and study, so my classmates and I were able to focus on our specific research interests. This specialized focus then helped me find a position in my area of interest after graduation.
Being a military spouse is challenging. What was it like being a military spouse while undertaking the MPS?
Having the program online was extremely helpful. When I was accepted into the program, we were in the process of changing stations, so the first week of the semester saw me in multiple hotels across the country. Additionally, having the materials being virtual or easily available was a great asset. I appreciated the support and understanding that I received during my first semester when we were moving.
While I was in the program I didn't readily volunteer that I was a military spouse unless it was necessary to explain why I understood something. Mentioning that you are a military spouse sometimes comes with a weird connotation. Many people think spouses are lesser-than. I have had interactions with people where, when I mention I am a milspouse, they act like I don't understand anything or am fundamentally ignorant. I never felt that way when I shared that I was a military spouse in the program. In fact, many saw it as a unique point of view.
Did you have a favorite class at START?
There were so many good classes- my favorite was “The Psychology of Radicalization.” The professor in that class was very eloquent and to the point. She said something I still think about: how we think of terrorists as crazy, but thinking of them as crazy is a flawed viewpoint. She pointed out that people who commit terrorist acts aren’t crazy, but have a different rationale than we do, and their actions fit that rationale. I think that view is helpful in understanding why people commit terrorist actions, which then helps us learn how to prevent these actions.
What advice would you give to someone looking to advance their professional or academic goals?
The best advice I can give to anyone- not just someone looking to get into national security- is to appreciate that you are coming into a space where you are new, and you will have a lot of people with talent and knowledge around you. Be open to learning, and ask questions. Keep learning, keep asking questions. You will likely be working with people who have been doing a job for 10, 15, 20 years- these people are a wealth of knowledge who will one day retire and take their knowledge with them. Learn from them while you can, and try to keep learning. As my dad used to say, stagnation is death.