The Eden Prairie, Minn., native will attend King’s College to earn her master’s degree in terrorism, security and society. Housed in the department of war studies, the program focuses on international security and counter-terrorism strategy.
“Why this degree is so exciting is because it’s studying a social phenomenon that we haven’t seen pop up until the last 50 years when terrorism has gotten its roots and grabbed hold of different parts of society,” Bjelde says. “It’s figuring out ways to combat terrorism around the world.”
Faculty members, as well as time spent on a Washington, D.C., seminar, prompted Bjelde to pursue this type of degree. The Washington seminar focused on federal regulations and international security. The students met people from several different security agencies including the CIA and the NSA. What stuck with Bjelde was the work ethic and pride the people had in serving the citizens of the United States.
“That solidified that I wanted to pursue a degree where I could come back and apply a very specific strategy to our country about something that’s pressing all around the world,” Bjelde says.
A sociology major, Bjelde knows the potential the next stop on her educational journey can bring. She hopes to be a fresh voice in this arena as she finds her passion and works toward a goal to benefit the world.