Danielle Kitchen, BA’18: Planning a Life of Service
Danielle Kitchen graduated from Vanderbilt in 2018 with a double major in Public Policy Studies and Human and Organizational Development and a minor in Corporate Strategy. Her Public Policy major had a concentration in Defense Policy, and her thesis examined China’s foreign investment in African countries. During her time at Vanderbilt, Danielle studied abroad at the London School of Economics and on Semester at Sea, where she lived on a ship for 104 days. She also interned with CDI at Google and in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Upon graduation, Danielle was selected as one of two students to receive Vanderbilt’s Michael B. Keegan Traveling Fellowship, which funds a year of global travel in support of an independent research project. She traveled to 20 countries across 5 continents, where she studied civilian-military relationships by interviewing civilians, military personnel, and government officials. Upon returning from her fellowship, she attended U.S. Navy Officer Candidates School and commissioned as an Ensign.
“I am fascinated by the world of defense and foreign policy,” Danielle said. “Long-term, I would like to work for an organization I feel is contributing to the greater good in some way, and use my skillset to maximize the value I can offer to that organization. I don’t have a preordained path I’ll follow, but I hope the road ahead is one where I will continue learning and enjoying life’s adventures.”