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Politics Major Carter McDonald attends the West Point Student Conference on US Affairs

This October, I had the opportunity to represent Wake Forest University at West Point’s 77th annual Student Conference on US Affairs. It was an honor to be surrounded by outstanding delegates from universities across the US and service academies around the world. My group’s roundtable discussion centered on US alliances in Europe and reframing US posture in the region through the recently proposed NATO 3.0 framework. It was particularly enlightening to hear delegates from five NATO-allied countries share their perspectives on increased European defense spending and shifting the burden to our European allies. The conference provided real-world experience by having us collaboratively write a policy brief and present it to professors at West Point. Our group was named a finalist, giving us a chance to present in front of the whole conference. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to meet such a fantastic cohort. The cadets who served as our discussion leaders, tour guides, and room hosts were incredibly kind and enhanced the experience dramatically. Spending so much time with future military leaders provided a phenomenal glimpse into our force structure and the dedicated men and women who make up our armed forces. I can’t thank the department enough for sending me for this enriching dive into foreign affairs.