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While taking a gap year abroad after graduating high school, Evan Gildenblatt’s father sent him a link to information about �鶹��ý’s School of Peace and Conflict Studies, telling him it sounded right up his alley.

“And the more I took a look at it, the more it really did seem up my alley,” Gildenblatt said. “And so – sight unseen – I applied and enrolled when I was out of the country. I ended up going on a visit during the summer before school started that first year and felt even better about my decision. I immediately felt at home. People were so kind and accommodating. It’s funny how that works out, but it happened in such an organic way, and I’m so glad that it did.”

Gildenblatt said the peace and conflict studies program appealed to him because it was so broadly applicable to everyday life.

“I think most people hear that term and they think high-intensity military conflicts maybe, but it could be also civil legal conflicts,” he said. “It could be family conflicts and interpersonal conflicts. It seemed like something that was a good skill for life and that could take me in a lot of different directions.” 

Today, Gildenblatt uses the skills he learned while earning his Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies in his role as a judicial law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Cincinnati.

“In terms of my bachelor’s degree, I think dealing with litigants, whether it be a civil case or a criminal case, there are conflicts in the courtroom, in the briefings, and it’s the court’s job to apply the law,” he said. “Equally, it’s the court’s job to interpret the law and apply those standards to everyone. And having a degree in peace and conflict studies has really helped me in empathizing with people’s positions and better understanding where folks are coming from, whatever those positions may be.”

Gildenblatt also went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration from Kent State in 2016, which he said helped him understand the “organizational ins and outs” and how to work within certain ethical boundaries.

“I learned quite a bit, and both of my Kent State degrees have really helped me get where I am and have helped me in the day-to-day where I am now,” he said.

He noted that his two Kent State degrees helped him prepare for law school as well, setting him up for success no matter where his path may lead.

“My Kent State degrees really helped me get into law school and helped me through law school because they taught me critical thinking,” Gildenblatt said. “They taught me how to write. They taught me how to interact well with others and understand positions that I might not necessarily have encountered before or might not agree with.”

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