Aaron Smithson ’15 is the New York State winner of the United States Institute of Peace National Peace Essay Contest for 2014. A rising senior at Trinity, Aaron has been interested in international relations for as long as he can remember. He discovered the contest by searching online, looking for something additional to do his junior year at Trinity. He decided that it would be interesting, and challenging, to write about security sector reform in Somalia and Sierra Leone.

Aaron’s research into the topic, as well as his work on his winning essay, gave him fascinating insights into security sector reform in developing nations. His interview is thoughtful, insightful, compelling, and riveting. Listen in, you’ll be amazed.

Read Aaron's complete essay here.

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