Alumni Update: John Golden '15

I graduated from Dartmouth in 2015. Following graduation, I attended Officer Candidate School for the U.S. Navy and became a Surface Warfare Officer. I spent five years on active duty serving onboard the USS JOHN FINN (DDG 113) and USS MOBILE BAY (CG 53). My time on active duty was a fantastic experience, I was lucky enough to sail in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans as well as sail through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Panama Canal.

I am now a first-year student at Columbia Business School. I am a pursuing a dual degree at Columbia and will also attend Columbia SIPA where I will earn my Master of International Affairs in addition to my MBA. I am also a U.S. Navy Reservist assigned to Expeditionary Port Unit 102 based out of Navy Operational Support Center in New York City.

My educational experience at Dartmouth continues to drive my career. I focused on international relations as an undergraduate; the fantastic professors and what I learned in the classroom prepared me for many of the things I saw in the Navy. I was able to observe how policy was implemented and how it impacted relationships between countries firsthand. What I learned at Dartmouth and the Government Department greatly contributed to my time on active duty as well as my decision to pursue further education in international affairs at Columbia SIPA.