When Luke Schmucker applied to Indiana University (IU), he had never even heard of International Studies – he planned to major in Political Science. However, a visit to the IU Hamilton Lugar School (HLS) opened Schmucker’s eyes to a whole new world of opportunities. Now, Schmucker is preparing to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies, a concentration in Diplomacy, Security, and Governance, and minors in Russian and East European Studies and Political Science.
A native of Bremen, Indiana, Schmucker says, “I took all of the social studies classes I could in high school, so Political Science seemed like a natural fit.” He continues, “It was only when I came here and toured that I learned about HLS, and the International Studies program. When I got to meet people and talk about classes, I realized this is what I was looking for, this is what I love to learn about! At that point, I logged in and switched my major to International Studies.”
While earning his degree, Schmucker spent a summer studying at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and a semester as an intern at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Vatican City. This would be a big accomplishment for anyone, but it is particularly meaningful to Schmucker, a first-generation college student who had not yet traveled outside of the U.S. before attending IU.
Although Schmucker was the first in his immediate family to attend college, he was not the first to learn a second language or experience a new culture. He explains, “My dad’s family is ex-Amish – they grew up speaking Pennsylvania Dutch. My dad speaks it. I spoke it a little as a kid, but then I didn’t use it for 15 years, so it was kind of lost on me. But this idea of reconnecting to my German heritage led me to study German and Dutch in college.”
In addition to his family history, Schmucker’s personality and attitude played an important role in his academic path. He says, “I’m never afraid to start a conversation, begin a project, or start that initial phase of anything. I would say that I’m also a very curious individual, so that has led me down paths I never thought I’d go before.”
Schmucker is happy with his decision to embark on an International Studies major at HLS. He says, “There is such a depth of topics here. IU has so many niche classes that not many universities offer. I’ve had professors who are from the country they teach about. They’ve told me stories that have been burned in my memory – personal stories. They shaped the conversation in ways that someone who just read a book couldn’t.”
Associate Profesor of Political Science
There are many faculty members who made an impact on Schmucker, such as Associate Professor of Political Science Dina Rome Spechler, whose expertise includes Russian Foreign Policy, the politics of the UN, and international relations. Schmucker took several classes from Spechler, then worked with her as an intern and research assistant. He says, “We researched nations and their politics, then wrote memos and reports based on our findings. I mentored students in the United Nations (UN) Politics class and facilitated a model UN at the end of the semester.”
Associate Professor of Eurasian Studies László Borhi also made a big impact on Schmucker. He says, “Professor Borhi is a very intelligent individual – I love hearing his stories. He’s very anecdotal, and he’s very philosophical. He really gives me things that I can ponder over sometimes.”
Peter A. Kadas Chair &
Associate Professor, Central Eurasian Studies
During his first three years at IU, Schmucker immersed himself in a wide variety of classes including international studies, political science, international law and institutions, German, and Dutch. In his final year, Schmucker had the opportunity to experience studying and working abroad.
Schmucker received a scholarship to help him participate in a six-week program to study European identity, history, and culture at Utrecht University during the summer of 2022. Schmucker says, “For a small-town kid who thinks Bloomington is a big change – arriving in Amsterdam on my own was a little jarring.”
Although most people Schmucker interacted with in the Netherlands spoke English, he successfully immersed himself in the culture and found opportunities to practice his Dutch. He lived in a dormitory with five other students, and they got along well. He says, “During the day or after class we would explore the city we were in, or the surrounding cities. On the weekend, we would always take a train and go somewhere as a group.”
While in Utrecht, Schmucker received the exciting news that he had been accepted for a highly selective internship with the U.S. Department of State for fall 2022. He says he applied for the internship because, “I wanted to get my feet in the water and see if this was the right career for me.” He felt like applying was a long shot, but it would be worth it, saying, “They only accepted 1,000 applications nation-wide, and of those, only 200 were selected for internships. Since it was paid, and housing was provided, I knew I would have nothing to lose.”
The hardest part was waiting to find out where he would be placed. Just a few weeks before his Utrecht program ended, Schmucker was told that his fall internship would be at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church, located in Vatican City, the world’s smallest fully independent nation-state.
The US Embassy to the Holy See is part of what is called “Tri-Mission Rome” which also includes the US Embassy to Italy, and the US embassy to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) which is underneath the U.N. umbrella and based in Rome.
Schmucker says people often ask him if you must be Catholic to work at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, but he is quick to dispel that myth. He explains, “You are there to advance U.S. foreign policy goals, so you don’t have to necessarily prescribe to the Catholic faith. Although since I am not Catholic, I did have to go through the whole process of learning about the Catholic Church, learning the lingo and everything.”
Schmucker says the work of the Holy See Embassy is a little different from some other embassies. He says, “Vatican City only has 400 citizens, and the embassy has just 15 employees, so we didn’t deal with immigration or other paperwork like that. I was immediately put to work on projects within the public affairs office, the political economic office, and the protocol office.”
Being able to rotate through different offices gave Schmucker a chance to experience different events. He says, “Public affairs has a lot of events you can go to. You can meet a lot of interesting people, and craft embassy messages. The political economic office – that’s my bread and butter. It is a lot of research and writing, which I love to do. Protocol is when the ambassador is invited to events or hosting events, that is kind of the framework. You get to write to high profile people, invite high profile people, and sometimes even meet them.”
Schmucker had the opportunity to visit many iconic locations. He says, “My first full day, they sent me to an event at St. Peter’s [Bascilica]. It was quite common that there would be a mass after events, so I got to visit a lot of different churches. I also got to visit the Pontifical North American College (PNAC) for American and Canadian seminary students and attend Thanksgiving events with them.
Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly was very welcoming. Schmucker says, “At Thanksgiving, the Ambassador himself invited me to his house for dinner, along with a few other ambassadors and friends including Frances Collins, the Irish Ambassador to the Holy See. She had never experienced an American Thanksgiving before, and it was her first time trying pumpkin pie, so she was overly excited. She said she felt quite lucky – and so did I.”
During the internship, Schmucker met other diplomats, including Cindy McCain, an ambassador at the American Embassy to the FAO in Rome. He says, “I also got to briefly meet the Vatican’s equivalent of the Secretary of State and attended a conference where the newly sworn in Italian Foreign Minister gave his first public speech.” In addition, when the U.S. and the U.K. faced each other in the World Cup, the British Embassy in Rome invited the Holy See embassy staff to watch the game with them.
The opportunity to intern with the U.S. Department of State gave Schmucker invaluable experience. He says, “You can read all the blog posts you want online, but you have to actually be there and talk with the people on the ground and live it to understand the benefits and limitations.”
After experiencing the internship, and talking with many diplomats, Schmucker says, “It is a wonderful job, but you have to be willing to jump from place to place around the world. If you have a spouse or children, they have to be willing to go through that with you. It is a partnership, so it must be a mutual understanding.”
Schmucker says what surprised him the most was how much background diplomacy there is. He explains, “In the news, we usually only see things like what bills passed, or what a senator said. But there is a framework holding up the entire system that people do not usually get to see or understand, supported by a whole plethora of civil servants and professionals whose face will never be on a newspaper and just being able to peek behind the curtain and see the work and dedication is fascinating and heartening.”
Overall, Schmucker says his biggest takeaway is, “Diplomacy can be slow, but compared with the alternative it’s worth it.”
As for the next step in his career, Schmucker has many options. He was accepted to graduate programs at Rice University and Columbia University and offered a summer fellowship through a Washington D.C.-based organization. He is also weighing the option of applying for jobs.
When he looks at the opportunities before him, Schmucker expresses amazement, saying, “It’s kind of hard to decide. I came from a rural family with a father that never graduated high school and here I’ve been accepted to an Ivy League university.”
No matter the path he chooses, Schmucker’s future looks bright. In the words of his former professor and supervisor, Dina Spechler, “Luke is remarkable for his eagerness to learn and for the tenacity, determination and perseverance that he has shown in overcoming the dual challenges of being a first-generation college student and needing to support himself fully throughout his college career. These qualities are sure to serve him well in whatever career path he ultimately follows.”
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The Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS) was established in 2015 and is housed within the Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences (COAS). The school is #1 in the U.S. for its number of Area Studies Centers recognized by the U.S. Department of Education Title VI program. Through HLS and COAS, Indiana University is #1 in the country for number of foreign languages taught (80) and number of U.S. Department of Defense Language Flagship Programs (3).