After passing up a year abroad in Austria during high school because he wanted to play varsity basketball at home, Jack Uldrich jumped at the opportunity to study abroad in Durham as a college senior. After becoming a Naval Intelligence Officer and working for the U.S. Defense Department of Defense at NATO as a strategic planner, Jack went on to become the Director of the Office of Strategic Planning for the State of Minnesota – where he wrote his first book on future trends that paved the way for his current career as a futurist, author, and public speaker. Today, Jack travels across the country helping organizations transform the way they think to create a successful future in this era of change. Read on to find out how the principles of humility and curiosity he learned abroad continue to inspire his work and informs his advice for students today.
IES Abroad: Why did you choose to study abroad in Durham?
Jack Uldrich: In high school, I had the opportunity to study in Melk, Austria, for a year, but I turned it down because I wanted to play varsity basketball. Only upon reaching college did I realize the foolishness of my ways. In larger part, however, I came to spend a year in Durham after attending a “semester away” program in Washington, DC. I had such a great time that I reasoned if four months away in my own country was such a positive learning experience, then an entire year in a foreign country would be even better. I was right.
IES Abroad: Some students choose to study in the U.K. because there is no language barrier, but then they are surprised when faced with unexpected challenges. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in Durham?
JU: The common language did play a role in my decision, and the very first challenge I encountered after arriving in Durham was deciphering the utterly unique Geordie accent of the inhabitants of North East England. At times, I seriously wondered whether we even shared a common language. The second challenge came while working at the pub at my college. In this capacity, I was required to listen to a multitude of accents. The diversity of British accents and how many Brits assigned class distinction to certain accents was something of a revelation.
The biggest surprise, however, came while I was regaling my British friends with my ability to mimic their accents. At one point, I naively stated that it was my “accent-less” Midwestern American pitch that allowed me to do such impressions. Whereupon, a British friend sarcastically replied, “Oh, really?” and then proceeded to mimic me in a perfectly flawless American accent. It was just one of many humbling linguistic experiences I had while traveling throughout the U.K.
IES Abroad: The yearlong IES Abroad Durham program afforded two multi-week breaks. What did you do and where did you travel during these school breaks?
JU: In theory, like our British colleagues, we were supposed to use the two six-week breaks to engage in independent study. In reality, most of us chose to enhance our education through less conventional means. The first break, a fellow IES Abroad student and I traveled to London, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Venice, Zurich, and Rome.
The second six-week period took me to the south of France, southern Italy, Greece, and what was then Yugoslavia. While in Greece, I wish I could say I continued to bask in the country’s extraordinarily rich historical and cultural heritage; alas, I spent the better part of two weeks basking in the sun, eating affordable Souvlaki, and drinking even cheaper beer in the Greek Isles. During this time I did, however, have the pleasure of meeting a great many other students from all over the world who were also looking for a little respite from the usual European travel destinations. It was these meetings and the friendships which were formed from them that are among my most memorable experiences.
IES Abroad: Were there particular experiences during your year abroad that impacted your career path?
JU: The University of Durham offered a weeklong experiential internship program at NATO Headquarters in Brussels to students interested in politics, economics, and international affairs. It was a competitive program, but I was accepted and found it to be an extraordinary learning experience. Less than six years later, after serving in the U.S. Navy, I found myself working for the U.S. Department of Defense at NATO as a strategic planner.
From a somewhat different perspective, because I spent my senior year of college at Durham—as opposed to my junior year like most IES students—I was unable to take the LSAT (the law school entrance exam). To this day, I count my blessings that I never took the exam because if I had I fear I would have headed directly off to law school and a rather predictable career in law. So, in this respect, Durham kept me from becoming a lawyer. And, for this, I will be forever thankful! (My apologies to all IES Abroad grads who are now lawyers.)
IES Abroad: Your career as a writer and speaker demands expertise and skill in research, writing, and public speaking. How did your coursework and experiences outside the classroom in Durham help you hone these skills?
JU: If travel teaches you anything, it makes you aware of how little you actually know about the world. What I mean by this is that the more I traveled, the more I realized how many more places I still had not yet visited. This recognition has always kept me humble to what I don’t know. It has also kept me curious. These two principles—humility and curiosity—are at the heart of much of my research and writing.
I also believe that my exposure to different cultures and perspectives encouraged me to approach many of the topics I write about—be it nanotechnology, leadership, “unlearning”, or emerging technologies—not as an “expert” but rather as a passionate amateur. As a result, I like to believe I make my topics more approachable to a wider range of people.
IES Abroad: Few college graduates plan to be a ‘futurist’ while still in school. How did you come into this career and what advice would you give to recent graduates who are interested in pursuing a similar career?
JU: After Durham, I went to Officer Candidate School and become a Naval Intelligence Officer. I then obtained a graduate degree in strategic planning and went to work for the Defense Department. Later, I became the Director of the Office of Strategic Planning for the State of Minnesota.
It was in this latter capacity that I wrote my first book about future trends. As is not uncommon in the world of business publishing, more people were interested in hearing me tell them what was in the book (provided I could do this in 45 minutes or less), rather taking the time to read my book themselves. In my case, I found myself rather adept at the speaking and consulting opportunities that my books have afforded. In order to further capitalize on the opportunity, my publisher and speakers bureaus began marketing me as a futurist. So, in my case, I really just stumbled into a career as a futurist.
My advice to students is simple: Stay curious, keep an open mind, take risks, embrace your setbacks and failures, and above all, expose yourself to different ideas and perspectives. The world is going to change at an accelerating pace and the best way to ensure a meaningful and prosperous career is to create your own career. If students embrace the aforementioned principles, I’m confident they will be pleasantly surprised by the future they create for themselves.
IES Abroad: Your own children are approaching college age. Where will you advise them to study abroad and why?
JU: The choice will be theirs, but I will strongly encourage them to do two things. First, if they are going to study abroad (and I sincerely hope they do), I will encourage them to go abroad for an entire year. It goes without saying that any time abroad is better than none, but too many Americans students are now going abroad for just two weeks or, perhaps, a semester. To fully absorb the benefits of living abroad, I firmly believe students need to spend an extended amount of time immersed in a different culture.
Secondly, I will advise them to study in a non-English speaking country. My experience in Durham was wonderful and I wouldn’t trade it, but in retrospect, I believe I could have had a richer and more meaningful experience if I had forced myself out of my comfort zone and traveled to a country where I would have been forced to master a new language. I’m a strong believer in a life-long learning, and fortunately, in a few years, my wife and I are planning to take a yearlong sabbatical in a yet-to-be-selected foreign country.
Check out more of Jack’s study abroad photos here.