Sean Anderson plans to travel world, make a positive impact

DECORAH - Sean Anderson has always been interested in how language can open the door into culture.

“If you understand someone's culture, you'll be able to gain greater insights into what's important to them,” said the Luther College senior from New Ulm, Minn., who will graduate this month with degrees in both political science and Spanish.

In addition to speaking Spanish fluently, Anderson, 22, speaks intermediate Norwegian and French, and a dash of Mandarin (which he said barely warrants mention).

A Nobel Peace Prize Forum Scholar, Anderson spent last summer in Oslo, Norway, where he completed an individual research project focused on the Norwegian Refugee Council's alternative education programs for internally displaced people within Columbia. Upon his return, he presented his research at the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Forum at Luther.

He hopes to continue that research next year, where he will teach English in Colombia through a Fulbright Fellowship. He plans to volunteer with internally displaced people through a non-governmental organization.

“My goal is to be able to directly contribute to the meaningful work they're doing in Colombia,” he said.

Following his work in Colombia, he plans to pursue a master of arts at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Ultimately, Anderson said he hopes to be able to secure a public service position through the U.S. State Department, where he can focus on conflict resolution.

“I'd like to make a positive impact in some way, even if it's small. You can resolve a war and change thousands of lives, or there is the potential to accomplish great things in smaller ways ... it's about finding significance,” he said.

Anderson's mom is a 1979 graduate of Luther, and he said he decided to follow in her footsteps because of the college's reputation for rigor among colleges in the Midwest.

By Lissa Blake, Correspondent