YCAPS is excited to celebrate our veteran volunteer Thomas Lattanazio, who was recently awarded a full-tuition Public Service Fellowship to the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. YCAPS Volunteer Gunchinkhand Khosbayar had a chance to chat with him about reflections on his experiences.
Thomas enlisted in the Navy fresh out of high school and was assigned USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) in Yokosuka, Japan. After his enlistment was complete, he entered the University of Chicago, where he studied Public Policy and Religion while also spending extensive time on areas of Policy Implementation, especially on American tax and Welfare policy. When asked about why he chose Johns Hopkins University, he explained, ‘I simply wouldn’t get the same quality of classes, concentrations, and access to elite institutions such as Georgetown or Princeton", with an appreciation for SAIS’s focus on national security and exposure to policy experts both inside and outside the government, given its location near Capitol Hill. There, he plans to focus on Institutional Corruption and State Capacity and their application to multiple areas of American national interest, domestic and abroad. He intends to 'burn candles at both ends,' striving to excel in and be interested in many areas of policy implementation and its impact on various aspects of a nation.
While enlisted in the Navy, Thomas discovered YCAPS, which enabled him to meet policy experts and develop a focus on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. Thomas was drawn toYCAPS because of its openness to like-minded individuals who are committed to open and frank dialogue while also providing an opportunity for intellectual growth. During his time at YCAPS, he served on the Executive committee, organized events, and represented the organization at a roundtable discussion organized by Ambassador Fujisaki Ichiro as a Tokyo Fellow. He particularly appreciated the YCAPS speaker series (now the Community Conversations program), which provided him with a deeper understanding of US national security interests. He describes these experiences as "hearing straight from the horse's mouth," with its inclusive and extensive coverage of timely issues and nuanced perspectives. Furthermore, his time spent researching the grey-zone maritime affairs and diplomatic and legal issues in the Asia Pacific aided him in gaining a deeper perspective of the great power competition in the region.
Out of many memorable moments at YCAPS, Thomas chose to talk about the USS Blue Ridge during the Spring 19 deployment, where he had the time to engage in a roundtable discussion with local experts in the Philippines. He stressed how pursuing what one is truly interested in is what fosters the passion that will drive an individual.
