Luke Wenz was just seven-years-old when he saw the World Trade Center’s twin towers collapse on September 11, 2001.
Like others around the world, his young mind wanted answers. And at seven-years-old, he wanted simple answers.
His interest in what happened and why it happened never ceased. Now the 21-year-old political science major is pursuing an interest in Middle Eastern politics and taking advantage of a variety of experiences to inevitably land a career in national security and conflict stabilization.
“I became interested in Middle Eastern politics right after that particular event, and as the U.S. conducted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I continuously gained interest,” he said.
His passion took him to Lebanon last summer where he volunteered at a Syrian refugee camp.
“The NGO that I worked for was predominantly about offering free education to children, but it wasn’t an easy task as there is only so much you can do with a lack of money and resources, so having productive interns helps a lot,” said Wenz.
He focused on the children’s daily needs and the upkeep of their refugee camp and school. He was exposed to both painful and powerful moments.
“I remember playing with a little girl named Zainab who was about eight-years-old,” Wenz recalled. “She lived with her grandparents because all of her siblings and family members had been murdered. After the time we spent together, it dawned on me that although she had experienced some of the most horrific things, she was so happy and enthusiastic. I didn’t quite understand what I was going to be dealing with until I met her. That experience really punched me in the face.”
His daily interaction with children led to a personal project resembling Humans of New York, a popular blog featuring street portraits and interviews collected on the streets of New York City.
“I interviewed the children and took their photos,” said Wenz. “One of them told me he wanted to become a doctor because when other people are in pain he feels pain as well. One girl expressed that she wants to be a lawyer to stand up for the truth.”
Wenz also used the opportunity to conduct research.
“I looked at how religion, and social, political, and economic organizations and cultural norms within the Middle East itself to observe how funding is managed and I found an overwhelming inefficiency,” he said. “The United Nations needed over $4 billion dollars to provide for Syrian refugees, but obtained $1.5 billion. With this lack of funding, I was interested to see how people were sustaining considering the fact that money was so scarce.”
Now back on campus in Lincoln, the junior from Tempe, Arizona, is preparing for his next big experience. Wenz will spend the spring semester interning in Washington, D.C. through the Capitol Hill Internship Program. He will intern in Congressman Jeff Fortenberry’s office.
But his experiences in Lebanon will long impact his life and work.
“Those seven weeks taught me a lot about humility and opened my mind to the realities of elsewhere,” he said. “I have heard about shootings but I haven’t actually been around people and children who have witnessed and survived them until last summer.”
“I now value human life more than ever,” Wenz added. “Listening to small children talk about their aspirations filled me with some hope for the future.”
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The NWU Experience is a diverse collection of life-impacting moments and stories as personally related by NWU students.
Story by Alessandro Schirano, Public Relations Intern