This winter quarter, 86 undergraduates completed the Jackson School’s Donald C. Hellmann Task Force Program, a capstone course that involved several weeks of research, writing, and group collaboration on a current global issue. The program concludes with a student-led evaluation day, where each Task Force presents their final report to an subject field expert.
Name: Priya Khaira
Expected to graduate: Spring 2026
Degree: B.A. in International Studies
Task Force title: Autonomous Weapons Systems, Drones, and the Future of Conflict
Task Force instructor: Jessica Beyer
Hometown: Mountlake Terrace, Washington
What has been your favorite Task Force experience? Did anything surprise you from when you first heard of the Task Force program versus the on-the-ground experience?
My favorite part of Task Force was being around people who care so much about the work that we’re doing. When I first heard about Task Force, I went in with the same dread that most group projects bring. To my surprise (and delight!), everyone in the group was open to dynamic collaboration and was willing to pitch in so our report could be a great representation of all our research. My faith in group work has been restored, to say the least, and I do really believe that it takes a lot of people working together to produce something truly impactful.
What key skills do you think the Task Force program gives you?
Task Force leaves with you the willingness to delve into difficult problems with a spirit of discovery. The whole experience brings you toward wanting to ask tough questions and balancing attention-to-detail with a care for creating a compelling whole picture.
What career are you interested in pursuing after graduation? How did going through the Task Force program impact your career interests/prospects?
I want to have a career as an attorney after I graduate and go to law school in a couple of years. Task Force gave plenty of valuable opportunities to build the skills that any good lawyer has – an eye for the small details, the ability to communicate complex information, and the willingness to work through problems that are really complicated. I feel more prepared for the challenges the career path presents because of Task Force.
Anything else you would like to add?
There are plenty of demanding experiences in college that end up just being draining – Task Force is not one of them! It’s a lot of work but, if you find yourself lucky enough to be in a great group like I was, the whole quarter ends up being so rewarding. You start the quarter with a problem and end it with a set of well-researched recommendations to address that issue. Life is full of problem-solving and you just got a bit better at that after one quarter – that’s awesome.
