Ian Gomez

Ian Gomez participated in the 2024 CLS Turkish Program hosted by the TÖMER Institute of the Ankara University in Ankara, Turkey. He is currently pursuing a B.A. in global studies: international affairs at Washington University in St. Louis. Ian aspires to be a lawyer specializing in negotiation and international conflict resolution.

Why Turkish?

I wanted to work with and advocate on behalf of Turkish diaspora and Turkish-speaking individuals as an immigration lawyer in the United States while preparing for future liaison positions between the U.S. and Turkey in the corporate realm.

A Favorite Idiom

"Geçmiş olsun!"—which means "Get well soon"—became a running joke in our cohort, used whenever something comically bad happened. For example, if someone used the wrong word in a social interaction and it led to a funny experience, we would say, "Geçmiş olsun!"

Career Goals

I will graduate with a BA in global studies from Washington University in St. Louis in May of 2027. This coming summer 2025, I will travel to Nizwa, Oman, on another CLS award for the Arabic language, and in Spring 2026 I will be at the University of Tubingen in Germany. I hope my study abroad experiences will prepare me for a career in international conflict and dispute resolution. I plan on attending law school in the United States after a gap year.

CLS’s Impact

CLS single-handedly was the most impactful academic experience I've had in my life. It gave me practical abilities in Turkish, but also gave me a family in Turkey, lifelong friends from my cohort, and a wealth of experiential knowledge to share with my peers here in the U.S. It cemented my legal ambitions and reaffirmed my dedication to citizen diplomacy and promoting study abroad opportunities here.