Sarah Herschler

First-year ICAR M.S. student Sarah Herschler is eager to understand what it is about our society that makes people so stressed. Her interest in human behavior stems from her father's study of psychology. Following his footsteps, Sarah started as a psychology major at George Mason, but quickly changed it when she discovered sociology. Sarah began to connect the dots between personal problems of the individual and collective problems of the society and was able to use this "systems thinking" to tackle societal issues. As an undergraduate minoring in conflict analysis and resolution, Sarah soon realized the usefulness of conflict theories when the tragedy at Virginia Tech struck.

During discussions in Dr. Wallace Warfield's CONF 300 class, Sarah was concerned about the media's focus solely on Cho's psychology. Instead of separating Cho from the rest of society, Sarah wanted to explore whether the community at large was responsible. She had little doubt that Cho's horrible and tragic decisions were a cornered response to stress, noting that the campus culture and community could have been more inclusive. Taking the college step can be overwhelming to some students, and feeling connected to the student body is crucial in establishing a peaceful environment. Sarah believes this can be achieved through dialogue, reaching out to fellow students to work through tough issues. In order to be what her peers needed, Sarah understood the importance of having confidence and skills to facilitate group conversation. That's when she found ICAR's program. Sarah realized that conflict analysis was a way of thinking and a toolset she wanted in her life and career. Avid to facilitate in the future, Sarah believes our society needs people who will use dialogue to move toward facing conflict instead of avoiding it.