National Security Expert Dexter Ingram Shares Lessons in Leadership and Service with Upper School Students
Before taking the stage Tuesday evening as the featured speaker for the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, national security and counterterrorism expert Dexter Ingram spent part of Tuesday, October 20, with O’Neal Upper School students, sharing stories and lessons from more than 25 years of public service.
Ingram’s career has taken him around the world in roles involving counterterrorism, weapons of mass destruction, international diplomacy and national security. His assignments have included work with INTERPOL, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, as well as service as senior advisor to the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and as a political advisor in Afghanistan.
But rather than simply recounting the highlights of his career, Ingram challenged students to think about the qualities that helped him navigate unfamiliar cultures, difficult situations and complex global problems.
“For me, it’s always been about people,” he told students, emphasizing the importance of connecting with others on a human level.
He encouraged students to learn languages, travel, seek out unfamiliar experiences and surround themselves with people who think differently. Drawing from his experiences building international coalitions and working alongside people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, Ingram stressed that different perspectives can lead to stronger solutions.
Students also asked thoughtful questions about international affairs, political ideologies, careers in government and intelligence, and online radicalization. Ingram encouraged them to question overly simple answers to complicated problems, understand different viewpoints and continue learning throughout their lives.
Perhaps his strongest message was about service and character.
“Whether you’re a teacher or a doctor or a spy,” he told students, “look at service as the primary reason why you’re doing what you’re doing and helping people.”
Ingram also encouraged students to embrace vulnerability, persevere through difficult moments and remain open to opportunities they may never have envisioned for themselves.
His visit gave O’Neal students a unique opportunity to engage directly with someone whose career has placed him at the intersection of national security, diplomacy and international cooperation, while reinforcing a lesson applicable far beyond those fields: be curious, keep growing, connect with others and be a good human.
Read more about Dexter Ingram: https://www.ruthpauley.org/current-season
Read more about Dexter Ingram: https://www.ruthpauley.org/current-season
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