Ellen graduated in 2021 from Washington University in St. Louis, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and African and African-American Studies. Her research focuses on Irish peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the 1960s. Ellen’s research builds upon work she began during her undergraduate studies, which centers on conducting oral histories with Irish veterans who served in the Congo and demonstrates the necessity of analyzing UN missions through the lived experiences of peacekeepers. Her work on Irish peacekeeping in the Congo not only illuminates this specific historical moment but also provides valuable insights into the broader implications of external interventions and how foreign policy can be utilized to promote nationalism.