The thing I would like students to know about the graduate experience here at SIS, is that although it may be rigorous, and there may be late nights, and there may be a lot coming at you all at once, it is all going to be worth it. The benefits that you get from the program, the academic experience that you gained, the network that you gain, are just really powerful. And they really helped me and I think will help future students.
The experience that I had at American University was fundamental to my success at Mercy Corps and even just to get the job in the first place. You really learn the fundamentals of what international development is, how it works, the way in which you should approach certain things, in terms of humility, really understanding what people's experiences are not coming in with your own thoughts and imposing. Your professors are really here to help you. They're here to mentor you. Building relationships with them is so important. And sometimes that opens doors to learning more about things that you didn't know you were interested in.
I did not intend to work for the US Department of Education. But I think that really shows the strength of the program and that I developed skill sets that I still use in my job to this day. I feel education really sits at the nexus of many of our social issues. And so while it's not what I had originally planned to do, it's something that I intend to do for the rest of my life. I do stay in close touch with a number of friends. I do think that we've all been successful in our own ways. There are a number of us that work for the federal government in different agencies. One is working in the field of international education. My had another girlfriend that actually went to work for the Japanese Embassy, another friend went to work for the Foreign Service. Making an investment in yourself with studying at the School of International Service is worth it. I found a lot of growth here and I found the support that I needed in order to succeed here.
