An Introduction

Welcome to my blog project for my most recent endeavor, graduate school.  I am currently pursuing a Masters in Arts degree in Global Development and Social Justice.  For an introduction to me, you can read my "about me" section.  However, I would much rather introduce you to the program with which I have been given the opportunity to further my education.

St. John's University is a Catholic university with top ranking academics.  St. John's University is hosted by three boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island) as well as in Oakdale, NY.  Campuses are also hosted in Paris, France as well as Rome, Italy.  I had an opportunity to study in Rome for the first two weeks of the masters program.  I will (Lord willing) return to Rome in two years to graduate.  The Masters in Global Development and Social Justice program is a multidisciplinary online/distance learning program with in person courses offered at both the beginning and end of the coursework.

Personally, I was looking for a way to further my education.  Many people in my field of work hold a masters in social work.  I was not interested in obtaining this degree, but was interested in continuing toward some degree.  I have had a huge interest in human rights throughout the majority of my adult life and felt that perhaps the only way to continue to work in this field was with a law degree.  I'm so thankful that I was wrong. 

If I could have created a program of my own, I would have created a program that nearly mirrors this program.  It is primarily online, allowing me to continue to do my work with Project Hospitality.  It also covers a broad variety of courses - economics, religion, inequalities, migration, food and water, health... everything that one could claim as important for a well-rounded education in Global Development and Social Justice.  Another great advantage of this program is that we are studying with the same cohort of people from around the world through all of our courses.  Facilitated through face-to-face courses completed in Rome, we got to know our classmates/cohort.  Following these two weeks, we will return to our homes and continue to work together from great distances.  What an amazingly fun opportunity!