Master’s International

Two years ago after I completed my Bachelors of Science in Biology, I went abroad with a group called International Student Volunteers to volunteer in Ecuador. Volunteering abroad was by far one of the best, most rewarding experiences I have ever had. And it gave me the push to do something I have always wanted to do – apply for the Peace Corps, and eventually Master’s International.

Master’s International is a program affiliated with the Peace Corps, and with hundreds of schools across the nation. Essentially it is like killing two birds with one stone; you go to school to complete your Master’s degree, and to the Peace Corps at the same time. Everything you do in the Peace Corps counts towards your Master’s degree, so usually you spend less time on campus than in an average Master’s program (the actual time spent taking classes varies from program to program).

In order to be designated a Master International student, you have to first be accepted into a graduate program affiliated with Master’s International, and then be nominated by the Peace Corps (a nomination is essentially a recommendation from the Peace Corps that you move on to the next phase of the application process).

These are both two separate processes, and must be done before you can be designated a Master’s International student.

Once I decided I wanted become a Master’s International student I went to the Peace Corps website, printed out the list of Master’s International affiliated schools, and got to work. Since there are so many schools affiliated with the program I researched each one that seemed interesting carefully; I wanted to make sure I chose the right one.

SPEA was one of the first schools that caught my eye (who doesn’t like the idea of getting two Master’s degrees with the addition of only one more semester?!); however, I must admit I was a bit apprehensive at first. Growing up on Long Island I’ve become accustomed to have the beach at my footsteps, and now I was going to relocate to an area over 800 miles from the coast? One visit to SPEA, and all of my hesitations disappeared; not only did I fall in love with the program, but I fell in love with Bloomington, and the strong sense of community I felt here.

Since I am completing a dual degree with only two years at school, it was important that early on that I was very proactive about my studies. That meant meeting with as many professors as possible, going to seminars, and talking to different people in an attempt to figure out what exactly I wanted my concentration to be in. Deciding this early on was crucial in structuring my second semester of classes because, all of the courses taken in my second semester need to be courses that will most benefit my Peace Corps Service.

It is also good to be proactive about finding a faculty member to act as a research adviser. This initially involves looking at what different professors are interested in, and seeing what grabs your attention. Then once at SPEA you can contact those professors to discuss your mutual interests. With the help of an adviser you will design a research project that will be carried out during your Peace Corps Service. This research project will take the place of the required internship component of your degree program at SPEA.

I currently am in the process of shopping for a research adviser. Since my concentration is Sustainability and Sustainable Development my research project will stay within that theme, focusing on Food Sustainability. While it is good to get a rough idea of what you want to do your research on, it is difficult to formulate the specifics of your project until you know where you will be stationed; a project in the heart of the Amazon will be different from a project in a small town.

At times being a Master’s International student can be a bit stressful, overwhelming, and feel like a waiting game (I am currently waiting to find out my Peace Corps placement which can take up to a few months); it definitely is a rigorous program. SPEA tests you because they know you can do it. They want to make you into the best version of “you” that you can be. When all is said and done I hope to come out of SPEA, and the Peace Corps with tools to help create environmental education programs in inner cities focusing on greening these communities, and making them more sustainable.

SPEA’s Sustainable Development Association

Student organizations have been an important part of my time at SPEA. Last year, I joined both the Sustainable Development Association (SDA) and the Environmental Management Association. With the two groups, I helped coordinate a fundraiser for the Nature Conservancy and write a funding proposal for composting bins in SPEA. This year, I’m helping with more of the administrative tasks in my role on SDA’s Executive Team.

When we polled SDA members at the beginning of the year, we found that our members’ #1 priority is gaining resume-worthy skills outside of the classroom. So this year, SDA events will emphasize job skills and gathering some good advice about career and internship opportunities.

With that in mind, we hosted a lunchtime Introduction to LEED Certification last week. We invited two local LEED professionals to speak to us about the LEED process, the local US Green Building Council chapter, and recent efforts to certify Bloomington City Hall as a LEED building. Ten SDA members attended the session – for which the Office of Career Services provided a conference room and cookies! – and learned about how LEED certification might factor into our public service work. A few students have since decided to pursue LEED certification, so SDA is considering applying for funding to help cover the cost of books and study materials for those students.

Another project we’re initiating is a consulting partnership with local businesses. Here’s the idea: interested SDA members will be paired with a local business or organization that needs short-term research, promotion, or implementation of a sustainable idea for their project. The partner will get (free) SPEA grad student assistance while the student gains a few hours of meaningful experience. To identify potential partnerships, several SDA members and I attended Bloomington’s September and October “Green Drinks” networking events. I introduced our organization and our consulting idea, and I felt very encouraged that more than ten community members approached me afterward to share ideas about how we might work together!

The other SDA project that I’m really excited about is a speaker series that we plan to co-host with the Environmental Management Association. We will invite faculty, students and community members to participate in weekly or bi-weekly panel discussions, lectures and workshops. Several SDA and EMA members have formed a team to organize this series.

I’ve really enjoyed my work with SDA. It’s been a great way to get involved with SPEA beyond my specific classes, and I think we’re helping other students learn something valuable for the future work in sustainability. Hopefully when you come to SPEA, you’ll find an organization that inspires you just as much!

SPEA – in Bloomington and Abroad!

As a graduate assistant with the Office of Overseas Study, I get to spend my work hours dreaming of incredible places to visit, study, and research. I work mostly with marketing, managing student applications, and occasionally helping professors with curriculum development and travel plans, and I have seen some pretty incredible study abroad opportunities come through our office in the last couple of months—globalization in Berlin, Risk Management in London, Sustainability in Vietnam, policy Analysis in Pamplona… and the list goes on!

One thing that I didn’t know about SPEA when I came in as a first year MPA was the myriad of opportunities available to students who want to study and research abroad while working towards their degree. Graduate students have the freedom to travel abroad for a semester or a summer, receiving academic SPEA credit through Overseas Studies. You can also choose to work with SPEA Career Services to find an internship abroad during the summer months. That’s what I did last summer to fulfill my experiential credits—I was able to partner with a community development organization called Soluciones Comunitarias in Southern Ecuador, and I spent May-August training rural women to own and operate small businesses in their local communities.

I’m learning more and more, through my academic career and my position with the Office of Overseas Education, that study abroad is a vital component in understanding where we fit in the global context. Working and studying abroad, even for a short period of time, can help to cultivate a spirit of global citizenship that makes you better at achieving all of your career goals—whether it be management, policy analysis, environmental research, or public planning. From a personal standpoint, working and studying abroad in Europe and Latin America have contributed to my experiential education in a way that classroom lectures, reading, and theory never have. Don’t get me wrong; these are all vital aspects of professional development. But there’s just something about getting out there, and seeing the world through a different lens, that
allows you to shift your perspective and grow in a much larger, experiential context.

That is precisely why I have been working with two faculty members and a group of student leaders to create a new, experiential service-learning program for SPEA graduate students in Kenya. We are calling the program: ACCT International—Advancing Community, Collaboration, and Training. Summer 2012 will be our first pilot launch of the program, and we will be sending 18 students to Western Kenya for a four-week collaborative workshop with Kenyan NGOs, Businesses, and Government Organizations. Following the workshop, SPEA student will be paired with a partner organization for a six-week internship, where they will live with a host family, and work in their community to complete a deliverable. We have designed the curriculum and
schedule of this program to help students cultivate their experiential learning in a global context. It is also the first service-learning study abroad program that SPEA has offered to graduate students, and I am very excited to move forward with the application process and help prepare my fellow students for this incredible Kenyan experience.

As I’m sure you can tell, I love talking about study abroad opportunities and sharing my own experiences from work and research abroad. If you are interested in learning more about any of the programs I’ve talked about, I encourage you to check out the SPEA Abroad website.

And if you have any questions about our new ACCT International program in Kenya, please feel free to send me an email at sjhollis@indiana.edu. I would be more than happy to talk with your about opportunities for incoming students, as well as viable student leadership positions in overseas education. Thanks for checking out this blog post!