1
20
9
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/7067078af55775bad985057c1ef6761a.pdf
a61b19f257e4c0644ceac97aaa7dac7a
PDF Text
Text
UNTIL�WE�ARE�
TOGETHER�AGAIN�
Alumni
Engagement at
St. John’s College
“I’m proud to be a Johnnie. The
UNTIL�WE�
ARE�
TOGETHER� Homecoming and Alumni Engagement
AGAIN� atARESt. John's College
Program helped prepare me for
my career, and the friendships
I made as a student continue to
enrich my life. The further out
from my graduation I go, the
more I want to stay connected
with the college.”
—KATARINA WONG A88
“The Program and its
emphasis on dialogue is what
first grounded me to my
Until We Are Together Again
classmates and the college,
and is what continues to
inspire, motivate, and connect
me to St. John’s today.”
—ASHISH DHAKAL SF19
YOU
IN?
“I believe strongly in the and
Homecoming
St. John’s education and
Alumni
Engagement
mission—it’s what
connects
me to the Johnnie community
atandSt.
John's College
motivates me to stay
involved however I can.”
—BOB KASENCHAK SF95
��LETTER FROM ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear Johnnies,
I hope this message finds you safe and well amid the unprecedented events we have faced
over the past several months. Yet, even in trying times, I deeply believe in hope.
When Aristotle taught us about bravery, he grounded this virtue in hope. He instructed us in
the Nicomachean Ethics that “A coward is someone with faint hope, since such a person is afraid
of everything, and a courageous person is the opposite, since confidence belongs to someone
full of hope.” Hope gives us courage and allows us to move forward. It is in this vein that the
college sends you this expanded version of our annual homecoming brochure, aptly entitled
Until We Are Together Again.
I understand that a publication cannot replace the togetherness we enjoy at homecoming. Rather—through
its alumni stories, college news, and collection of photos—it can offer us some joy and remembrance of what
it means to be part of our exceptional Johnnie community. As you turn these pages, you will learn about the
many great things happening for alumni, the strength of our community as a whole, and how we can stay
connected with one another through the Alumni Association and the college, especially through our first-ever
virtual Alumni Week to be held Monday, September 21 through Saturday, September 26, 2020.
Inspired by alumni feedback, Alumni Week promises to bring us together in community and in thought
through daily online programming that is both nostalgic and informative, until we can be together again in
person. Highlights include virtual presentations of favorite homecoming activities, engaging career talks,
updates from college leadership, and—of course—seminars with our much-loved tutors.
Albeit not what we expected initially, the year 2020 still affords us the chance to reconnect with and revisit
what is unique and meaningful about St. John’s. Our Association remains strong, as it has been since its
establishment nearly 200 years ago. And our college community is just as vibrant as when we were students
in the hills of Santa Fe and on the banks of College Creek.
Join me along with your entire Alumni Association Board by participating in Alumni Week this September.
Are you in?
We look forward to seeing you this fall. Until we are together again…
St. John’s Forever!
Mark Parenti AGI92
President
St. John’s College Alumni Association
1
�UPDATES
ALUMNI 50 YEARS APART are making a lasting environmental impact on
St. John’s College with the Class of 2019 inspiring an anonymous gift of $3.2 million
from members of the Class of 1969.
Over its long history, the college has developed many traditions within its Johnnie
community—including that of the Senior Legacy Project, where graduating seniors
adopt a class project to improve the student experience for future years.
Previous examples of this tradition include the Class of 2004’s fundraising and
installment of a functional armillary sphere on the Santa Fe campus. Predecessor
to the telescope, the sphere was fabricated using the designs of 16th-century astronomer Tycho Brahe and is the only one of its kind in the world.
Class of 2019
Inspires Alumni
to Fund Solar
Energy and
Sustainability
Initiatives
2019 Senior Legacy Committee
Members with President Mark
Roosevelt, pictured left to right:
Ashish Dhakal SF19, Oona
“Bella” Bjornstad SF19,
President Roosevelt,
Pavitra “Pavi” Antony SF19,
and Sophia Paffenroth SF19.
Stay connected with your
Johnnie community. Follow
St. John’s journey toward
sustainability and other
inspiring college news by
visiting sjc.edu/news.
2
As for the members of the Class of 2019, they chose to support an energy audit of the
Santa Fe campus to reduce the college’s carbon footprint, lower operating costs, and
encourage the installation of solar energy on site. With a 100-percent participation
rate among the 2019 class—a feat achieved only three other times in Santa Fe’s
history—the classmates were able to cover a portion of the cost of the campus energy
audit.
“The support the project received was overwhelming and more than I had hoped for,”
remarked Ashish Dhakal SF19, who served on the Senior Legacy Committee. “I think
in the end it really augmented that togetherness we felt as a class.” But their impact
didn’t stop there.
When two members of the Class of 1969 learned of the Class of 2019’s passion for
sustainability and 100-percent participation rate, they were inspired to make a gift
of their own. This spring, two anonymous donors from the Class of 1969 contributed
$2.2 million to install rooftop solar panels and an additional $1 million to convert the
entire campus to LED lighting, for a total gift of $3.2 million.
President Mark Roosevelt shared a message from the anonymous members of the
Class of 1969 with alumni from the Class of 2019. “Dear Fellow Alumni of the Class
of SF19,” the message begins. “We are so grateful to you for getting the project
started by donating the planning piece. We are proud to join you in your vision of a
sustainable campus, and we treasure this connection between our two classes, 50
years apart.”
Combined, the two class gifts are a major step toward St. John’s achieving its sustainability initiatives. By installing solar panels and LED lighting, the college is expected
to save approximately $150,000 in electricity costs annually and reduce its electricity
use by 1.67 million kWh per year.
“The donations from the Class of 1969 mean that there is hope, especially in the current climate of global crises,” Dhakal reflected. “I think it sets a significant precedent
in our Johnnie community and beyond, and proves the impact we can have when we
work together.”
�LAST DECEMBER, FEW KNEW how significant innovation, leadership, and
disruption would soon become in the landscape of American higher education.
It was then that St. John’s College received the “Four-Year College of the Year”
Dive Award from leading education news publisher Education Dive, for its forwardthinking approach to a problem that confronts many colleges across the country,
especially now during the novel coronavirus pandemic: ballooning tuition prices
that most American families cannot afford. Education Dive acknowledged St. John’s
solution—described by author Natalie Schwartz as “switching to a philanthropysupported financial model and cutting down on administrative expenses”—as a
progressive initiative designed to provide an affordable education for all students
and put the college in a secure position moving into the future.
“At the time, we believed strongly we were doing the right thing in committing to
our new financial model by launching the Freeing Minds campaign and resetting our
tuition,” said Annapolis President Panayiotis Kanelos. “What we couldn’t have anticipated was how this decision would place us in a position of strength to confront the
financial and enrollment challenges of this new era brought on by COVID-19.”
Today, the award continues to underscore the college’s momentum in these areas,
and allows St. John’s to join a storied array of institutions to have been honored by
Education Dive in past years, including the University of California system and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“The people and organizations that win Dive Awards are trailblazers and leaders in
their markets,” said Davide Savenije, editor-in-chief of Education Dive’s publisher
Industry Dive. “Their achievements in 2019 are shaping the future of where the latest
strategies and trends are going.”
Trailblazing
Proves
Fortuitous
for College
amid
Pandemic
Education Dive provides in-depth journalism and insight into the news and trends
shaping the education world, including policy, classroom tech, online learning, and
more. Each year, the editors of Education Dive use the Dive Awards to acknowledge
visionaries and disruptors that stand out from the rest of the field: colleges,
universities, companies, and individuals that create bold, progressive solutions for
modern-day challenges in order to bring the world of education into the future.
The thing to remember, President Mark Roosevelt said, is that St. John’s couldn’t have
done it alone.
“We forged a vision that was informed by our community’s input. We implemented
that vision and our community rallied around it,” he explained. “We’re succeeding because of them. Their courage to speak out, their generosity, their love of the
Program and college, and their desire to make this education affordable to future
generations. Through our continued resilience and perseverance we will achieve this
goal, together.”
To learn more about
St. John’s journey toward
affordability for generations
of Johnnies to come, visit
freeingminds.sjc.edu.
3
�UPDATES
COMING THIS FALL, St. John’s College will begin piloting its next generation of
volunteer engagement with a newly expanded alumni volunteer program entitled
JohnnieCorps.
Aptly named for the college’s longstanding force of alumni volunteers, JohnnieCorps— with its tailored opportunities discoverable in an easy-to-use online
format—promises to be the vehicle to take volunteerism at St. John’s to the next level.
JohnnieCorps:
A New Era of
Volunteerism
at St. John’s
“Throughout the college’s history, St. John’s has had a strong corps of alumni
volunteers who have helped fortify the institution,” said Kelsey Miller A10, the senior
alumni engagement officer leading the program’s development. “Alumni have
provided integral direction and support for everything from the Mitchell Gallery to
the Admitted Student Outreach Team, and even the Alumni Association itself.”
Building upon this Johnnie tradition of volunteerism, the college has now formalized
a way for alumni to access volunteer opportunities suited to their individual interests.
What’s more, according to Miller, is alumni have had a direct hand in shaping how
such a program operates.
“Data from two of our most recent alumni surveys show that there are many who
want to be more involved in volunteering with the college,” she explained. “Through
alumni feedback, the college has also learned what hasn’t worked for volunteers in
the past. The features of JohnnieCorps are a direct response to that input.”
In addition to its usability, JohnnieCorps primarily offers alumni aggregated volunteer opportunities by bringing together all collegewide positions in one place,
categorized by roles related to alumni’s experience, skills, and interests.
“It’s important for me to give back and share my expertise with the college,” said
Bob Kasenchak SF95, who supports outreach to accepted students, among other
volunteer activities. “Just imagine if 100 alums each gave one hour of their time what
100 hours could do to help our students,” he continued. “Getting involved through
JohnnieCorps provides an easy method to make a big impact, without taking a lot of
your time.”
Join the new movement of
volunteering at St. John’s—go to
to sjc.edu/volunteersurvey
to complete a quick five-question
survey about how you’d like to get
involved, and stay tuned for our
official launch.
Become a JohnnieCorps
volunteer today!
4
It is with consideration to alumni’s busy schedules that college departments have
scaled JohnnieCorps offerings into varying time-commitment levels. Doing so
“allows Johnnies to give back in whatever capacities they are able,” Miller said,
“whether that be in one-off, short-term, or long-term roles. We want positions that
feel sustainable amid their other responsibilities and goals.”
Lastly, and possibly most significantly given the current COVID-19 pandemic,
JohnnieCorps will provide remote and virtual opportunities, affording alumni
the option to participate from the comfort of their own homes. Alumni will also
benefit from notifications when roles matching their volunteer preferences become
available—both optimizing volunteerism at St. John’s and ensuring its success for
years to come.
�AS THE AGE-OLD ADAGE GOES, “many hands make light work”—and it’s
proven true for St. John’s College in its adoption of crowdfunding.
A fundraising practice allowing organizations to inspire contributions from a large
number of donors over a specified amount of time, crowdfunding began for St. John’s in
the fall of 2018—launched as part of the college’s #GivingTuesday campaign that year.
Typically observed the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, at the onset of the winter
holiday season, GivingTuesday strives to promote generosity between people and the
causes they care about through online monetary giving. Prior to crowdfunding,
St. John’s yielded approximately $10,000 from 50 donors on GivingTuesday 2017.
Since then, crowdfunding has generated an overwhelming philanthropic reaction—
boasting an astounding 532-donor response of nearly $126,000 in 2019 alone.
For Director of Annual Giving Mark Piekarski, “it is not the size of the gift you
make, it’s the fact that you make it. We owe our successes to donor engagement—
specifically alumni engagement,” he said. “Through its dynamic and interactive
nature, crowdfunding provides alumni a tangible way to showcase their Johnnie
pride while leveraging their social networks to benefit this cause they care about.”
Another example of this is the Temple Iglehart scoreboard challenge this past winter,
where alumni rallied to exceed a goal of $6,000 in just 12 days to purchase a replacement board for the Annapolis gymnasium. “This fundraiser is such an excellent
example of the power of the Johnnie community,” said Annapolis Athletics and
Recreation Coordinator Chris Krueger A07. “Inspired Johnnies are unstoppable!”
Crowdfunding
Epitomizes
Strength of
Johnnie
Community
Most recently, crowdfunding also played a crucial role in raising support for Johnnie
students experiencing financial hardship or difficultly in continuing their studies
remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From it, nearly $23,000 was donated to the
college’s Student Emergency Relief Fund, which directly benefits affected students.
As the college expands its crowdfunding efforts, it does so in the hope that donors will
continue to aid future projects with the same generosity they have shown so far.
As Piekarski remarked, “we can do more by joining together. Every gift plays a vital
role in supporting students and tutors as they engage in the work of our exceptional
St. John’s education.”
Do more together! Check out
the results of our most recent
crowdfunding effort by visiting
givecampus.com/schools/StJohnsCollege.
5
�
“St. John’s has given me the freedom
to engage with various subjects and fields,
which has helped me realize my passion
for human rights.”
6
�Raised by a single mother in Ethiopia’s
capital city of Addis Ababa, Nani Detti SF20 has
held a strong interest in human rights for as
long as she can remember.
“G
rowing up hearing stories about injustices
like child marriage, I was desperate to raise
awareness for the abuses young girls and
women suffer in my country,” she explained. “Seeing the
unfair treatment my mother faced when seeking support
from the justice system only increased my desire to get
involved.” Yet, despite her experiences, Detti did not have
a suitable outlet for her concerns. That was until she
discovered St. John’s College.
In 2014, shortly after her 16th birthday, Detti’s journey
toward St. John’s began with her acceptance to an allgirls boarding school in Toronto. In order to attend, she
left behind everything familiar—her culture, family, and
friends—but one comfort remained, her love of reading.
While adapting to her new academic environment, she
immersed herself in literature, deepening her fondness
for it. In fact, it was Detti’s appreciation for books that first
connected her to the college.
“I had applied to a bunch of colleges in Canada and the
U.S., but I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to study after
high school,” she shared. While conducting some online
research, she stumbled upon St. John’s listing on a website entitled Colleges that Change Lives. “The first thing that
attracted me was the reading list,” she said. But there was
something more. According to Detti, it was the opportunity to study diverse subjects.
“St. John’s has given me the freedom to engage with
various subjects and fields,” she said, “which has helped
me realize my passion for human rights.” In her time at
the college, Detti has put that passion into action. Most
notably, she raised awareness for human rights among
her classmates by starting the Amnesty International
student chapter in Santa Fe. She also addressed student
issues of discrimination, mental health, and wellness on
campus through her leadership of the Santa Fe Johnnie
Community Board.
For her collective efforts, Detti earned the Santa Fe Council
on International Relations’ Student of the Year Award
in 2019. Among other accolades, she also received the
Kathryn W. Davis Projects for Peace Award last summer,
affording $10,000 for her “Misale (or ‘role model’) Initiative.” A project aimed at promoting mentorship between
professionals and students in Ethiopia, and reducing the
country’s unemployment rate.
“My St. John’s experience has prepared me to enter any
field of my choosing,” Detti reflected. Upon graduating
this spring, she will embark on a gap year to refine her
research skills with organizations working in international relations and development. Afterward, she plans to
pursue a graduate degree in a related field. “Government
is what I’m most interested in,” she shared. “Eventually, I
want to go back to Ethiopia and apply what I’ve learned to
make my country a more just and equitable place.”
However, Detti’s St. John’s education would not have been
possible if it weren’t for a well-timed scholarship from
the college. Due to unforeseen financial difficulties, she
found herself abruptly confronted by the need to halt
her studies and return to Ethiopia midway through her
freshman year. “It was a stressful situation,” she recalled.
“Thankfully, everyone at St. John’s rallied around me to
find a solution.” That is how Detti was named the recipient
of the Norman Levan Scholarship; a fund endowed by the
late alumnus Dr. Norman Levan SFGI74, whose bequest
benefits students in financial need.
“Everything I have accomplished as a student is because
I was able to continue my studies,” she said. “Without
St. John’s, I would not have become the strong and
ambitious young woman I am today.”
[
KNOW A STUDENT WHO’S JUST
RIGHT FOR ST. JOHN’S?
Connect them with our Admissions Office through
the college’s One Alum-One Referral program.
Visit sjc.edu/one-alum-one-referral to learn more.
7
�FEATURE Story
ALUMNUS
TRANSLATES
LOVE FOR
ST. JOHN’S
INTO
ACTION
WITH
CHARITABLE
GIVING
“I have really benefitted from St. John’s
well-rounded education and I want others
to have the same opportunity; I feel
responsible to help share that with others.”
8
�In its ancient Greek origins, the word “philanthropy” is a term meaning
“love of mankind.” In its modern usage, it is regarded as an action done to better humanity.
For alumnus Craig Sirkin A95, philanthropy means both. He has turned his love for
St. John’s College—the polity, the Program, and the campus—into the action of charitable
giving, allowing him to share the experience of St. John’s with others.
A
precocious teenager with a particular interest in
the writings of Aristotle, Sirkin first learned of
St. John’s from a recruitment mailing that piqued
his interest. “I was a big reader—always had my nose in a
book,” said Sirkin. “I had read Aristotle’s Poetics and was
interested in reading more texts like it; I wanted to learn
more about what St. John’s had to offer.”
So on a warm day in the fall of 1991, Sirkin, along with
three of his high school classmates, headed off for a
prospective weekend in Annapolis, about an hour’s drive
from his home in Washington, DC. “It was a beautiful
fall weekend in Annapolis,” Sirkin recalls. “I remember
observing my first class—I was sitting around a seminar
table in McDowell Hall with the windows wide open—and I
knew this is where I wanted to be.”
And just like that, Sirkin had found refuge among history’s
great books and renowned thinkers. “St. John’s was like
an oasis for me, in a way,” he shared. “It was different than
other programs I had originally considered, and I was
lucky to have found it.”
In the years immediately following his enrollment, Sirkin
went on to study the classics as he had hoped. He also
joined the croquet program, coordinating its participation
in the U.S. Croquet Association’s collegiate national championship and even serving as the team’s imperial wicket
his senior year. Yet, his college experience provided him
with much more than he could have anticipated during
his initial visit to campus.
[
“I learned about many more topics than I had first considered,” said Sirkin, now a large-scale computer-networking
consultant. As part of his profession, Sirkin is constantly
learning new technologies, and often must translate the
meaning of complex, technical concepts for others—a
talent he credits to his time at St. John’s. “My experiences
at St. John’s, especially the tutorials, greatly helped
prepare me for the job I’m doing today,” he attests.
“I have really benefitted from St. John’s well-rounded
education and I want others to have the same opportunity;
I feel responsible to help share that with others,” he goes
on. A St. John’s donor for the past 20 years, Sirkin has
contributed to a great number of initiatives at the college,
including the Fund for St. John’s and campus-specific
efforts, such as the Annapolis croquet program and
infrastructure improvement projects. “I’m happy to be
able to play a role in offering the St. John’s experience to
future students.”
With 2020 marking his 25th anniversary of graduating
from St. John’s, Sirkin is especially motivated to give back
this year. “I think milestones like this are a great reminder to give to the college,” he said. “They remind us about
the things we learned, the environment that nurtured us
for all those years, and most importantly the people,” he
continues.
“Those people shaped us.”
If you would like to express your meaning of philanthropy for St. John’s College like
Craig Sirkin this reunion year, please visit sjc.edu/reuniongiving to learn more.
9
�VIRTUAL LEARNING
AT ST. JOHN’S
Tutor and
her Students
Rise to the
Challenge
“Through all this, I have been most
impressed with the students’ resiliency.
Despite the challenges presented, they
have remained dedicated to the
St. John’s unique style of learning and
been heroic in a time of hardship.”
10
�When St. John’s College
made the decision this spring to send
students home and move classes online due to safety concerns related to COVID-19, tutor
Zena Hitz A95—among fellow faculty around the globe—found herself abruptly thrown into
the world of virtual instruction.
“O
nline instruction is not the norm for the
St. John’s Great Books Program,” said Hitz,
a 1995 alumna who joined the Annapolis
faculty in 2015. Since the establishment of the New
Program in 1937, classes on both campuses traditionally
have been conducted in person around the seminar table.
Undeterred, St. John’s mobilized quickly in identifying
online services and resources to help students and tutors
alike finish the spring semester remotely. In the span of a
few short weeks, Hitz transitioned to facilitating her junior
courses in language, math, and seminar primarily through
the Microsoft Teams communication and collaboration
platform.
“For me, online learning was at first like ‘emergency
learning’—like teaching with a flashlight when the power
goes out,” she described, “especially with the subject of
math, which requires an enormous amount of focus and
concentration from students.”
That’s when Hitz assembled what she termed virtual
study groups, so students could collaborate on problems
prior to class. Utilizing shared files and video chats, they
would offer descriptions to the class outlining their difficulties and questions, allowing the classmates a chance
to dig deeper into coursework and solve issues together,
almost as they would do in person.
challenges presented, they have remained dedicated to
the St. John’s unique style of learning and been heroic in
a time of hardship.”
As a graduate of the Program herself, Hitz understands
the transformative experience that is the St. John’s education. “My tutors empowered me to take responsibility
for my own learning and made me feel like my inquiries
really mattered. Watching this same thing happen for my
students, especially during this year of COVID-19, has been
unbelievably touching and wonderful to see,” she shared.
This year also marks one of celebration for the Annapolis
tutor, as she enjoys the recent publication of her first book
and commemorates her 25th Reunion with the college.
“I’m looking forward to seeing old friends during Alumni
Week this fall and celebrating all the college has to done in
shaping the people we have become,” she said.
Published by Princeton University Press in May, her
book—entitled Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an
Intellectual Life—was supported by a research stipend she
received from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Readers of the piece are invited to rediscover the
impractical splendors of a life of learning.
A pursuit Hitz’s students will likely carry through this
unprecedented period of learning, and beyond.
“Through all this, I have been most impressed with the
students’ resiliency,” Hitz remarked. “Despite the
[
For the latest information on St. John’s fall planning for
students, faculty, and staff, visit sjc.edu/fall-plans.
11
�Alumnus
Committed
to Helping
Johnnies
Find their
Way in
Business
“As St. John’s alumni we can trace our steps
back to where we started, but as students
we don’t necessarily see the paths that
lie before us, and they are not always
straight lines. This is why it’s important
for me as a Johnnie to relay my story to
current students.”
12
�Eli Castro SF94
began his journey toward St. John’s College as a Michigan
high school junior visiting the Santa Fe campus in the summer of 1990.
D
uring his tour of the college, he instantly fell in love
with campus and the Program—so much so that
when he returned to Michigan he completed high
school early just so he could enroll at St. John’s immediately after his junior year.
“I was curious about what I saw—the discussions and how
students were respectful of the work, the people, and the
school. There were no doubts in my mind about wanting
to attend,” he said.
After graduating, Castro pursued graduate school in
Wisconsin, but realized at the time it was not for him and
instead took a consulting job through a Johnnie connection
in Washington, DC—eventually landing at Deloitte in Austin,
Texas, where he is a senior manager in the higher education consulting practice.
“I enjoy tackling thorny problems, applying different perspectives to break them down into manageable pieces,”
he shared. “The Program taught me that, and I was eager
to put my skills to use in the practical world.”
As an alumni volunteer for the college over the past five
years and counting, Castro believes that the paths we take
in life are important. His has crossed the country. From
growing up in Michigan, he took an early turn toward
St. John’s in Santa Fe, then to grad school in Wisconsin,
a redirection to consulting in DC, and now to Austin,
where he earned a MBA from The University of Texas and
lives with his wife, Tracy Locke SF95, and daughters Ella
and Clarissa.
[
“Being St. John’s alumni we can trace our steps back to
where we started, but as students we don’t necessarily
see the paths that lie before us, and they are not always
straight lines. This is why it’s important for me as a
Johnnie to relay my story to current students,” he
explained.
Through his volunteering, Castro shares his professional
experience with students to help them translate their
knowledge of the Program to practical employment in
consulting and management careers. “I want to help
students find their way in the business world,” he said.
Castro has also served as a mentor to students participating in the St. John’s Consulting Group as well as worked
directly with students to bolster their interview skills. “In
my job, I interview recent college graduates all the time,
but it’s been my time spent helping Johnnies with their
skills that has made me a better interviewer,” he attests.
With JohnnieCorps piloting this fall, it will be easier than
ever for alumni to get involved with the college. Accessible online, the volunteer program will bring together all
collegewide positions in one place categorized by roles
related to alumni’s experience and scaled according to
time-commitment levels.
“With the number of varying things Johnnies are out in
the world doing today, there is so much opportunity for
alumni to get involved with students,” said Castro. “Let’s
help them find their way.”
Want to share your professional experience to help the Johnnies of tomorrow
chart their course to career success? Contact the Career Services Office in Annapolis
and the Office of Personal and Professional Development Office in Santa Fe by
visiting sjc.edu/career-success/staff to find out how!
13
�14
�MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 THROUGH
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020
ARE YOU IN?
Remember what made your St. John’s College experience meaningful?
IN
Was it the Program, classmates, and tutors? Perhaps it was the special
was the feeling of being part of something much larger than yourself—a
TO ENGAGE WITH THE COLLEGE AND EACH OTHER.
IN
feeling of connection.
Even in this time of physical distancing, membership in the St. John’s
College community is lifelong—once a Johnnie, always a Johnnie!
Until we can be together again in person, come celebrate your lifelong connection to the college by attending Alumni Week 2020.
COMMUNITY
CONNECT VIRTUALLY WITH CLASSMATES AND TUTORS,
AND REMEMBER THOSE WHO MADE YOUR JOHNNIE
community of individuals brought together by the common pursuit of
deeper understanding. Whatever it might be for you, what persists is the
JOIN FELLOW JOHNNIES FOR A WEEKLONG VIRTUAL
PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE OFFERING NEW WAYS
moments shared around the seminar table, and beyond. Or the freedom
to think deeply, debate openly, and learn from one another? Maybe it
STRENGTH
EXPERIENCE SPECIAL.
IN
THOUGHT
RETURN FOR SEMINARS ON CHERISHED TEXTS AND
ENJOY FAVORITE TUTORIALS WITH ESTEEMED TUTORS.
IN
HONOR
CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALUMNI AND
FRIENDS WITH A SPECIAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
AWARDS PRESENTATION AND CONVERSATION WITH
COLLEGE LEADERS.
Coordinated with consideration for alumni feedback and safety
concerns related to COVID-19, Alumni Week provides Johnnies a
virtual mode of togetherness this fall by offering favorite homecoming
activities in an online format. Join us and experience what it means to
be IN the Johnnie community.
[
REGISTRATION
OPEN JULY 15 THROUGH
SEPTEMBER 13
at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week
For questions or assistance, email the
Alumni Relations Office at alumni@sjc.edu.
15
�IN COMMUNITY: ALUMNI WEEK SCHEDULE & REGISTRATION
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21—SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020
SCHEDULE
MONDAY
FRIDAY
Welcome
Alumni Association Awards & Conversation
with College Leaders
*Live Event
JohnnieTalks
*Pre-recorded Event
Meet the Armillary Sphere: demonstration by
Tutor Emeritus Bill Donahue
Return to Lab: demonstrations by Director of
Laboratories John Balwit
*Pre-recorded Events
Jacob Lawrence: Image and the Word Exhibit, virtual guided
tour by Mitchell Gallery Art Educator Lucinda Edinberg
*Live Event
WEDNESDAY
Alumni Association Meeting & Election
*Live Event
TUESDAY
Return to Ptolemy: planetarium demonstration by
Tutor Jim Beall
Higher Gossip by Jeremy Sheeler & Maxwell Anthony AGI15
*Pre-recorded Events
THURSDAY
Johnnies in Healthcare Career Panel
*Live Event
[
16
SATURDAY
Seminar
*Live Event; Payment Required
Toasts & Tributes with Alumni Association Board
*Live Event
All live programming will be recorded and made available post event
at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week. Alumni Week programming subject to change.
See webpage for details.
�REGISTRATION & PRICING
REGISTRATION OPEN JULY 15 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 13
AT SJC.EDU/ALUMNI-WEEK
Live Events after registration, login credentials will be provided in advance of the dates
of programming.
“…nothing prevents a man,
after recalling one thing
only—a process men call
Pre-recorded Activities will be posted at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week on the date of their occurrence
and are open to all registrants.
learning—discovering
PRICING
Payment, along with registration, is required for participation in virtual seminars only.
if he is brave and does not
Price per Seminar: $50
tire of the search, for
CANCELLATION POLICIES
searching and learning are,
Due to the limited availability of virtual seminars, spaces are nontransferable and
nonrefundable.
as a whole, recollection.”
Seminars with fewer than five participants are subject to cancelation. If a seminar is
canceled due to low attendance, registrants may choose to transfer to an open seminar or
request a refund.
everything else for himself,
~Socrates, Meno
17
�IN THOUGHT: ALUMNI WEEK SEMINARS
GRADUATE INSTITUTE
Class
Reading
Tutor
GI
William Shakespeare’s Othello
Louis Petrich
Class
Reading
Tutor
Golden
Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year
Chester Burke A74
Class
Reading
Tutor
2005
Plato’s Euthyphro
Michael Golluber
Franz Kafka’s Description of a Struggle
John Cornell
Euclid’s Elements, Book 1
Krishnan Venkatesh
Simone Weil’s “Human Personality”
Phil LeCuyer H17
GOLDEN YEARS
SANTA FE
2000
1995
1980
18
�ANNAPOLIS
Class
Reading
Tutor
2015
Anne Carson’s Bakkhai
Patricia Locke
2010
Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway
Jason Tipton
2005
Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
Joe Macfarland A87
1990
Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan
David Townsend
1985
Tommy Orange’s There, There
Jonathan Tuck H14
1980
Ernest Hemingway’s “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”
Deborah Axelrod A68
1975
Euripides’ The Bacchae
Michael Dink A75
1970
Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, Chapters 13, 14, and 17;
Declaration of Independence, first two paragraphs;
U.S. Constitution Preamble
Ron Haflidson
1960
The Book of Job
Tom May
OPEN
Class
Reading
Tutor
Open
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Books 8 and 9
Gregory Recco
Open
Jane Austen’s Persuasion
Judith Adam
Open
William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
David Carl
Open
Genesis
Mitchell Gallery
Open
Martin Heidegger’s The Question Concerning Technology
Brendan Boyle
Wallace Stevens’ “Peter Quince at the Clavier”
Jim Beall
Open
[
Seminars with fewer than five participants are subject to cancelation.
If you do not see a seminar listed for your class year, it is due to low class
participation. We welcome you to register for an open seminar.
19
�IN HONOR: ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HONOREES
Alumni Association honorees are selected annually by the board in recognition for their pursuit of and successes in leading examined
lives of virtue, as well as their steadfast commitment to the St. John’s College community. Following are this year’s recipients of the
Award of Merit, Volunteer Service Award, and Honorary Alumni designations to be commemorated during Alumni Week 2020.
2020 AWARD OF MERIT HONOREES
SANTA FE
Alice Ericsson SF75
A distinguished leader and innovator in the field of beauty,
cosmetic, and fragrance advertising, Alice Ericsson is well known
for creating one of the world’s most recognized taglines: “Easy,
Breezy, Beautiful, Covergirl.”
This campaign introduced a diverse group of inspiring brand
ambassadors, including Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Ellen
DeGeneres as well as the first Coverboy, James Charles—an effort
that, literally, changed the face the beauty industry forever. She
has also helped build brands for L’Oréal, Revlon, Shiseido, and
others, and has focused on mentoring women in advertising.
Currently, Ericsson works as a creative freelancer—strategizing
and writing for clients such as Bobbi Brown, Hermès, MAC, and
GrowNYC, among others. In addition to her professional pursuits,
she is an active philanthropist with special regard for St. John’s
College. A faithful financial supporter of the college, Ericsson’s
contributions also include her longtime volunteer service to education—especially her role as a member of the Board of Directors
for the Touchstones Discussion Project over the past 10 years.
Mark Sanfilippo SFGI00
Upon graduating from St. John’s College Graduate Institute in
2000, Mark Sanfilippo began a career as a screenwriter, where he
even channeled his knowledge of western canon into some of his
scripts. Little did he know then, that eight years later he would
end up the producer of fine, artisan charcuterie recognized by
Forbes magazine as the “Best Salami in the Country.” It was an
advertisement offering employment at Pizzeria Mozza that set
this trajectory in motion.
Despite his lack of culinary experience, Sanfilippo, while on hold
for a writing project, applied to the restaurant and soon found
himself in the job of food preparation, including curing meats.
Doing so ignited his passion for the delicacy of charcuterie, which
20
first took form as a hobby in a closet of his Los Angeles apartment
to eventually a full-on business and 8,000-square-foot production facility in St. Louis.
Opened in 2008, Sanfilippo’s artisan salumeria aptly named
Salume Beddu, which translates to “beautiful” in Sicilian dialect,
specializes in Italian and European-style cured meats. Sanfilippo
asserts the acclaim Salume Beddu has garnered from Forbes and
others is due to an adherence to traditional techniques, a use of
only the best ingredients, and an intellectual approach (likely
instilled from his time at St. John’s) he takes to not just the curing
process, but to every step of production—from farm to final
product. Today, Salume Beddu distributes nationwide, and has
become a fixture in award-winning kitchens as well as family
gatherings, alike.
ANNAPOLIS
Judith Abrams A65
Working at the university level since 1987, Judith Abrams, PhD,
is professor of oncology at Wayne State University School of
Medicine and director of the biostatistics core at the Karmanos
Cancer Institute in Detroit.
In her academic work at Wayne State, Abrams collaborates with
cancer investigators, applying biostatistical methods in cancer
research projects. Her contributions in the areas of experimental design and statistical analysis have resulted in publications
in the field of oncology, especially in cancer clinical trials and
observational studies. She is a four-time winner of the Wayne
State University School of Medicine College Teaching Award,
most recently received in 2017. In her more than 20 years with
the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Abrams has been important to
the design of cancer research studies. Building on her readings
in philosophy of science at St. John’s College, she ensures that
scientific questions are framed so they can be answered precisely
and efficiently, and that analytical conclusions are accurate
and valid.
�Abrams embodies the spirit of inquiry that is so integral to the college’s Program. In addition to her bachelor’s degree from St. Johns, she holds a doctorate degree in biostatistics from the University of Michigan and two master’s
degrees—one in computer science from New York University and another in
biometry from the University of Vermont.
Kevin R. Fitzgerald AGI85
With more than 40 years’ experience in the field of education—first as a
Maryland social studies and English teacher, and now as superintendent of
the Caesar Rodney School District in Delaware—Kevin R. Fitzgerald, EdD, has
dedicated his career to equipping students with the skills needed to succeed
in a rapidly evolving world.
A leader in classroom technology integration, Fitzgerald has helped his
district become a model for equitable instruction by offering multi-level
learning modules to support students throughout the various stages of their
intellectual development. For his efforts in creating learning environments
where both students and teachers alike can thrive, Fitzgerald received the
award for Superintendent of the Year in 2018 by the National Association of
School Superintendents.
Today, Fitzgerald’s work continues as he pioneers the implementation of
immersive language programs across his district, with Caesar Rodney students having access to the most language programs throughout the state of
Delaware. Fitzgerald’s emphasis on language is rooted in his strong belief
that the study of classic literature is what best prepares students for the
future. This understanding, which demonstrates both a diversity of interpretations and shared commonalities, he owes to his studies as a graduate
student of St. John’s College.
Top to bottom:
Alice Ericsson SF75,
Mark Sanfillippo SFGI00,
Kevin R. Fitzgerald AGI85;
not pictured:
Judith Abrams A65
21
�2020 VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD HONOREES
SANTA FE
Elihu Dietz SF06
In recognition of his longtime role as New York alumni chapter
leader, as well as his service on the Alumni Association Board
and its Nominations Committee. His service has both increased
engagement among alumni and enhanced their connection with
the college.
Brenna Strauss SF04 and Heather Upshaw SF04
Joining awardee Annette Prapasiri SF04, in recognition of the
leadership exhibited by the alumnae team responsible for the
completion of the Class of 2004 senior gift—the installation of a
functioning armillary sphere on the Santa Fe campus. Through
their dedication, these alumnae have helped achieve the largest
class gift in St. John’s history, as well as galvanized members of
the college community in the effort.
ANNAPOLIS
Johanna Wilson A90 and Richard Smith A90
In recognition of their commitment to Johnnies through their
employment of St. John’s College alumni at their company
OpenPath Products, and their continual willingness to offer
Johnnies career guidance—as highlighted by their participation
in the hugely successful Johnnies in Tech+ panel discussion
hosted by the college in March. Both Wilson and Smith are
faithful financial supporters of St. John’s, with Wilson joining
the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors last year.
2020 HONORARY ALUMNI INDUCTEES
SANTA FE
Lise van Boxel, Tutor
The St. John’s College community experienced an enormous loss
with the death of longtime tutor Lise van Boxel in January 2020.
Regarded by her students as thoughtful, acutely intelligent, and
always open to discourse, van Boxel first joined the Santa Fe
faculty in 2001. In her nearly 20-year career at the college, she
taught across both campuses and was deeply devoted to all her
students—advising with care many senior essays each year, and
mentoring Johnnies in their studies and careers after graduation.
In return, she drew much inspiration from her students’ “earnest
desire to learn and their willingness to be vulnerable in pursuit
of genuine conversation,” as she once stated. She also had a
particular respect for military service, which led her to co-found
22
the “St. John’s Combat and Classics” podcast. The audio series
has helped service members connect to the Program by examining historical and fictional leaders featured in military-themed
literary works.
As St. John’s College classrooms continue to seek what it means
to lead an examined life, they will do so in the spirit with which
Lise van Boxel led her own life.
Van Boxel held degrees in political science—BA and PhD from the
University of Toronto, and MA from Boston College—all with an
emphasis on political philosophy. Her doctoral thesis was on the
standard of truth in Nietzsche’s philosophy.
Robert Mass, Returning Member, Board of Visitors and Governors
A dedicated champion of the college, Robert Mass joined
St. John’s College Board of Visitors and Governors in 2013. He
demonstrated great leadership, especially through his committee
service, in his role as board secretary, and as Audit and Compliance Committee chair.
Through his leadership, Mass guided St. John’s through some
of its most challenging times, including the current deficit
reduction initiatives, helping ensure the future success of the
college. He helped St. John’s prioritize student safety and wellbeing initiatives through his service on the Campus Culture
Committee. Mass has been an advocate for international student
recruitment, funding and fundraising for scholarships as well as
making personal calls to admitted students. He has also advised
and supported students in their search for finance industry
internships and post-graduation employment.
Mass’s service to the college draws on his deep legal and
compliance experience at public and private firms, including
the American Civil Liberties Union, New York County District
Attorney’s Office, and Goldman Sachs where he is a managing
director.
Lifelong learning is a commitment Mass shares with St. John’s,
as evidenced by his current pursuit of a PhD in Philosophy at
The New School in New York City. An active participant in the
Executive Seminar and Summer Classics programs for over
15 years, Mass deeply values the classroom experience at
St. John’s—an appreciation that has contributed to his ongoing
and tireless support of the college.
�ANNAPOLIS
William Pastille, Tutor
Described by his students as a clear thinker, an effective writer, and a
compassionate listener, St. John’s College tutor William Pastille first joined
the Annapolis faculty in 1986.
During his longtime career at the college, Pastille has held several important
roles, including serving as NEH chair in Ancient Thought over the past two
years. From 2001 to 2003, he directed the Graduate Institute in Annapolis
and served as assistant dean in Annapolis from 1993 to 1995. In addition
to his role in the classroom, Pastille is a participating tutor in the Annapolis
Community Seminar Program and has been editor of The St. John’s Review,
an annual publication featuring works from college faculty, for the past
13 years.
In all his duties, Pastille has shown an unwavering passion for discovering
truth through questioning—a pursuit that has deeply affected Annapolis
students and community members alike. With the close of this year’s spring
semester, he will retire from St. John’s and be named Tutor Emeritus by the
college. With this new title, Pastille will continue to embody the ideals for
which St. John’s stands, and remain a valued member of the college for years
to come.
Pastille holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in musicology from Cornell
University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in music from Brown University.
Katharine “Casey” Pingle, Chair, Mitchell Gallery Board
Casey Pingle joined the St. John’s College Mitchell Gallery Board of Advisors
in 1994, and has served as its chair for the past seven years.
In her more than 25 years of involvement with the gallery, Pingle has
provided integral oversight of the operation—from supporting fundraising
and membership efforts, to event coordination for “town and gown” events,
student receptions, and more. Her leadership with such initiatives, combined with her work as the gallery representative for the college’s Friends
Board, have helped strengthen relations between St. John’s and the greater
Annapolis community, immensely. Additionally, as a former board member and current supporter of the Caritas Society of St. John’s College, Pingle
helps the charitable community organization provide monetary support for
SJC students faced with financial hardship or emergencies.
Clockwise from top left:
Elihu Dietz SF06, Brenna Strauss SF04,
Heather Upshaw SF04, Johanna Wilson
A90 and Richard Smith A90, Lise van
Boxel, Robert Mass, William Pastille,
Katherine “Casey” Pingle
For her consistent efforts on behalf of St. John’s, Pingle is recognized as a
true advocate for the gallery and the college as a whole.
Pingle is co-owner of PMD International, Inc., a private investment bank
formed in 1987 with offices in Annapolis and London.
23
�AROUND CAMPUS: COMMENCEMENT SPOTLIGHT
>
Virtual
Programming
Pivot Yields
Poignant
Celebration
for 2020 Grads
When St. John’s College made the tough decision this spring to send students home and
move classes online due to safety concerns related to COVID-19, much of the college’s
in-person activities and events were canceled, especially Student Life programming. That
did not deter resident advisors, staff, and faculty who worked determinedly to retain as
much activity as possible for those students who remained on campus and beyond.
Creative student programming that continued through the spring included an Easterinspired egg hunt, campus-to-campus foot races (including the college’s first-ever
“Meta-Ioannathon” and virtual Johnnie 5K), an online collegewide performance of
Collegium, and most notably, virtual commencement.
Coordinated in a matter of weeks, virtual commencement brought together members
of both campuses this May—from Information Technology Services to the offices of the
Registrars, and many other departments—in a collaborative effort to provide seniors
with well-deserved and ceremonious send-offs, online.
The result—livestreamed celebrations possibly more poignant than the norm, as noted
in the special messages shared during the events by Presidents Mark Roosevelt and
Panayiotis Kanelos, deans, keynotes, and Alumni Association Board members alike.
Read on to catch the excitement of Commencement 2020!
Behind the Scenes: members of Information
Technology Services support the livestreaming
of President Roosevelt’s address as part of Santa
Fe’s Commencement Celebration May 23.
24
Dean Joe Macfarland congratulates graduates
in compilation video honoring the Class of
2020’s academic achievements.
President Kanelos addresses the Class of 2020
May 10 from McDowell Hall in Annapolis.
�>
JOIN IN CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020! TO WATCH
RECORDINGS OF THE ANNAPOLIS AND SANTA FE SEND-OFFS,
VISIT SJC.EDU/COMMENCEMENTAN AND SJC.EDU/COMMENCEMENTSF, RESPECTIVELY. FOR A COMPILATION
OF VIDEO, STORY, AND PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS CREATED IN
APPRECIATION FOR THE CLASS OF 2020, VISIT
SJC.EDU/ANNAPOLIS-GRADUATE-CELEBRATION AND
SJC.EDU/SANTA-FE-GRADUATE-CELEBRATION.
Note: Both the Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses
currently remain closed to the public, with in-person
event programming postponed until further notice. For the
latest information on St. John’s fall planning for students,
faculty, and staff, visit sjc.edu/fall-plans.
“Many colleges and high schools will follow the example set
Sunday by the small liberal arts college, which has been
offering an education based on the study of great works of
Western civilization since 1937.”
~ Capital Gazette, Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe staff rally together in stuffing 120 gift boxes for this year’s grads—a congratulatory gesture to
further celebrate the college’s newest members of the alumni body.
Recognized as a pioneer among Maryland academic
institutions by the Capital Gazette, St. John’s Annapolis
campus was among the state’s first area colleges to
host a virtual commencement for its graduates in May.
25
�AROUND CAMPUS: HISTORICAL SPOTLIGHT
Faith and John Meem Library
CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY THIS FALL!
N
ovember 10, 2020, commemorates St. John’s College 30th anniversary of the
Faith and John Meem Library. Built between 1989 and 1990, the Meem Library
was erected 26 years after the founding of the college’s Santa Fe campus where
it is located.
“It may come as a surprise to some alumni that for nearly two and a half decades
Santa Fe had no dedicated library building,” said Craig Jolly SFGI02, Meem Library
senior acquisitions and archives librarian. “When the Santa Fe campus was first
conceived in the early 1960s, a library had of course figured into the original plans,” he
continued. Yet, due to financial constraints, those plans were deferred while the campus
opened for classes in the fall of 1964.
In the time leading up to its construction, the library was scattered across many different
locations within a variety of campus buildings. From the Peterson Student Center lower
level to the Evans Science Laboratory; in the Fine Arts Building and the basement of
Weigle Hall; and other places in between.
Ultimately, the challenge of maintaining multiple library locations simultaneously,
combined with a steadily growing collection and the lack of a quiet and central study
space, drove the construction of Meem. By the mid-1980s, Presidents Edwin Delattre H85
and Michael Riccards launched a concerted fundraising effort for the project, while
a steering committee spearheaded by alumna Lisa Carey SFGI86 worked to survey
students, faculty, staff, and board members in determining the ideal library makeup for
a college like St. John’s.
Among the foremost requirements was that it have space for half the student body at any
given time—a rare accommodation among colleges and universities where the capacity
average is typically 10 to 15 percent of a given student population at one time—signaling
the centrality of books and reading to the St. John’s Program.
Groundbreaking finally occurred just before commencement on May 14, 1989, and in a
year’s time a new 24,414- square-foot library—fashioned in the distinctively Southwestern
Territorial Revival architectural style of the original campus buildings—had begun to
take shape. On October 26, 1990, President John Agresto canceled all classes for the day
so the entire campus community could participate in what he termed a “booket brigade”
(pictured top left) to move all the college’s 50,000 book and music holdings from their dispersed locations into their now permanent home. Two weeks later, on November 10, 1990,
the new building was formally dedicated for the renowned and beloved Santa Fe couple
Faith H85 and John Meem, who 26 years earlier had donated most of the 280 acres on
which the Western campus of St. John’s was built.
“Three decades later, this uniquely beautiful library with its well-stocked shelves of great
books stands as elegant testament to both our singular college and to all those visionaries
and benefactors who brought it into—and have kept it in—existence for the present generation and for all the generations of serious readers yet to come,” Jolly concluded.
26
�In Memoriam
St. John’s College remembers the alumni, faculty, staff, and leadership who have
passed away during the 2019-2020 academic year, and celebrates the poignant and
profound impact their lives have had on our Johnnie community.
Jeffrey A. Alcorn A00
Michael Maddex A69
Stephen S. Anderton Class of 1968
Matthew T. Mallory A72
Edward F. Bauer Class of 1954
Ociel G. Martínez Avilés SF13
David A. Bolduc A82
Danielle S. Matland A74
Margaret M. Booker SFGI94
Zachary D. Miller A90
Loretta E. Breese SFGI72
Maxine M. Moore SFGI73
Lois C. Carroll SFGI76
Virginia D. Clarkson, BVG Former Trustee
Charles A. Nelson Class of 1945, BVG
Trustee Emeritus
Raymond H. Coleman Class of 1952
James A. Nicholson Class of 64
Geoffrey Comber H95, Annapolis Tutor
Charles L. Olivea SFGIEC08
Kelly J. Cook A85
Michael P. O’Mahony A77
Peter J. Davies Class of 1948
William J. Rada A76
Arthur O. Davis Class of 1947
George L. Raine Class of 1960
Santino DeJohn SFGIEC95
Barry B. Reardon SF05
Edwin J. Delattre H85, Past President
Robert Schuerrman, Annapolis Staff
John A. Dito SFGI05
Worku Sharew A70
Elizabeth L. Durston SF72
Sarah W. Steel AGI87
Scott C. Evans AGI01
Allan L. Swartzberg SF69
Janet Gerety, Annapolis Staff
Lise van Boxel H20, Santa Fe Tutor
Sylvia K. Greer SFGI73
Nancy G. Wallace SFGI83
Phyllis E. Guest SFGI02
Jack Ward Class of 1963
Margot J. Hamill Class of 1949
April R. West SF93
Jonathan B. Hand, Santa Fe Tutor
Linda Wiener Elmore, Santa Fe Tutor
Barry H. Hellman A84
Jeffrey P. Winslow SF78
Sara H. Homeyer Class of 1964
Cheryl J. Wise SF73
Robert C. Kanode Class of 1939
Abner W. Wooten SF79
Barbara B. Kiebler Class of 1955
Mira B. Kofkin A90
L. D. Koontz Class of 1951
Sheela S. Lampietti Class of 1961
Raissa Landor SFGI73
Stephanie T. Lang SF1968
Edwin B. Leimkuhler AGI87
This listing memorializes those who have passed
between August 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020. We care
deeply for all members of our college community.
If you do not see a name listed above, please contact
advancement@sjc.edu so we may honor those
individuals.
�There are a
number of
St. John’s College
resources
available to
Johnnies beyond
graduation?
Because of your
alumni status and
lifelong connection with the
college, you are
invited to take
advantage of
a variety of
St. John’s
programs
and benefits.
Read on to
learn more...
CAREER SUPPORT
Gain career support through the college’s Career Services Office and
Office of Personal and Professional Development (OPPD). Available
to assist alumni—especially those who may be encountering career
challenges or reimagining their professions due to COVID-19—both
offices offer extensive resources regarding career counseling,
resume writing, networking strategies, graduate school applications,
and more—including Handshake.
>
28
DID YOU KNOW :
CAREER SUPPORT |
>
DID YOU KNOW?
ALUMNI RESOURCES & BENEFITS
One of the largest digital collections of jobs, internships, and
EDUCATIONAL
volunteer opportunities chiefly suited for college-level students
DISCOUNTS
and graduates, St. John’s
Handshake job board currently
Revisit great books and conversations by enrolling in the Graduate Instifeatures over 1,700 jobs,
tute (GI)! Alumni have always been welcome to expand their St. John’s
400 internships, and 200
experience from the West to the East by enrolling in the Master of Arts in
fellowships sourced from
Eastern Classics in Santa Fe. Now, Johnnies who are at least five years
more than 3,200 organizations
removed from their undergraduate education can apply for the Master of
over a large number of
Arts in Liberal Arts on either campus. All alumni benefit from a shortgeographical locations—and
ened application process and receive 25-percent off tuition (or more,
is accessible free of charge
depending on need). To learn more about the program and application
to Johnnies!
process visit sjc.edu/academic-programs/graduate and www.sjc.edu/
To join, visit sjc.joinhandshake.
academic-programs/graduate/combined-degrees, respectively.
com/register using your preWhat’s more, alumni are also welcome to participate in GI preceptorials
ferred email address (a college
in person or online for the 2020-2021 academic year, without enrolling
email account is not required).
in a degree program (depending on availability). For details, please
For further information about
contact Santa Fe GI Administrator Chelsey Hudson at chelsey.hudson@
alumni career services,
sjc.edu or Annapolis GI Associate Director Brandon Wasicsko at
contact Career Services
brandon.wasicsko@sjc.edu.
Program Manager Kathleen
Cady in Annapolis at
Send your student to Summer Academy—St. John’s summer program
kathleen.cady@sjc.edu or
for high school students, ages 15 to 18, modeled after the college’s
OPPD Office Manager
discussion-based method of teaching the Great Books. Children of
Mary Versace in Santa Fe
alumni receive 50-percent off one week of Summer Academy. To reat mary.versace@sjc.edu
quest information for 2021 sessions, visit sjc.edu/summer-academy
�GRADUATE INSTITUTE | SUMMER ACADEMY | NETWORK | COMMUNITY EVENTS | TRANSCRIPTS | SHOP
>
SJC CONNECT
Join SJC Connect, the St. John’s official
alumni-networking platform providing
Johnnies the opportunity to exchange with
one another in a private online space. Post
status updates, share photos, join peer
groups, follow chapter activity, calendar
upcoming events, receive college news,
upload and search job openings, and more!
To sign up, visit sjcconnect.com. Registration takes less than two minutes using your
email, LinkedIn, or Facebook accounts.
Explore fundamental questions
and enjoy open discussion of
great texts through the college’s
Community Events. Offered
across both Annapolis and Santa
Fe campuses, these events are
held annually, weekly, on weekends, and in the summer—join
as many as you wish or your
schedule allows! For updates on
future program delivery formats
(online vs. in person), as well as
registration and pricing information, visit sjc.edu/santa-fe/community and sjc.edu/annapolis/
programs.
>
Easily order official transcripts—both electronic and paper versions—
through the college’s transcript services partner the National Student
Clearinghouse (NSC) by visiting your campus’ Office of the Registrar online at sjc.edu/annapolis/offices-services/registrar or sjc.edu/santa-fe/
offices-services/registrar. For your convenience and the safety of your
personal information, electronic transcripts sent through the NSC allow
alumni to upload attachments required by recipients, as well as carry a
security feature verifying the transcripts have not been altered during
transmission. For questions about St. John’s transcript ordering procedures, email annapolis.registrar@sjc.edu or santafe.registrar@sjc.edu
PERMANENT SJC.
EDU EMAIL
Request a permanent SJC.edu email
account! As an alum, you are able to
request a St. John’s email address
from the college. Visit
sjc.edu/alumni and click the
“Permanent SJC Email” link from the
right-hand navigation to login to the
Alumni Profile Portal (different than
SJC Connect) to make your request.
If you have forgotten your portal
password, follow the prompts to create
a new one. Show your Johnnie Pride
and get your account today!
>
>
COMMUNITY EVENTS
>
TRANSCRIPTS
ONLINE STORE
Show your Johnnie Pride
with the online purchase
of branded college
apparel and other
St. John’s merchandise
by visiting the Johnnie
Store at johnniestore.
merchorders.com.
Choose from a wide
selection of coffee mugs,
wall decals, duffle bags
and more, all featuring
the St. John’s seal and
orange color palette.
29
�WHY I GIVE
TO ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE
Alumni like Sarah are the
lifeblood of the college.
Gifts of any amount provide a
firm base for financial aid,
internships, student health and
wellness programs, and books. They
allow for essential improvements
needed for campus safety and
Johnnies’ residential experience.
Gifts also go to the endowment, our
most important tool for maintaining
the long-term financial health of
the college.
To learn more about the
impact of annual giving at
St. John’s, and how you can
“ With each year that passes, I find more and more desire to engage
with my ‘self’ at its core. Many of what I would consider my best
aspects were allowed to sprout and grow during my time at
St. John’s. Giving annually is a way for me to help each class
year grow similarly, and reminds me of my appreciation for
who I continue to become with St. John’s in my life.”
30
– SARAH SHEPHERD SF05
participate like Sarah, please
visit sjc.edu/annual-fund.
�SAVE THE DATE
St. John’s College
Alumni Association Board Annual Meeting & Election
Friday, September 25, 2020
Please join your fellow Johnnies in electing this year’s
Alumni Association Board officers and at-large members, as well as one alumni
representative to the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors.
VOTE ONLINE OR BY MAIL
Ballots will be made available beginning Thursday, September 3, 2020, online at sjc.edu/alumni/association.
Paper ballots may be requested by contacting the Alumni Relations Office at alumni@sjc.edu and returned
by mail to the following address no later than Tuesday, September 22:
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE
1160 CAMINO DE CRUZ BLANCA
ATTN: KELSEY MILLER, ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE
SANTA FE, NM 87505
Don’t miss this important opportunity to have your alumni voice heard. Your participation ensures
that the rich traditions of St. John’s and the Program will endure for generations to come.
“A society grows great when old men and women
plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”
– ANCIENT GREEK PROVERB
31
�CONSIDER A PLANNED GIFT
AND BECOME
A MEMBER OF
THE ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE
TOCQUEVILLE SOCIETY
Named for French diplomat Alexis de
of property, life insurance policies,
Tocqueville, who identified the American
charitable trusts, gift annuities, and
spirit of support for education in his 1835
bequests.
book Democracy in America, the Society
proudly welcomes donors who share in
Our development team is ready to serve as
this spirit of support.
your philanthropic advisors for planned
gifts to the college.
Become a member and help provide for
the future of St. John’s by remembering
the college in your will or other estate
plans. Examples include giving gifts
CONTACT US AT DEVELOPMENT@SJC.EDU
��1160 CAMINO DE CRUZ BLANCA
SANTA FE, NM 87505-4599
Non Profit Org
US Postage
PAID
St. John’s College
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Alumni Magazine
Description
An account of the resource
St. John's College began publishing the <em>Alumni Magazine </em>in 2020. It is not a continuation of <em>The College</em>. More details about the publication are available on the <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/alumni/alumni-magazine">Alumni Magazine</a> page of the SJC website. <br /><br />Click on <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=65&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d" title="Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection">Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, Md.
Santa Fe, NM
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
AlumniMagazine
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
36 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Alumni Magazine, 2020
Description
An account of the resource
2020 issue of the Alumni Magazine.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Alumni and alumnae
St. John's College (Santa Fe, N.M.)--Alumni and alumnae
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SJCAlumniMagazine_2020
Alumni
Publication
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/242de7bb52f8998d2114a55b684d8ae8.pdf
c2ce051c1e7b978f66ee71296d6e955c
PDF Text
Text
ALUMNI
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE
M AG A Z I N E
Connect With Your
Johnnie Community
Join Us for
Alumni Week 2021
Learn About the
Impact of Alumni
at St. John’s
��Letter from St. John’s College Alumni Association President
I hope this message finds you well and, like me, seeing the first rays of “the
early-born rose-fingered Dawn” of our COVID-subsiding world.
As we begin to look forward, for me, the great privilege of being a Johnnie is the
opportunity to look back on the books and ideas I encountered at the college for
guidance and inspiration. Remember when Odysseus said, “I long for home,
long for the sight of home. If any god marked me out again for shipwreck, my
tough heart can undergo it. What hardship have I not long since endured at
sea, in battle! Let the trial come.” (Homer, Odyssey 5.230-33)? We have all had
hardships and trials this year, and I hope our shared experience of the Program
continues to give you comfort and strength.
The strength demonstrated by our college community during this challenging time has indeed been inspiring.
Despite the difficulties, there were triumphs, like the college’s ability to take the Program into a virtual format
and keep the conversation going during the long pandemic. For these efforts, the Alumni Association is forever
grateful to our tutors and staff.
We are also grateful for our alumni. Thanks to your support, St. John’s has grown in financial strength. Together,
we have completed the Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge this year, securing $50 million in matching
funds toward Freeing Minds—bringing our total campaign commitments to $246 million to date and putting
St. John’s on track to double its endowment. We have watched as college leadership has worked hard in effecting
St. John’s long-term financial health and we are glad to see the college is expecting a balanced budget for next
year. I encourage you to learn more about these accomplishments by reading on in this publication and hearing
directly from the folks who are helping our community flourish into the future.
Yet, it seems that one of the most poignant lessons of the past year has been the value of perseverance. The
ability to respond adroitly to unforeseen circumstances and the grit to continue forward regardless has proven
successful for Johnnies—especially for our recent graduates who, because of their determination, now join us in
our almost 200-year-old Alumni Association.
It is in this spirit of perseverance and in celebration of our enduring love for the college and one another that
I invite you to St. John’s Alumni Week 2021, Monday, September 27 through Saturday, October 1. Although we
are not yet able to reunite in person, let us come together to honor and renew our connections while enjoying a
modern take on traditional programming, including seminar with our beloved tutors.
Until then, I leave us with a celebratory moment in the Program to reflect upon—the moment when Odysseus is
recognized by his elderly nurse from tracing the old scar on his leg: “Then joy and anguish seized her heart; her
eyes filled up with tears; her throat closed, and she whispered, with hand held out to touch his chin: Oh yes! You
are Odysseus!” (Homer, Odyssey 19:546-50).
We look forward to seeing you this fall.
St. John’s Forever!
Mark Parenti (AGI92)
President
St. John’s College Alumni Association
1
�COMMUNITY
ALUMNI
MAGAZINE
Summer 2021 | Volume I, No. 1
Vice President for Development
and Alumni Relations
Phelosha Collaros (SF00)
Director of Alumni Relations
Chris Aamot (SF04)
Associate Director of Alumni Relations
Maia Banks (A14)
Alumni Communications
Program Manager
Elise Berrocal
Alumni Transitions and
Volunteerism Program Manager
Kelsey Miller (A10)
Interim Alumni Relations Associate
Sue MacEachen
Contributing Writers
Benjamin Baum
Kerri Braly
Haley Ford (A17)
Anne Kniggendorf (SF97)
Abdullah Mirza (SF20)
Mark Parenti (AGI92)
Les Poling
Eve Tolpa
Spencer Windes (A99)
Design
Melissa Latham-Stevens (SFGI13)
Cover Illustration
Caitlin Cass (SF09)
Website
sjc.edu/alumni
Facebook
StJohnsCollegeAlumni
Instagram
@johnniealumni
About the Cover and Illustrator
Caitlin Cass (SF09) is a cartoonist, illustrator, and installation artist. She was a
2020 recipient of a National Endowment
of the Arts Artworks grant and a 2018
NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Fiction. Her
cartoons appear in The New Yorker and in
her self-published comic periodical, The
Great Moments in Western Civilization
Postal Constituent. When asked about
what inspired the cover design, she
shared: “My class read Virginia Woolf’s
A Room of One’s Own for our homecoming seminar and this quote stuck with
me. There’s a revolutionary aspect to it,
which I think reflects St. John’s efforts
to continue evolving.” In addition to
working on a graphic novel about women’s suffrage and civil rights history,
she is an assistant professor at the
University of Nebraska Omaha. View
her work at caitlincass.com.
2
Pritzker Promise Bridge Program Approaches
Second Year Serving Johnnies
The Pritzker Promise Bridge Program is gearing up for
its second incoming class of Johnnies this summer,
ready to prepare St. John’s newest students for the
college by helping them develop academic skills and
study habits, providing guidance and support, and
building relationships with faculty and peers prior to
their opening seminars.
Launched in summer 2020, the program seeks to
equip Pell Grant recipients and underrepresented
PRITZKER�BRIDGE
incoming students with the tools, skills, and resources
SCHOLARS�PROGRAM
they need to succeed at the college, thanks to a generous grant from The Jay Pritzker Foundation in connection with Board of Visitors and
Governors member Karen Pritzker.
The program—the first cross-campus initiative of its kind at St. John has—originated in response to feedback from Johnnies past. According to Santa Fe Dean Walter
Sterling (A93), surveys have shown that graduating seniors leave the college with
predominantly positive feelings about the Program. However, about half of graduating seniors also said they didn’t feel academically prepared when they arrived at the
college, with those numbers rising even higher for underrepresented groups. The
bridge program is specifically designed to increase retention and counter the issues
with which these students struggle.
It accomplishes this through a variety of preparatory workshops led by faculty and
staff targeted to financial aid recipients, first-generation students, and international
students alike. Topics for such sessions include learning the basics of federal and
college work study, how to manage time and money, how to find a campus job and
student employment, how to prioritize personal wellness, and other aspects of life at
the college.
For Danielle Lico, executive director of campus health and wellness in Annapolis,
the program is about engagement. “Engagement with the community, and engagement with each other—in the spirit of trying to build a ‘bridge’ intothe community for
incoming students.”
While many sessions have a pragmatic focus, others aim to introduce students to
the academic side of the college. As Caroline Randall, director of admissions in Santa
Fe, points out: Johnnies come to the college from all over the world, but few are coming
from schools with the same academic culture as St. John’s. “Some of our students
are nervous about seminar-style classes or the amount of reading expected, or about
certain subjects,” she explains. “The bridge program is the perfect answer for these
concerns.”
Entering its second year of implementation, the program is facilitated by Jennifer
Cline, coordinator of student services in Annapolis, and Nanette Phillips, student support coordinator in Santa Fe. According to Phillips, similar bridge and peer-mentoring
programs have been successfully implemented at many other colleges and universities. She points to studies demonstrating that such initiatives have been shown to
lead to better academic outcomes; she sees the St. John’s bridge program as part of
“the initial stages in what will be more robust structures for students” at St. John’s in
the future.
Faculty and staff in both Annapolis and Santa Fe share Phillips’ outlook anticipating that with each new class of Johnnies, the program will grow more nuanced and
intentional to meet the needs of its target population—a process that can only serve
to further help St. John’s students this year and in years to come.
�Update from St. John’s College
Vice President of Enrollment
Greetings, St. John’s alumni! As the college looks ahead to the new academic
year, I am happy to share with you some exciting news regarding our enrollment
to date.
This is a record-breaking year for enrollment on both campuses. St. John’s
has received more than 1,470 undergraduate applications. In Annapolis, we
continue our multi-year trend of full
freshman classes—between 140 and
150 students. In Santa Fe, we will have
more than 125 fall freshmen—the first
time in more than 10 years that the
college will enroll a class of this size.
Furthermore, the students attending
this fall are remarkably diverse. Thirteen percent of freshmen are international students from 21 countries. This
year’s domestic students are from 30
states, plus Washington, DC. Twelve
percent are the first in their families
to attend college; 21 percent are Pell
Grant recipients; and 28 percent are
students of color.
In the Graduate Institute, we are
also expecting record-breaking fall
enrollment as students apply for either the traditional on-campus degree
programs or the new low-residency program. Alumni can return to campus for
the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts in Annapolis or the Master of Arts in Eastern
Classics in Santa Fe, or can conveniently take classes for either program
online as well.
As we look toward the future, we know that Summer Academy is essential.
The Summer Academy program introduces interested high school students to
the Great Books and life at the college. This year’s sessions hosted more than
200 students, in person and online, many of whom were the children of alumni.
All this success is attributable to many new tools employed by the Admissions
Office over the course of the last year, but it is also attributable to alumni. Word
of mouth continues to be one of the largest sources of prospective student inquiries for the college, with 11 percent of our freshmen being children of Johnnies.
I invite you to take part in the excitement in Admissions by continuing to
encourage family and friends to learn more about our offerings (or inquire for
yourself). For application information, to schedule a visit, or even to register for
Summer Academy 2022, please contact us at admissions@sjc.edu or visit us at
sjc.edu/admissions. Thank you for sharing your Johnnie pride with others!
Benjamin Baum
Vice President of Enrollment
Alumni Volunteerism
Remains Strong
Despite Pandemic
Come rain, shine,
or pandemic,
JohnnieCorps
alumni volunteers
stood together in
support of the college
throughout the duration
of St. John’s 2020–21
academic year. So much so that, in the
annual Alumni Engagement Metrics
report released at the end of May 2021
by the Council for Advancement and
Support of Education (CASE), the
alumni volunteer participation rate at
St. John’s for the 2020 fiscal year
exceeded the average among other
higher education institutions globally.
While many institutions saw dramatic
drops in their volunteer rates in 2020,
St. John’s instead experienced a minor
dip—only 6/10ths of a percentage
point, to be exact—a figure illustrating
how well Johnnies adapted to a virtual
volunteer landscape.
JohnnieCorps is the college’s recently
expanded volunteer program offering
interested alumni tailored opportunities in an easy online format. Due to
the dedication of program participants,
prospective and current students
alike benefitted from alumni volunteer
support despite the COVID-19
pandemic. For this, JohnnieCorps
coordinators and the college are grateful for the continuous commitment
of its volunteers.
“Thank you to our amazing alumni
community for keeping volunteerism at
St. John’s alive and strong throughout
the height of pandemic,” says Kelsey
Miller (A10), alumni transitions and
volunteerism program manager.
“We look forward to sharing more
JohnnieCorps opportunities with you
in the new academic year.”
3
�COMMUNITY
A Welcome Banner for
First-Gen Students
“For an institution of [our] size, it’s
significant that we have designated
resources and personnel and employed
evidence-based practices that speIn recognition of its commitment to
cifically further first-gen persistence,”
improving college experiences and
Santa Fe Student Support
academic outcomes for
Coordinator Nanette Phillips
first-generation students,
says. She estimates that
St. John’s College in Santa
roughly 12 percent of JohnFe received the Center for
nie undergraduates belong
First-generation Student
to the program’s relevant
Success’s First-gen Forward
demographic. “Historically,
designation, March 2021.
public schools
The first institution in New
have tended
Mexico to receive the desigNanette Phillips
to
serve larger
nation, St. John’s is one of 157
populations
of firstFirst-gen Forward designees nationgen
students,
and
private
wide—a group that includes Carnegie
schools are often perceived
Mellon, Emory, and Wellesley, to name
as financially and culturally
just a few—with access to the center’s
inaccessible by comparison.
research and resources, including esIt’s extremely important for first-gen
tablished best practices, professional
students to know that they are going to
development, and community-building
be supported in their unique needs.”
tools.
Phillips is responsible for spearheading the college’s acceptance and
participation in the program. It was in
December 2020 that the center—an
initiative of the National Association of
Student Personnel Administrators and
the Suder Foundation—invited her to
apply for the designation on behalf of
the college. She promptly completed
it with the help of colleagues from
various departments.
Founded in 2017, First-gen Forward
is the nation’s first program
to recognize institutions
dedicated to the continued
success of first-generation
college students.
“A welcome banner” is
how Phillips characterizes
the designation—a big draw
for prospective Johnnies who “will
be looking for evidence that indicates
that a school has resources specific to
their needs.”
Johnnies Run the World
During fall 2020, St. John’s athletics in Annapolis and Santa Fe
collaborated on the launch of a global exercise initiative encouraging Johnnies to log enough miles to travel the circumference of
the earth, virtually. Aptly entitled “Johnnies Run the World,” the
exercise challenge was a great success, with a total of 24,901 miles
completed in just over five months.
A creative engagement initiative allowing Johnnies to connect
and persevere together through COVID-19, the challenge counted
any mileage-accumulating exercise, with participants like Santa
Fe alum Martha (Mackey) Pendleton (SF74) diligently tracking their
results. In the end, Pendleton achieved the third most miles among
Martha (Mackey) Pendleton
(SF74)
all alumni, faculty, and staff who participated, with 302 miles logged.
During the challenge, she regularly walked five miles at least six days a week, and at one
point was up to eight miles daily.
“I am no athlete,” says Pendleton, “but when I saw the invitation to join St. John’s faculty,
staff, students, and alumni in an endeavor to circle the globe, I thought, ‘Why not?’ It was fun
to calculate the miles I walk each day and have it count for something other than my health.”
4
�Alumni Help Shatter Expectations on GivingTuesday
Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been known
in popular culture as GivingTuesday—a rallying day in which
communities gather around their favorite organizations and give
for the greater good.
This proved true for St. John’s in December 2020, when the
Johnnie community defied all expectations in support of current
and future students at the college—not only reaching its goal of
350 donors, but also outpacing previous years’ record-setting totals by midday.
Of the resulting 762 donors, 75 percent were St. John’s alumni, signifying their deep affinity and care for the college and the
Johnnie community. Rounding out the remaining 25 percent were parents, faculty, staff, friends, and even students.
Given the unprecedented nature of the year, with the country and world suffering from COVID-19 and its economic fallout,
it was impossible to predict how the day would go. Yet, by the time GivingTuesday ended, approximately $230,000 was raised,
providing crucial support for the college and its students. Donations came from 47 states in the United States, and on a global
level spanned South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The successful day, which joined so many members of the college community in the effort of making small-but-mighty
gifts, left St. John’s better positioned to face the immediate challenges presented by COVID-19 and thrive during a most
uncertain time.
Jobs for Johnnies:
Helping Alumni Take On the Workforce Two Years in a Row
May 2021 marked the start of the second cycle of Jobs for Johnnies, a program pairing recent
graduates from both campuses with alumni volunteers for career mentorship and networking.
Piloted last spring with enthusiastic support from the Board of Visitors and Governors’ Visiting
Committee, the program is jointly coordinated by Career Services in Annapolis and the Office of
Personal and Professional Development in Santa Fe.
This year’s program, which will run through end of summer, boasts 20 alumni pairs with a
host of professional interests ranging from neuroscience and information technology to communications and environmental advocacy.
According to Annapolis Director of Career Services Jaime Dunn, the goal of the program is not
solely for new graduates to secure a job, but also to connect with an alum or board member to
“receive feedback on their job search tools and learn the skills of networking and job searching
Luke Olson (A20)
that they’ll need to use throughout their professional careers.”
For example, past Jobs for Johnnies participant Luke Olson (A20) had struggled to turn his experience into a legal career. After applying for hundreds of legal-related positions around Washington, DC, Chicago, and Boston,
he was paired with Alumni Association President Mark Parenti (AGI92).
Olson says conversations with Parenti opened a new way of thinking about the paths he might take. “He understood that
I was committed to certain ideals,” Olson says. “That might be unique to the Johnnie experience, but he also balanced that
kind of Johnnie idealism with real world professional and practical experience that he had decades of.”
Together, they worked out that Olson’s ideals could be upheld in a teaching environment just as well as in a court of law.
Today, Olson teaches at a private school in Fairfax, Virginia—a position that he loves and also satisfies his personal ideals.
Like in the example of Olson and Parenti, “alumni can play an especially valuable role in showing grads how the St. John’s
experience provides a great foundation for a satisfying career in a wide variety of fields,” says Charles Bergman, director of
Personal and Professional Development.
To find out about how alumni can further support recent graduates of St. John’s, visit sjc.edu/career-success/for-employers.
5
�COMMUNITY
Tutor Zena Hitz (A95)
Wins Hiett Prize in the
Humanities
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and
Culture honored tutor Zena Hitz (A95)
with the 2020 Hiett Prize in the
Humanities award during its 16th
annual gala on November 11, 2020.
As described by the institute, Hitz
was recognized for her viewpoints on
defending the intellectual life—learning for its own sake, rather than in
service of economic or political goals—
as explored in her recent book, Lost in
Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an
Intellectual Life.
Aimed at furthering the humanities
in the urban world, The Dallas Institute awards the Hiett Prize to those in
the early stages of a career devoted to
the humanities and whose work shows
extraordinary promise to have a
significant impact on contemporary
culture.
Hitz joined the college’s faculty
in 2015 and holds degrees from
St. John’s (BA, 1995), Cambridge
University (MPhil, 1996), and Princeton
University (PhD, 2005). Previously,
she served as assistant professor at
Auburn University and UMBC, among
other roles and distinctions.
6
Simran Thapa (SF22) and Bryn Frye-Mason (SF23)
Win Projects for Peace Fellowship
In early March 2021, students Simran Thapa (SF22) and Bryn Frye-Mason (SF23)
were awarded a Projects for Peace fellowship. Founded in 2007 by the late philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis, the initiative invites students at Davis United World
College Scholars Program partner schools—a group that includes St. John’s—to
formulate a project that promotes peace anywhere in the world.
The two Johnnies’ winning proposal, “Securing Peace in Bardiya, Nepal: Freeing
Women for Civic Engagement,” links improvements in maternal health with women’s
abilities to participate fully in their communities, simultaneously laying out a plan
for achieving both.
To implement their proposal, which involves creating medical kits that will be
delivered to five villages in Bardiya, Thapa and Frye-Mason are partnering with
the Women Security Pressure Group (WSPG), a Nepalese organization founded by
Thapa’s grandmother that works to increase literacy rates and political engagement
among women. The kits themselves, which aim to mitigate eclampsia and other risks
of pregnancy, are being designed through a collaboration with La Familia Medical
Center in Las Lunas, New Mexico, and assembled in Nepal. The project plan also
involves hiring a local WSPG chapter member to help distribute those kits and
establish a health co-op “for women to pool money to help each other buy necessities
for better health,” Thapa says.
Thapa and Frye-Mason are energized by all the support they have received,
including that provided by St. John’s. “We are both extremely excited to have the
opportunity to implement this project on the ground in Nepal. We will be working
hands-on with every aspect,” Thapa says, adding: “This project wouldn’t have
happened without our friendship.”
�Melanie Santiago-Mosier (A00) Named One
of Maryland’s Top 100 Women
In the summer of 2020, The Daily Record named Annapolis alum Melanie
Santiago-Mosier (A00) as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women, an acknowledgement
of “outstanding achievements of women
through professional accomplishments,
community leadership, and mentoring” for her
work on state-level clean energy policies.
Santiago-Mosier currently serves as the
managing director of access and equity for Vote
Solar, where her work centers on implementing
the organization’s vision for diversity, equity,
inclusion, and justice. She is an attorney licensed
to practice law in Maryland and has worked to
advance clean energy policy for more than a
decade, leading regulatory and legislative affairs
at a number of organizations. Among other
publications, she is a co-author of Low-Income
Solar Policy Guide (lowincomesolar.org), a comprehensive tool for policymakers, community leaders, and others who are working to
make solar accessible and equitable.
Salvatore
Scibona (SF97)
Named 2021
Literature Award
Winner
The American Academy of Arts and
Letters recognized Santa Fe alum
Joan Haratani (SF79) Wins
2021 Margaret Brent Award
Each year, the American Bar Association recognizes up to five recipients of the Margaret
Brent Award, which honors “outstanding women
lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way for other women in the
legal profession.” As of April 2021, one of those
lawyers—joining the likes of former Justice Ruth
Bader Ginsburg and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—is Joan Haratani (SF79): St. John’s
Santa Fe alum and secretary of the college’s
Board of Visitors and Governors.
The Brent award is the most recent in a streak
of honors for Haratani, who will receive St. John’s
College Alumni Association’s Volunteer Service
Award during Alumni Week this fall. Over the last
two years, she has also received the global Amel Zenoune-Zouani Rights & Leadership Award and the Chambers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in the
Legal Industry.
After graduating from St. John’s in 1979, Haratani earned her JD from the UC Davis
School of Law in 1984. Currently, she is a partner with Morgan Lewis San Francisco
office, where she has worked on a variety of high-profile cases spanning state and
federal law in the commercial litigation context, including national mortgage issues.
She also facilitates relationships between the firm and its clientele, bringing in new
clients and helping maintain a strong bond with firm clients. Additionally, she is a
member of the Morgan Lewis Advisory Board as well as a board member of Asian
Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). She has also served as a former president of
the Bar Association of San Francisco.
Salvatore Scibona (SF97) as one of
18 literature award winners at its
annual ceremony, held virtually
May 19, 2021.
The literature prizes, totaling
$600,000, honored both established and emerging writers of
fiction, non-fiction, drama, and
poetry.
Also a 2008 National Book Award
finalist, Scibona is the author of
two critically acclaimed novels,
The Volunteer (2019) and The End
(2009). He serves as the director of
the Center for Scholars and Writers
at the New York Public Library
(NYPL). As director, he cultivates
and supports the work of internationally renowned writers and
thinkers and creates programming
that enriches the broader NYPL
community. As a novelist, he
continues to write exceptional
works of fiction.
7
�ANANT VASHI (SF96)
8
�Alumnus Applies Foundational Theory
in Finance; an Easy Task After the Rigors
of the Program
Given the one-of-a-kind nature of
St. John’s, many Johnnies end up at
the college via surprisingly traditional means: they receive an admissions
mailer and grow intrigued with the
Program, for example, or they find
out about the college from a teacher
or family friend. Anant Vashi (SF96)
was not one of those Johnnies.
“I
transferred to St. John’s after one year at Georgetown
University,” he recalls. Prior to his freshman year in
Washington, DC, he had grown up in the private school
system; an “overachieving” student on what he describes as
a “myopic, career-focused path” that left him burnt out and
intellectually dissatisfied.
“I was yearning for a more expansive perspective,” Vashi
says. “I had always had a philosophical bent with a strong
interest in history and economics. I decided that if any
formal education was right for me, that it would be at a
place like St. Johns.”
To complete the paradigm shift, he applied to the Santa
Fe campus instead of nearby Annapolis; by fall, he was
seated around the seminar table.
More than two decades after graduating, the decision
to transfer has paid off in more ways than one. On an
individual level, Vashi says, “St. John’s College was a
transformative personal and intellectual experience for me,
and I would not be the person I am today had I attended
another school.” While he loved reading the works of political
philosophers like Machiavelli, Hobbes, Kant, Hegel, and Marx,
the books and classes represented the spark—not the flame.
“The real learning at St. Johns occurs through interacting
with and being challenged by your peers, whose backgrounds and attitudes can be very different than your own,”
he notes.
Furthermore, Vashi suggests that his St. John’s education
has helped him develop a kind of mindfulness that enables
him to produce high-quality work under duress, whether as
director in the transportation and logistics group at Capstone
Headwaters—the independent middle market investment
bank where he worked until January 2021—or as the vice
president of finance at Neat Capital, a Boulder, Coloradobased growth stage mortgage lender.
Stereotypically, investment banking and home financing
sound like fields for graduates with business and economics majors, not liberal arts degrees. Vashi is proof that’s not
the case. In fact, he contends, his Johnnie education has
helped him at every step of the way.
“At least to my observation, many people who go to
college go through life in a sequential way, without taking
the time to understand how it all fits together for them as a
person,” he says. “St. Johns provided me with the tools and
confidence to create an intellectual space between myself
and the world whizzing by.”
Vashi explains that the ability to create that intellectual
space—to pause, reconsider basic assumptions, adapt to
unforeseen circumstances, and ask “why”—offers a sense
of thoughtfulness and clarity
that proves immensely
“The real learning at
beneficial.
“[At Capstone HeadwaSt. Johns occurs
ters], clients repeatedly
how my abilities
through interacting with described
to step back, be measured,
appreciate other perspecand being challenged
tives, and be deliberate were
qualities that really helped
by your peers, whose
them through the transaction process,” he recalls.
backgrounds and
“Negotiating transactions
worth tens of millions of
attitudes can be very
dollars can be very tenuous
and stressful, but I believe
different than your own.” that the space that St. John’s
taught me to make [was]
critical to successful outcomes.”
Vashi now puts the same skills to use at Neat Capital, a
venture-backed mortgage lender that aims to simplify the
home financing profess. As the leader of the finance team,
Vashi relies on his experience with a variety of transactions
and corporate finance to help spur the company’s growth
within the industry.
It all sounds very nuts-and-bolts—and intense. But for
Vashi, the “intellectually rigorous” work that has defined
his career connects deeply with his time at St. John’s. “[My
job] is the real-world application of financial and economic
theory,” he explains. Putting foundational theory into practice: the practice of a true Johnnie.
9
�SHEBA DELANEY (A22)
10
�Student’s Path of Lifelong
Learning Leads to St. John’s
Sheba Delaney shares how, at 66
years old, her pursuit of the examined life brought her to the college.
L
ike most Johnnies, the last three semesters presented
Sheba Delaney (A22) with extraordinary challenges—
from the sudden transition to online learning to hybrid
classes and masked conversations.
Unlike most Johnnies, though, Delaney has a bit more
life experience to lean on during hard times: She began her
freshman year at 66 years old.
In 2017, Delaney says, “I was living in New York City, my
home for more than 40 years, spending five hours a day in
my studio, painting, and working at Trader Joe’s. The years
of raising and educating my children were almost over.”
As she emerged from several significant life changes, she
realized that the rest of her life might not play out exactly
how she’d imagined.
“Dostoevsky said the second half of life is nothing but the
habits we acquire in the first half,” she explains. “I didn’t
want that.”
So that year, Delaney traveled to Spain and walked the
500-mile El Camino de Santiago. When she got back, she
applied to St. John’s—the college she’d first heard of while
studying illustration at the Pratt Institute decades earlier.
“I never considered applying anywhere else,” she says.
“Although I’ve read widely over my lifetime, I wanted to go
through the history of Western culture in a systematic way.”
Delaney arrived at St. John’s in 2018 and immediately
encountered obstacles. She hadn’t studied basic math in
decades, let alone demonstrated a Euclidean proposition.
Despite her excitement for seminar, she was a lifelong solitary reader and found the idea of diving into conversation
somewhat intimidating. Most difficult, she says, was time
management. Referencing her “touch-and-go” first two
years at the college, Delaney says she felt exhausted and
stretched to her limit on more than one occasion.
“My lifelong work habit has been obsessive monotasking,” she explains, “which works well for an artist but isn’t
so great when you’re trying to keep up with three challenging tutorials and a massive amount of reading.”
Importantly, though, she instantly felt welcomed into the
Johnnie community, and—together with her classmates—
she’s been able to surmount such challenges, including
arduous music theory and algebra tests.
“I was one of the first people to go to the board to do a
Euclid proposition,” Delaney recalls. “I was shaking, but at
least I never had to do it for the first time again.”
Perhaps the biggest challenge emerged in March 2020,
when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the St. John’s
Program online. It was extremely difficult, Delaney says, to
transition overnight from gathering together around a table
to conversing via Zoom.
Nonetheless, the St. John’s community rallied to make
things work. Delaney, her classmates, and her tutors
persisted with tenacity and good humor, trading Johnnie
chairs and seminar tables for at-home desks and computer
screens—a testament to the Program itself. Even in times of
difficulty, the study of Great Books endures, and the conversation it elicits continues.
For Delaney, persevering through the demands of everyday life and the famously rigorous St. John’s Program is
nothing new. During her first couple of years at the college,
she reflects, “I was constantly worried that I just wasn’t
going to make it.” But the experience has been worth it—
“there has been so much to enjoy.” She calls the opportunity
to work through the Great
Books a “luxury.” Similar
“I’m able to think about
to most alumni, in spite of
initial butterflies, she adores
the things I am interest- seminar—and the ongoing
conversation that often
ed in in a much richer
spills from the classroom to
the quad and beyond. The
way and with a better
Program has even inspired
Delaney to try humorous
sense both of context
writing, and she cherishes
the Johnnie tradition of taking tutors to lunch or coffee.
and of how things are
Most of all, “Everything I’ve
learned so far is absolutely
connected.”
affecting my whole life,”
she notes. “I’m able to think
about the things I am interested in in a much richer way
and with a better sense both of context and of how things
are connected.”
After graduating, Delaney hopes to earn a master’s
degree in theological studies; having written for religious
publications in the past, she’d like to continue exploring
humanity through religion (and religion through humanity). In other words, the journey of lifelong learning she
resumed at the college has only just begun.
“At St. John’s, we engage with the slow unfolding of
human beings trying to understand themselves,” Delaney
says. “I hope that I can, in some small way, be part of that
conversation.”
11
�DAVID TOWNSEND
12
�Longtime Annapolis Tutor
Wins Prestigious Faculty Award
Tutor David Townsend joined
St. John’s College’s faculty in 1974.
democratic society. On a similar note, he rejects the idea
that the purpose of education is purely pragmatic; that any
and all learning exists only in pursuit of material gain. He
acknowledges that American society necessitates a certain
uring the course of his career at the college, he
amount of financial success, and he maintains that prosperhas become a beloved facilitator of learning and exploity isn’t something to avoid. But, he adds, “Everything that
ration—admired not just by current and former students,
we’re doing [in life] is not for the sake of more profit or more
but also by the Association of Graduate and Liberal Studies
wealth. It’s to elevate the human spirit; to think about, as Du
(AGLSP).
Bois says, the soul. That’s what the liberal arts are all about.”
At a gala held in October 2020, the association formally
Importantly, Townsend notes, a liberal arts education
honored Townsend with its annual faculty award: a recbenefits tutors and students alike. The equal exchange
ognition of superb faculty who teach and inspire students
of varying perspectives, ideas, and beliefs that seminar
both within and outside the classroom. With his dedicaaffords is transformative for everyone involved. There’s
tion to the liberal arts and his devotion to becoming what
nothing like the mind-blowStringfellow Barr called a “citizen of the world,” Townsend
ing moment when a student
“Nevertheless, there is a
certainly meets the criteria. Fittingly, he considers the reor teacher genuinely considcipient—himself—the least important part of the deal.
ers an idea that challenges,
path
to
achieve
greatThe AGLSP describes itself as “deeply committed to the
changes, or elevates their
value of interdisciplinary education in the liberal arts and
point of view. “It’s universal,”
ness,”
he
says.
“If
we
sciences.” That holistic focus on liberal arts is what makes
Townsend contends.
the faculty award meaningful to Townsend. Rather than a
Despite that universality,
move forward with
glamorous recognition of his lengthy career, he hopes the
the economic climate in the
award functions as an acknowledgement of the deeper
States causes a conhonesty, vision, integrity, United
goals of true education. “The original movement at
stant “crisis in the humanSt. John’s in the ’30s was that we had a mission not just to
ities” rhetoric that, some fear,
and effective hard work, drives students away from
be a little college, but to be emblematic of a way that a society, a community, could improve,” Townsend says.
schools like St. John’s. Partly
St. John’s can be more
“Our mission is to teach the capabilities of the liberal arts
in response to those conto give us what we aim for in life,” he adds. “So, what do we
cerns, Townsend is constantly
live for the sake of? We live for the sake of the good, the true,
than we might imagine.” searching for ways to bring
and the beautiful; not just for instrumental goals like wealth
more people to the liberal
or honor or fame. I think the liberal arts are at the heart of
arts. In addition to teaching and community education, he
what we do at St. John’s.”
has conceived of two potential master’s programs that he
Townsend’s belief in the liberal arts manifests itself
believes could broaden the appeal of the St. John’s Graduate
beyond St. John’s. He teaches adult education offerings in
Institute. The more people engaged in the liberal arts, he
both Santa Fe and Annapolis, including recently, an examreasons, the better for St. John’s.
ination of the fearless pursuit of love and intellect depicted
“The survival of St. John’s is at stake at a time when
in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse. He has also taught libmany small colleges will fail. Nevertheless, there is a path
eral arts seminars in local prisons, Baltimore police departto achieve greatness,” he says. “If we move forward with
ments, and to the chief financial officers of PepsiCo, as well
honesty, vision, integrity, and effective hard work, St. John’s
as been involved with the Touchstones Discussion Project—
can be more than we might imagine. For St. John’s to live up
which brings the seminar model to elementary, middle, and
to its untapped potential, we must, to paraphrase Frederick
high schools across the world—for more than 30 years. With
Douglass, be true to our past, true to our present, and bind
every group of learners, the St. John’s seminar pedagogy
ourselves to be true to the future.”
proves invaluable.
“I think the method works, whether I’m teaching in a
community seminar, whether I’m doing a year of classics,”
he says. “It’s an aspect of the human soul; people are hungry for this kind of endeavor.”
Townsend suggests that the rigorous dialogue that defines
seminar provides the foundation for any functioning
D
13
�Q&A with Alumni Relations Working Group
Co-chairs: Caroline Gorman (SF11) and
Ken Resnick (SFGI19)
In the beginning of 2020, St. John’s embarked on an effort to better
understand how alumni want to engage with the college. After
months of alumni focus groups and surveys, and an audit of current
programs, a working group of the Advancement Committee of the
Board of Visitors and Governors was formed to help evaluate findings
and generate guidance on how to reinforce a strong and meaningful
connection between alumni and the college. Get to know the Alumni
Relations Working Group Co-chairs Caroline Gorman (SF11) and
Ken Resnick (SFGI19), and the significance of this work and alumni
at St. John’s, through their reflections below.
What prompted you to attend St. John’s College?
Gorman: I attended almost on a whim; I saw the old marketing materials that said, “This year, the following
teachers will be returning (then listing Program authors),” and I just knew St. John’s was the place for me.
Resnick: I moved to Santa Fe in 2014, and to be honest, did not know anything about St. John’s. I experimented
with the Summer Classics program, and then I was hooked. I enrolled in the Graduate Institute (GI) program in
2017 and graduated two years later. For me, the Great Books were an attraction—original texts, original thinking
and writing about the texts, and, most important to me, civil discourse with friends and strangers. This is what I
love about the college—I’ve not found anything else quite like it anywhere.
How has the college affected your professional pursuits?
Gorman: As a trial attorney, St. John’s has been an enormous benefit in terms of reading, writing, and analyzing.
I went into law school more accustomed to deep reading and analysis of the written word, which has helped
immeasurably. I also found that the conversational skills I gained at St. John’s are good for interviewing clients
and witnesses.
Resnick: I retired from General Electric in 2014 after serving as the general counsel for its global oil and gas business based in Florence, Italy, and currently consult in the areas of corporate governance, ethics, and compliance
programs. I also teach a course on international business ethics at Syracuse University in Florence. The GI program
has improved my critical reading skills and helped me discern some of the ethical principles that are often deeply
embedded in business decision-making, yet are rarely discussed. Helping my students understand the values they
choose when making so-called “strictly business” decisions has been a good area for classroom discussion.
What roles do you serve at the college?
Gorman: I am an alumni-elected member of the Board of Visitors and Governors and co-chair of its Alumni
Relations Working Group (ARWG).
Resnick: In addition to co-chairing the ARWG, I am a regular member of the board and serve on the Finance,
Advancement, and Trustee and Governance Committees.
What is most satisfying to you about serving on the board?
Gorman: The most satisfying part is twofold:
1. Seeing how many people, including many non-alumni who found the college later in life, deeply love the college.
14
�2. Seeing how many people are constantly working to
improve the college in every way.
Resnick: The board is a collaborative body,
and each member cares deeply about
St. John’s and its distinctive Program,
mission, and pedagogy. What this translates
into is a board that passionately desires
to be active in service to the college. The
formal meetings are the veritable “tip of the
iceberg” in terms of board activity. Between
meetings, the members are busy in committees and working groups to address various
policy issues and other matters related to
the college. I think this is the most gratifying
aspect of my board experience.
Why is the work of the
ARWG important?
Gorman: There are a number of big
objectives that the college has successfully
completed or is in the middle of—such as
the tuition decrease, eliminating the deficit,
and the Freeing Minds capital campaign.
But amid all that, the board realized it
is also time to examine how to reinforce
a meaningful connection to alumni and
strong support of the college. The college’s
Alumni Relations Office has already taken a
number of steps to critically examine itself,
and the ARWG, with representation from
the Alumni Association, discussed the issue
from all angles.
Resnick: During our benchmarking of other
small colleges, we learned that successful
alumni engagement strategies create a sort
of “virtuous circle” for the alumni and the
college in terms of volunteerism, philanthropy, and participation in alumni events.
For example, we know that alumni who
volunteer or become engaged with their college are many
times more likely to promote, donate, and express satisfaction with their relationship to the school. We want to build
our own virtuous circle at St. John’s that creates lifelong
connections among Johnnies—and between Johnnies and
the college.
How will the outcomes of the ARWG influence
the future of St. John’s?
Gorman: I hope that we’ll take what the ARWG discovered
after talking to staff, volunteers, and alumni, and find better
ways to encourage volunteers and strengthen ties between
alumni and the college.
Resnick: We hope that the results of our working group
will positively influence the culture at St. John’s for alumni
engagement. Ultimately, we will measure our progress in
terms of expanded alumni engagement and participation
in the college’s alumni communications, volunteerism,
philanthropy, and events. One positive
development from COVID-19 is the use of
technology to convene people from around
the world to engage in communal learning,
events, seminars, and such. I was a doubting
Thomas, but then I participated in several
online events and seminars and found that
the discussions and personal connections to
the other participants were rich despite our
distance. So we hope that the programming
for alumni events and communications will
include both in-person and online opportunities going forward.
What encourages you to engage
with the college?
Gorman: I love that you can approach any
Johnnie—anywhere, any time—and ask:
“What have you been reading lately?” and
an amazing conversation follows. I’ve never
found another community so free with
ideas, and that keeps me returning to the
college and alumni.
Resnick: I continue to engage with the
college because I feel like it is an endangered
species. St. John’s offers to students of all
types and ages—from all around the world—
the unique opportunity to engage directly
with some of the best thinkers, scientists,
philosophers, artists, and musicians of all
time, and discuss their works in a reasoned
and civil manner. We are slowly losing such
precious learning environments, and once
they’re gone, they’re gone. We can’t let that
happen to St. John’s.
What do you hope for the future of St. John’s?
Gorman: My hope is that St. John’s continues to be a place
where people with a deep love of learning and thinking
gather—while also providing better support for a more
diverse group of students than we traditionally have.
Resnick: I hope for the revitalization of alumni relations
at St. John’s. If you are an alum who perhaps has not been
engaged with the school recently, I would ask that you
consider getting involved in some way to support the college—through the Alumni Association, seminar offerings,
donations, volunteerism. What I have learned through my
participation in the ARWG and on the board is that alumni
support of the college, regardless of the amount of time or
money involved, is so critical to its continued success.
15
�Campaign Chair Reflects on
Success of Freeing Minds
Warren Spector (A81)
Warren Spector (A81) speaks on
on the Alumni-fueled completion
of the Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge amid year of his
40th Reunion
W
arren Spector (A81) never doubted that
St. John’s alumni would meet the Winiarski
Family Foundation Challenge, raising $50 million
toward the Freeing Minds campaign and securing
another $50 million in matching funds.
“I was confident from the beginning that
alumni would step up and meet the Challenge, I
always believed it,” says Spector, a member of the
St. John’s Board of Visitors and Governors and
campaign chair. “Our alumni base cares very deeply
about the college and wants to see it flourish, wants
to see it maintain its values.”
16
What he didn’t anticipate was just how quickly it
would happen: alumni and friends completed the
Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge in only two
and a half years, crossing the finish line this spring.
“Had this Challenge been offered five to 10 years
ago, I think it might have taken twice as long to
achieve it.”
Back then, Spector says, there was simply less
confidence in the financial stability and direction of
the college.
As recently as 2016, St. John’s structural deficit
had reached $12 million. The college was balancing
its books, but only by applying every dollar toward
operating costs, at the expense of building a base of
support for the future.
Enrollment, conversely, was declining, hampered
by a tuition price that, when combined with ancillary
expenses, put the total cost of a St. John’s education
at close to $70,000 a year.
“We needed to get our fiscal house in order, that
was a priority, but we didn’t like being so expensive
that only a few families could afford us,” says Spector.
“The more the board talked about it, the more we
realized that St. John’s needed to make a strong
statement about its values.”
By the time the Freeing Minds campaign went public
in the fall of 2018, the college had lowered tuition
by a third, approved a plan to balance the budget,
switched to a philanthropy-centered financial model,
and raised more than $100 million in support.
Those results attracted the attention of winemaker
Warren Winiarski (Class of 1952), founder of Napa,
California-based Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, and
Barbara Winiarski (Class of 1955), a member of the
first class of women at St. John’s.
Inspired by the steps the college was taking to
achieve financial stability, the Winiarski Family
Foundation issued a challenge: if alumni and friends
could raise another $50 million in cash gifts, the
Foundation would match those gifts, dollar for dollar,
with a $50 million contribution to the St. John’s
endowment.
�Barbara Winiarski (Class of 1955)
Warren Winiarski (Class of 1952)
The Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge came with
What these plans won’t include, Spector cautions, are
a stipulation: the gifts that had already been made to the
facilities that come with ultra-luxurious price tags that
campaign would be ineligible for the match, including
students inevitably have to pay. “When you make a gift
Spector’s own pledge, one of the largest in
to Freeing Minds, you are delivering a St. John’s education
St. John’s history.
at a price that is defensible. We aren’t
The Winiarski Family Foundation,
spending money on luxuries but on
“I think it goes to show
Spector explains, was adamant that the
the small classroom experience that is
Challenge would not be met through a few
being abandoned by other colleges.”
that if people see
large gifts but by thousands of supporters
It is clear to Spector that his fellow
who were willing to stretch themselves and
alumni care passionately about the
the college doing the
make gifts they would not otherwise have
values that distinguish St. John’s from
considered.
its peers, and he’s convinced their
right thing, they will
Nearly 5,000 alumni and friends
passion will drive the campaign to its
responded, offering more than 17,000
next big achievement: the $300 million
individual gifts, of which 96 percent were
campaign goal. As of June 2021, total
support it, and support
gifts of less than $5,000.
commitments to the Freeing Minds
“I think it goes to show that if people see
campaign had reached $246 million.
it enthusiastically.”
the college doing the right thing, they will
“The campaign, and all that has
support it, and support it enthusiastically,”
gone with it, highlights the difference
says Spector.
between St. John’s and other schools. Our alumni are
Now that St. John’s is no longer operating with a deficit,
excited to support that, and I think the college can be in a
Spector says the college can invest campaign gifts in the
strong position for a very long time.”
student experience—and afford to build for the future.
Of the $300 million being raised for Freeing Minds,
$225 million, or 75 percent, will go toward academic and
student support, an area that includes health and wellness
programming, career services, and improvements that
foster lively, welcoming communities.
17
�JOIN US
FOR
ALUMNI
WEEK
2021
e
Monday, September 27
through
Saturday, October 2
REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 19 AT
SJC.EDU/ALUMNI-WEEK
18
�ALUMNI WEEK
SCHEDULE AND REGISTRATION
Alumni are invited to join classmates and members of the college community for St. John’s second annual Alumni
Week—a weeklong series of your favorite Homecoming activities offered in an online format. Renew your lifelong
connection to St. John’s and experience what it means to be part of our Johnnie community by joining us this fall.
SCHEDULE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Welcome
Alumni Association Awards
Q&A with College Leaders
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Return to the Classroom: How to Read a Painting
and Lab Revisited
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
JohnnieTalks
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Breaking Barriers Panel Presentation with some of
St. John’s first women students (live event)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1
What Did Einstein Predict?
Annual All Alumni Meeting and Alumni Association
Election (live event)
Friday Night Lecture (live event)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2
Seminar (live event)
Toast and Tributes with Alumni Association Board
(live event)
All live programming will be recorded and made available post
event at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week. Alumni Week programming
subject to change. See webpage for details, or contact the Alumni
Relations Office for assistance at alumni@sjc.edu.
REGISTRATION AND PRICING
Live Events: must be registered for in advance in order to provide login credentials on the dates of programming.
Pre-recorded Activities: will be posted at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week on the date of their occurrence and are open to all
participants. To receive links to pre-recorded content via email, registration is recommended.
PRICING
Payment, along with registration, is required for participation in virtual seminars only.
Price per seminar: $50
CANCELLATION POLICIES
• Due to the limited availability of virtual seminars, spaces are nontransferable and nonrefundable.
• Seminars with fewer than five participants are subject to cancelation. If a seminar is canceled due to low
attendance, registrants may choose to transfer to an open seminar or request a refund.
19
�ALUMNI WEEK
SEMINARS
GRADUATE INSTITUTE
Class
Reading
Tutor
GI
TBD
Kenneth Wolfe (SF94)
GOLDEN YEARS
Class
Reading
Tutor
Golden
John Stuart Mill’s “The Subjection of Women”
Tom May
Class
Reading
Tutor
2016
William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra
Hannah Hintze
2006
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
Peter Kalkavage
1996
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Walter Sterling (A93)
1991
Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the
Fourth of July;” Declaration of Independence
Chester Burke (A74)
1986
Anthology for Sophomore Language Poems
Jonathan Tuck (H14)
1981
W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk
Joan Silver (A76)
1976
Michel de Montaigne’s “Of Experience,”
“Of Cannibals”
Steven Crockett
1971
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Nick Maistrellis (H15)
1960s
Plato’s Symposium
Joe Macfarland (A87)
ANNAPOLIS
20
�SANTA FE
Class
Reading
Tutor
2016
James Baldwin’s “Many Thousands Gone,”
Nothing Personal
Sarah Davis
2011
Sophocles’ Antigone
Andy Kingston
2006
Emily Dickinson’s Final Harvest:
66, 87, 122, 202
Claudia Hauer
2001
Plato’s Republic: Book 2
Krishnan Venkatesh
1996
TBD
Frank Hunt (A75)
1991
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Nancy Buchenauer (H16)
1986
Michel Foucault’s The Order of Things:
Preface, Chapter 1 “Las Meninas”
Llyd Wells
1981
Franz Kafka’s “Josephine the Singer,
or the Mouse Folk”
Peter Pesic (H17)
1976
Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things
Don Cook (H97)
1971
Plato’s The Apology of Socrates
Michael Golluber
Class
Reading
Tutor
OPEN
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Eternal Husband
Louis Petrich
OPEN
Euripides’ The Bacchae
Gregory Recco
OPEN
Wallace Stevens’ “Connoisseur of Chaos”
Jim Beall
OPEN
Ibn Tufayl’s Hayy Ibn Yaqzan
Brendan Boyle
OPEN
21
�ALUMNI WEEK
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HONOREES 2021
Alumni Association honorees are selected annually by the board in recognition for their pursuit of and
successes in leading examined lives, as well as their steadfast commitment to the St. John’s College
community. Following are this year’s recipients of the Award of Merit and Honorary Alumni designations
to be commemorated during Alumni Week 2021.
AWARD OF MERIT
Robert George (A85) – for achievement in the field of journalism and
distinguished service to the college and its alumni
Robert George (A85) has served both the college and its alumni through extensive volunteer activity, including service on the Alumni Association Board and its committees,
the Board of Visitors and Governors, and volunteering as a DJ for nearly every Annapolis homecoming over the past three decades. His distinguished career in politics and
journalism, where he has quietly championed civility and served as a model for civil
discourse, displays how we hope Johnnies might contribute to society. George currently
writes editorials on education and other policy issues for Bloomberg Opinion. He was
previously a member of the editorial boards of the New York Daily News and New York
Post. He began his career in politics working for the Republican National Committee
and as senior writer and special assistant for then-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. He was involved in election monitoring in Nigeria, reported
on slavery in Sudan, and has participated in fact-finding missions to Israel and China.
Over the course of his career, George has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and
many other political affairs outlets, and has written for National Review, Reason,
HuffPost, and a variety of other print and online publications.
John Sifton (A96) – for achievement in the field of human rights advocacy
John Sifton (A96) has devoted most of his career to human rights. After focusing on international humanitarian law in law school (NYU 2000), he worked for Refugees International in the Balkans, and then as a researcher and later advocate at Human Rights Watch.
In an interview last year with the college about human rights work, he described human
rights research and advocacy as “a relentless pursuit of the truth and a constant but often
unrewarding effort to bring abusers to justice.” In addition to advocacy, Sifton is a writer,
starting with a New York Times article published after 9/11 and leading up to his 2015
book, Violence All Around. Praised by The New Yorker, HuffPost, and other outlets, Violence
All Around offers insights into human rights work as well as meditations on the nature of
violence. Using his work on atrocities and war crimes as a springboard, Sifton explores
the reluctance of historians and philosophers to analyze violence itself, not just as moral
or immoral activity or as means to an end, but as a set of independent phenomena that
condition human existence. According to Sifton, few observers, perpetrators, or victims
are given an opportunity to consider these contexts. “I just don’t get the sense that a lot of
the people who work in human rights think about that.”
22
�William Fischer, PhD (SF86) – for achievement in the field of evolutionary
biology and bioinformatics
Will Fischer, PhD, (SF86) is a scientist who works at the interface of viral evolution,
vaccine development, and pandemic prevention. His work has contributed to mitigation
efforts against HIV, filovirus diseases (Ebola and Marburg), Hepatitis C, Hand, Foot, and
Mouth Disease, and COVID-19. He played a vital role in the development of the mosaic
vaccine design concept, which enables construction of vaccines for previously intractable
pathogens. Since 2005, his work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory has been focused
primarily on HIV. In 2020, he turned his attention to tracking the molecular evolution
of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. His recent work has
significantly contributed to a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and ways to
apply this understanding to ensure continuing success with vaccines and antibody therapeutics. Fischer’s deep biological knowledge, computational skills, and ability to design
visual presentations of complex data—a skill he began to develop at the chalkboard in the
St. John’s classroom—have significantly contributed to vaccine design strategies and have
helped save lives around the globe. He is a well-rounded, deep-thinking scientist, and his
insights have benefited many issues relating to public health.
Natalie Goldberg (SFGI74) – for achievement in the field of arts and
literature
Natalie Goldberg (SFGI74) is the author of 15 books (and counting), including Writing
Down the Bones, which has sold more than one million copies, has been translated into
19 languages, and revolutionized the way we practice writing in this country. Her most
recent book, Three Simple Lines: A Writer’s Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku,
has garnered wide praise—and includes a shout-out to the Santa Fe college bookstore.
Her other books include the novel Banana Rose, memoir Long Quiet Highway, and a collection of essays, The Great Spring. For more than 40 years, Goldberg has practiced Zen
Buddhism and taught seminars in writing as a practice. People from around the world
attend her life-changing workshops, and she has earned a reputation as a great teacher.
The Oprah Winfrey Show sent a film crew to spend the day with Goldberg for a segment
on spirituality that covered her writing, teaching, painting, and walking meditation.
She has been a speaker at commencement and other college events, including an event
in 2018 where she reflected on the value St. John’s College has had in her career as an
author, noting that, “[At St. John’s] you meet the mind of the author, which is really how
you learn to write. The books you love, you study the mind of the authors, they’re your
teachers. So, me and Socrates and me and Aristotle, we’re good friends … And that’s
what you need in order to write.”
23
�ALUMNI WEEK
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS
HONORARY ALUMNI
Donlin Long, PhD
Donlin M. Long, PhD, is the head of a dedicated family of Johnnies. His wife,
Harriet (AGI93), served on the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors, his daughter
Elisabeth Long (A86) currently serves on the Alumni Association Board, and he himself
served on the St. John’s College Presidents’ Council. He is also the loving father of
two other graduates of St. John’s, Kimberly Riley (AGI87) and David Long (A90). After
completing a PhD in neuroanatomy in 1964, Long served as professor of neurosurgery
and chief neurosurgeon at the Johns Hopkins University for 27 years. He was one of
the first program directors in the nation to adopt a major interest in chronic pain and
developed an infrastructure for patient care at Johns Hopkins while advancing the
standards for pain care around the world. During his career, Long has published more
than 250 peer-reviewed articles and 100 book chapters, as well as 16 books. He was
named a distinguished professor of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins from 2000 until his
official retirement in 2010. In addition to these accomplishments, he and Harriet have
been active members of the college community and consistent donors since 1983.
In 2019, they established the Long Family Endowment with a leadership-level
legacy commitment to the Freeing Minds campaign and are sustaining members of
the college’s Mitchell Gallery.
Mary Anne Burke
Mary Anne Burke has been a member of the St. John’s College community for more
than 14 years, beginning as a staff member of the Advancement Office before transitioning to the Student Activity Center as fitness and wellness coordinator in Santa Fe.
Burke, a known fitness and wellness buff and certified personal trainer, was nominated by current students in recognition of her extraordinary dedication, enthusiasm,
and attention to the wellbeing of the college community. To create a more inclusive
environment and to increase community engagement, Burke launched the Warrior
Women Workouts, designing a fitness program that is welcoming, non-judgmental, and
inclusive, and allows for customization by each participant. In response to the isolation
caused by the pandemic, Burke organized the “Meta-Ionnathon”—a special race event,
inviting Johnnies (including alumni) from all over the globe to log enough miles to
travel the circumference of the earth, virtually. She also brought the archery program
to the college, in which students compete locally, regionally, and nationally. Whether by
student, staff, or faculty, Burke has been described as relationship-focused, maintaining connections with former students even after graduation. As Assistant Dean Michael
Golluber notes, “Mary Anne has changed my life. Before she came, all [I] did is study
and suffer from stress and anxiety. She helped me to start moving and to remember I
had a body. I might be dead now if it weren’t for her. I know many feel the same way I do
about this.”
24
�“What is the meaning
of life? That was all—a
simple question; one
that tended to close in
on one with years, the
great revelation had
Paul and Cecie Dry
Paul and Cecie Dry’s embrace of the St. John’s College community and their commitment to the Program have resulted in their ongoing participation in classroom learning
and financial support to the college. After reading a small ad in The New Yorker, Cecie
and Paul first attended Summer Classics in Santa Fe in 1996 and have participated
almost every summer since. In 2004, they initiated and funded a twice-yearly seminar
in Annapolis led by tutors Eva Brann and Sam Kutler. Cecie attended the Executive
Seminar program in Philadelphia and studied in the Graduate Institute in Annapolis.
At Paul Dry Books, Paul has published numerous works by St. John’s tutors. The Dry
Family Foundation supports The Eva Brann Endowed Tutorship and the Southwest
Scholars Partners Program, which is designed to benefit enrollment on the Santa Fe
campus. Their engagement with the college is generational as Guillermo Bleichmar,
their son-in-law, has been a tutor at the Santa Fe campus since 2009. The Drys have
truly embraced the spirit of St. John’s College and made its health and wellbeing a
central part of their lives.
(Volunteer Service Award winners to be announced during Alumni Week 2021)
never come. The great
revelation perhaps never
did come. Instead, there
were little daily miracles,
illuminations, matches
struck unexpectedly in
the dark ...”
– VIRGINIA WOOLF,
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE
25
�COMMUNITY
PERSEVERANCE
PAYS OFF
FOR CLASS
OF 2021
26
�College Celebrates Graduates
with Poignant Commencement
Ceremonies
I
t was a strange year for Johnnies in both Santa Fe and
Annapolis: following an online fall semester, many
students returned to campus in spring, combining the
Program with similarly rigorous COVID-19 safety protocols.
Ultimately, the work paid off—in May, graduating Johnnies
celebrated their accomplishments with in-person
commencement ceremonies.
May 16 was a beautiful spring day on the back lawn of
the Annapolis campus, with socially distanced chairs, a
cordoned ceremony area, and a stage set up in view of
College Creek.
In his welcome address, Annapolis President Pano
Kanelos noted that commencement is an opportunity to look
toward the future, simultaneously pointing out the challenges of the immediate past. “We have been a community
dispersed, a polity in diaspora … we have all had to find ways
to endure the challenges we’ve faced,” he remarked.
“Without you—your voices, your presence, your minds—
there is no college,” Kanelos added. “You are strong, you are
tenacious, and we are so proud and grateful that you are
Johnnies.”
The ceremony culminated with tutor Chester Burke’s (A74)
address to the Class of 2021. As he recounted the last yearplus of college life, Burke cited the determination, humorous
missteps, and heartwarming moments he shared with the
Class of 2021, connecting the tenacity displayed by Johnnies
over the last three semesters to that of the last four years.
“Despite an ultimately inexplicable circumstance that
stretched all of us to the limit of despair,” Burke said, “each
of you graduating students … accomplished a genuine version of what it is we do. If Aristotle is right, and he usually is,
this serious and pleasurable activity is something available
to all human beings at all times; something that under the
best of circumstances is difficult to sustain but is nevertheless worth fighting for and falling towards.”
In Santa Fe, more than 40 graduating students and their
families celebrated commencement on May 22, narrowly
avoiding a rare storm later in the afternoon.
President Mark Roosevelt began by acknowledging the extreme challenge both of the St. John’s education and of the last
year. He also noted that graduating students are entering “an
increasingly fractured, deeply divided world and country.”
However, “there is reason to hope,” Roosevelt pointed out.
“You have what the world needs … A dedication to listening
that is rare—and a desire to find truth, as nuanced as it may
be, rather than a need to be right and to win.”
The Santa Fe commencement speaker was The Dallas
Morning News’ Alfredo Corchado, an award-winning journalist
and nonfiction writer. Corchado, in his speech, told a story of
personal perseverance—that of a high-school dropout who,
after emigrating from Mexico, worked as a teenage laborer in
a California farming town—through the lens of three lessons:
Surround yourself with people who believe in you; find your
purpose; and take risks.
Through those lessons, Corchado recalled the experiences
that shaped his life. First, leaving California and attending
college on a promise to his mom. Then, falling in love with
journalism. And finally, persevering until he ultimately
succeeded, earning positions at news outlets like National
Public Radio and the Wall Street Journal along the way.
Before repeating his three lessons, Corchado concluded
his speech with a tribute to the crowd of graduates:
“You are leading us into the next chapter,” he said. “I
couldn’t be more hopeful for this country because in you I
see the anger, the passion, the will, tolerance, imagination,
and drive to keep the great American experiment, once
debated in Philadelphia, going—moving us closer to a more
perfect union. The perennial journey.”
In both Annapolis and Santa Fe, the message rang true:
As they proved throughout the last year, the newly minted
St. John’s alumni have the grit, intellect, and character to
persist through any circumstances. Congratulations, Class
of 2021!
27
�DAVID SCHWARZ (A78)
Renovating the Student
Experience, Together
28
�COMMUNITY
ST. JOHN’S MAKES CAMPUS CULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY
IMPROVEMENTS THANKS TO ALUMNI SUPPORT
T
hrough his Washington, DC-based architect firm, David
Schwarz (A78), founder of David M. Schwarz Architects,
has worked with projects as varied as the ESPN Wide World
of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, the Texas Rangers
Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, and the Smith Center for
the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Now he is returning to the college he loves to help update a
building he remembers well: Mellon Hall.
Schwarz says that helping St. John’s build for the future
feels to him like a way of thanking the college for its part in
his success.
“What the college did for me was it taught me to think,
it taught me to speak, and it taught me to write,” Schwarz
explains. All skills necessary, he adds, to do a good job in his
chosen field.
Mellon Hall stands out among the Colonial architecture
that dominates the Annapolis campus, but the mid-century
modern building has its own historical significance: famed
architect Richard Neutra agreed to design it after visiting the
campus.
Dedicated in 1959, the sprawling building houses the
600-seat Francis Scott Key auditorium, many classrooms, the
Mitchell Gallery, and a planetarium—but has limited space
for socializing.
Schwarz hopes to change that.
“It’s not a particularly humane series of spaces. I think I
feel best about trying to fix that, which will largely be done
with warm, welcoming materials and furnishings.”
The feel of home is the goal: Schwarz says the lobby will
be furnished with soft, comfortable seating and tables in the
fashion of a living room.
St. John’s Vice President for Advancement Kelly Brown
says the project will have important social and cultural
implications for the 325-year-old Annapolis campus. “To
create a sense of community, it’s really important to have
physical spaces where students can relax and engage with
one another and with the tutors.”
Brown adds that the project will restore Neutra’s original
vision of Mellon Hall as a center of community life and the arts.
The auditorium’s large backstage space will be divided into
two parts for a dance recital studio and a black box theater.
Multi-purpose areas will be available and appropriate for
other performing arts.
The Mellon Hall project is partly funded by a $5 million grant
from the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA). Every four years, schools can apply for money to
support capital improvements; the last grant St. John’s received
went toward the renovation of McDowell Hall.
The current grant, however, stipulates St. John’s raise
matching funds to support the project. To date, alumni and
friends have contributed $1.8 million to the Mellon Hall
renovation through the Freeing Minds campaign.
The renovation comes at a time when the college is looking
with enthusiasm toward the future and a return to a fully
residential experience for undergraduates.
Brown notes that while some small colleges must now
regain their former strength in the wake of the pandemic,
St. John’s, she says, is in the fortunate position of being able
to build on its strengths, with alumni-funded improvements
underway on both campuses.
In Santa Fe, sustainability initiatives aim to bring St. John’s
closer to a carbon-neutral future. The entire campus recently
converted to longer-lasting, energy-efficient LED lighting,
replacing the outdated fluorescent tube lighting that had
previously been used in almost every campus building. A
solar power project featuring ground and carport-mounted
solar panel arrays is currently in progress and expected to be
complete by spring 2022.
The college estimates that the two upgrades will save the
college $150,000 a year and reduce annual electricity usage
by 1.67 million kWh.
An anonymous alumni couple funded both projects with
a combined $3.2 million dollar gift to Freeing Minds. Those
same two donors have also given to the Annapolis campus
to renovate the Randall Hall dorm rooms and add energy
efficient air conditioning units.
“Our students need and want environmentally sustainable
campuses and gathering spaces that facilitate community
and creativity,” Brown says. “Our alumni have shown that
they are committed to making that happen.”
29
�COMMUNITY
REUNION CLASS NOTES
1971
Jay Gold (A) retired in April 2020 and began the Master of Arts
in Eastern Classics graduate program at St. John’s in August
2020. Gold writes, “It has been such fun, I may continue for
the MA in Liberal Arts.” Additionally, Gold and wife, Sabrina,
will celebrate 25 years together and 18 years of marriage in
fall 2021.
1976
Neal Allen (SF) is currently attending the college’s Eastern
Classics graduate program (2020–21). In May 2021, he
published his latest book, Shapes of Truth: Discover God
Inside You. Allen writes, “It includes a brief sophomore year
at St. John’s story that references Jon McCracken (SF76) and
Hunter Hyde (SF76).” Allen has been married for two years
and has one grandchild from four adult children.
Sheri (Rothstein) Brown (A) retired in May 2021 from a career
in early childhood education and moved to California to be
near two of her three grandchildren. Brown writes, “I stopped
to see the Santa Fe campus on our drive west, as I had never
been there.”
Mark Copper (SF) completed constructing and outfitting an
astronomical observatory near Magdalena, New Mexico,
in March 2021. Copper writes, “If you enjoyed plotting
retrograde motions, come take a look!”
Leslie Graves (A) is the CEO of Ballotpedia.org and is approaching her 40th wedding anniversary. Graves has 10 grandchildren.
Jon Hustis and Marion Condon Hustis (A) recently celebrated
the birth of their first granddaughter, Stella Marion
McQuail, with a second grandchild expected in July 2021.
They write, “We are splitting time between Dallas and
Lucknow, Ontario, Canada, and are now farming in addition
to working, caring for family, volunteering, reading, trying to
stay fit, and hanging with dogs and kids.”
Judy Kistler-Robinson (SF) retired mid-2020, at the beginning
of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kistler-Robinson writes, “Instead
of planned travel to new places and old friends, I gardened,
read, sketched my surroundings, and started teaching Tai Chi
Chih on Zoom.”
David Pex (SF) has been busy building a log cabin in the woods
near Mount Hood, Oregon, over the past year. Pex writes, “My
carpentry skills have vastly improved!”
1986
Kristen (Baumgardner) Caven (SF) authored The Reason She
Left: and other stories in 2011, a philosophical comic book
exploring cultural dualism through the character-driven narrative of a young woman trying to find her place in the world—a
project born from her propensity for sketching and illustrating
as a student at St. John’s.
30
She writes, “As a bored, unguided, and pensive high school
student, I found that I listened best in class when I was
doodling in the margins of my notebooks … In sophomore lab,
my doodles became paper-doll booklets, and I discovered the
cult of publication.”
In 2020, Caven returned to the creative process by making
a full-length animated feature for her neighborhood beer
festival, which was transformed into a worldwide virtual
Oktoberfest due to COVID-19.
Today, she continues to explore the graphic narrative as a tool
for philosophical communication and understanding across a
variety of mediums.
1991
Joan (Ross) Crist (A) is happy to be serving as a Title I aide and
Latin teacher at a school in her community.
Theresa Duncan’s (SF) role as an attorney in the fight to free
Guantánamo Bay prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi was made
into the feature film The Mauritanian. Released in spring 2021,
the movie stars Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley (as Duncan),
and Tamar Rahim.
2001
David Weiskopf (SF) is living in Sacramento, California,
working in climate policy and politics, and welcomed a baby in
November 2020.
2016
Samantha Ardoin (SF) graduated in May 2021 from Naropa
University with a master’s degree in clinical mental health
counseling and a concentration in mindfulness-based
transpersonal counseling. Ardoin is now working as a psychotherapist at Queer Asterisk Therapeutic Services, offering
affordable identity-affirming mental health counseling to
queer and trans adults and youth.
Anne Horowitz (SF) recently completed her first year of
medical school.
Rebekah McLellan (SF) recently began veterinary studies at
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.
William Palm (SF) completed a master’s degree in special
education in spring 2020 and married partner, Isaac, in 2019.
Palm writes, “We are happily living together in Salt Lake City.”
James Spencer-Zavos (SF) is currently enrolled in an
“Umschulung,” or training program, in Berlin to become a
qualified carpenter, after which he is eligible to train to
become a “Meister,” or master carpenter.
We’d like to hear from you! Please send correspondence and
class notes to alumni@sjc.edu. Address changes and other
updates may be submitted at sjc.edu/alumni-contact.
�IN MEMORIAM
St. John’s College remembers the alumni, faculty, staff, and leadership who
have passed away during the 2020-2021 academic year, and celebrates the
impact their lives have had on our Johnnie community.
Stephen Benedict (Class of 1947)
Stephen W. Bergen (Class of 1947)
Mary S. Blomberg (Class of 1957)
Katharine Boaz, Santa Fe Faculty Emerita
Ray C. Cave (Class of 1948), Trustee Emeritus
Stefano J. Coaloa (SFGI11)
Gerald D. Cohen (SFGI90)
Sharon S. Cooper, Santa Fe Staff
Richard T. Edelman (Class of 1951)
David J. Freedman (SF76)
Peter Gardiner (A73)
Robert M. Hampton (SF73)
Alan D. Hornstein (AGI86)
H. Gerald Hoxby (Class of 1947)
Susan H. Jones (SFGI71)
Daniel “Bud” T. Kelly, Jr. (H02)
Gertrude Koch (AGI82)
Charles E. Lynch (Class of 1951)
Richard A. Malmgren (SFGI91)
Jake Martinez (SFGI70)
John W. May (SFGI94)
Gerald “Simon” V. McNabb (A88)
Jack S. Moorman (SFGI94)
Robert S. Musgrave (SF90)
Judith Penelope (Class of 1967)
Mark A. Piekarski, Santa Fe Staff
Josephine J. Poe (Class of 1957)
David T. Reiner (A02)
Mara Robinson (SFGI83)
William D. Shafer (Class of 1962)
Thomas K. Simpson (Class of 1950)
David L. Smith (A86)
Leslie E. Starr (A72)
E. Cary Stickney (A75), Santa Fe Faculty
Susan L. Swartzberg (SF70)
George Usdansky (Class of 1950)
Robert J. Wekselblatt (Class of 1963)
John F. White (Class of 1964), Annapolis Faculty
Rebecca M. Wilson (H83)
Michael C. Wood (SF80)
Patrick F. Woods (SF80)
Cary Stickney (A75),
Santa Fe Faculty
Beloved Santa
Fe tutor Cary
Stickney (A75)
died peacefully
at home on
April 7, 2021,
of cancer. He
was 66 years
old.
“Many of
us, across our
campuses and across the generations
at the college, knew and loved Cary,”
said Santa Fe Dean Walter Sterling (A93)
upon the time of Stickney’s passing. He
embodied, and improved, the spirit of our
college.”
After graduating from St. John’s in
Annapolis in 1975, Stickney joined the
Santa Fe faculty in 1980 to live out his
life’s work as a tutor. Even in his final
days, he was close to and reading
rogram books. “It was especially
meaningful to him to be involved in
reading groups at the college on [Don]
Quixote and on Plato,” said Sterling.
“He derived great consolation from these
experiences.” According to Stickney,
the great books were safe. They would
always be read somewhere in the world
by people questing for understanding.
Stickney is survived by his wife, Susan,
Santa Fe faculty emerita; his daughters
Amelia (SF14) and Sarah (A04), a tutor in
Annapolis; and his son-in-law, Jake.
This listing includes those who have passed July 1, 2020 through July 1, 2021. We care
deeply for all members of our college community. If you do not see a name listed above,
please contact advancement@sjc.edu so we may honor those individuals.
31
�ST. JOHN’S FOREVER
PLANNED GIFTS ARE A WONDERFUL WAY TO SUPPORT ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE AND ACCOMPLISH
YOUR OWN PERSONAL, FINANCIAL, ESTATE-PLANNING, AND PHILANTHROPIC GOALS. WHEN
YOU DOCUMENT YOUR BEQUEST INTENTIONS, YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE LEGACY SOCIETY
OF ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE, WHICH HONORS THOSE WHO HAVE PROVIDED FOR THE COLLEGE IN
SUCH A GENEROUS WAY.
Planned giving strategies give you the opportunity to extend the impact of your
gift and receive financial benefits. Our development team can help you make
your gift to the college—whether it be a gift that can be used right away or a
vehicle that produces lifetime income for you and/or others. Examples include
designating gifts of property, life insurance policies, charitable trusts or annuities, and bequest intentions.
To learn more about how to provide for the future of St. John’s, please visit
sjc.giftplans.org. If you have already included a gift to St. John’s in your will
or living trust, please notify our office at plannedgiving@sjc.edu.
JOIN YOUR CLASS
IN GIVING BACK
Do you remember what made your St. John’s College experience
meaningful? Was it the Program, classmates, and tutors? Perhaps
it was the special moments shared around the seminar table, or
the freedom to think deeply, debate openly, and learn from one
another. Maybe it was the feeling of being part of something much
larger than you are—a community of individuals brought together
by the common pursuit of deeper understanding.
Like Elisabeth, each year more and more alumni commemorate
“I learned that when you see something you value
in the world, you need to nurture it—not just for
their St. John’s experience through philanthropy—building a strong
legacy of giving by Johnnies who care deeply for the future of the
college. Alumni give back in a myriad of ways: volunteering as a
yourself, but so others can benefit from it as well.
class chair, supporting a class endowment fund, making a gift in
The college changed me, and I want to be sure
honor of their class, and many more.
that many more students can have that same
experience, long into the future.”
– Elisabeth Long (A86), Alumni Association
Board Member and Class of 1986 Gift Leader
VISIT SJC.EDU/REUNIONGIVING TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT HOW YOU CAN COMMEMORATE YOUR ST. JOHN’S
EXPERIENCE.
�>Thank you …
… TO ALL OUR ALUMNI USERS OF SJC CONNECT, ST. JOHN’S OFFICIAL
ONLINE PLATFORM FOR CONNECTING JOHNNIES.
SIGN ON TODAY TO:
Join
interest
groups
SJCConnect
Upload and
search job
postings
Follow
activities
in your
area
Calendar
upcoming
events
COMING SOON
Even more ways
to get involved!
Check out the JohnnieCorps alumni volunteer program—powered by
SJC Connect—and learn about available virtual and in-person volunteer
opportunities. Browse and apply to openings directly from SJC Connect!
SIGN UP TODAY OR CHECK BACK IN AT SJCCONNECT.COM
St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St.
John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s
College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St.
John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s
A gift to the Fund for St. John’s is a gift for the good of the
College
St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s Col- NEW DONATION ADDRESS
whole
college.
Your money
be immediately
directed
to whereCollege St.
lege St.
John’s
College
St.will
John’s
College
St. John’s
In addition to Ben Franklin, the
need is theSt.
greatest,
to benefit
students
tutors alike.
Gifts toSt. John’s Liberty Bell, and cheesesteaks,
John’stheCollege
John’s
College
St.and
John’s
College
this fund
are what College
allow us to operate
at our lower
tuitionSt.
costJohn’s
and
College
St. John’s
St. John’s
College
Col- Philadelphia is now home to one
more claim to fame. It’s the new
still John’s
balance our
budget year
year. It’s College
the most efficient
way of College St.
lege St.
College
St.toJohn’s
St. John’s
mailing address for donations to
John’scontributing
CollegetoSt.
College St. John’s College St. John’s St. John’s College. (The college is
all John’s
that we are.
College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s Col- not relocating, just our bank’s
lege St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St.mailroom.)
TO L ECollege
A R N M O RSt.
E John’s College St. John’s Please send any future mail
John’s College St. John’s
donations to:
THE
FUND FOR
ST. JOHN’S
and St. John’s ColCollege St.about
John’s
College
St. John’s
College
St. John’s College Advancement
give for the good, visit sjc.edu/annual-fund.
lege St. John’s
College St. John’s College St. John’s College St.PO Box 715905
John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s Philadelphia, PA 19171-5905
College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s Col-
Give for the good.
�1160 CAMINO DE CRUZ BLANCA
SANTA FE, NM 87505-4599
Non Profit Org
US Postage
PAID
St. John’s College
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Alumni Magazine
Description
An account of the resource
St. John's College began publishing the <em>Alumni Magazine </em>in 2020. It is not a continuation of <em>The College</em>. More details about the publication are available on the <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/alumni/alumni-magazine">Alumni Magazine</a> page of the SJC website. <br /><br />Click on <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=65&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d" title="Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection">Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, Md.
Santa Fe, NM
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
AlumniMagazine
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
36 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Alumni Magazine, Summer 2021
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 1, number 1 of the Alumni Magazine. Published in summer 2021.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Alumni and alumnae
St. John's College (Santa Fe, N.M.)--Alumni and alumnae
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SJCAlumniMagazine_2021
Alumni
Publication
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/5d988b1d6bcc66a79ab92a36292b2635.pdf
de0465b65fdf89faa8c90314f9661355
PDF Text
Text
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L EG E
M AG A Z I N E
Building
Bridges
JOHNNIES CONNECT TO THE
COLLEGE AND ONE ANOTHER
PAG E 4
PAG E 6
A Re-envisioned
Relationship
An Open
Conversation
PAG E 2 6
Internships
Connect the
Lab to Life
�What,
we might ask,
is the nature
of the thing?
What is this piece you have before you?
It is not a reincarnation of The College magazine, a resource-intensive publication that the college could not continue to staff
and maintain. It is not an annual report, either; it is not meant
to give a detailed account of what the college is doing and how
resources are being spent.
What, then, is this publication all about?
This is a look at you and your fellow alumni—what you are
doing, how you are living and modeling the Program, and
how you are giving back to St. John’s in meaningful ways.
It is a look at the connections you are creating around the
world, and it is your guide to making them even stronger.
What this piece needs from you now is a name.
What captures the essence of the stories in this collection?
What options do you like and which ones do you not?
Visit sjc.edu/mag-survey
and share your thoughts.
�Dear Fellow Johnnies,
I hope this message fnds you well. Refecting on our alumni community, I recall a passage in John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent
Occasions, written in the same century that saw the founding of our
forebear, the King William’s School. John Donne wrote “no man
is an island,” and yet the challenges of current times seem to contradict this notion—highlighting separations of situation and, with
the pandemic, of actual distance. Despite this, we continue to fnd
bridges connecting us.
Bridges span divides and create meeting points. They aid the passage
of ideas, communities, and conversation. Bridges facilitate growth,
with movement from the familiar to the unknown, and connect challenges to opportunities. In these pages we will learn of ways alumni can serve as bridges—between the college and future students,
between new graduates and careers, between the college and the
world, between the Great Books and future generations—all while
serving as bridges to each other.
In maintaining these connections, we move beyond our individual
limitations and boundaries. Just as the Program allowed us to bridge
distant shores, eras, and cultures, our connections allow us to expand
our understanding and our community.
We have much to celebrate this past year. Through the tremendous
generosity of alumni and friends, and the commitment of staff and
faculty, St. John’s was able to traverse years of fscal austerity to
stand on higher, frmer ground. The strength of the alumni community has helped carry the college over and past many signifcant
challenges.
As the Alumni Association approaches its 200th year, and the college stands strong, I am grateful for the opportunities ahead of us.
Strengthened by the foundational beginnings we all share, alumni
have a key role in bridging across our community—so we may be more
than “entire of ourselves.” What Donne wrote in 1623 is as true today
as it was then: by virtue of the connections we foster, we are elevated.
St. John’s Forever!
Gigi Escalante (A92)
President
St. John’s College Alumni Association
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
1
�TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
4
Opening
Letter
GIGI ESCALANTE A92
14
A Re-envisioned
Relationship
Teacher Ignites
International
Interest in
St. John’s
CHRIS AAMOT SF04
ERICA BEALL A07
6
LIAM GOODACRE SF08
An Open
Conversation
18
Summer
Classics:
A Beautiful
Opacity
MARTI ACOSTA A92
LEAH LASELL SFGI04
DINO ANDERSON
2
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
A99
KENNETH WOLFE SF94
�24
28
Supporting
our Newest
Johnnies
36
Alumni Couple
Bring Their
Johnnie
Perspective
to Life
Day of Gratitude
& Reunion Weekend
38
Selected Notes
from Classmates
39
Highlights from
Alumni Week 2022
40
KIDUS KEBEDE A20
In Memoriam
CHLOE NIEDZIELSKI A25
ELI CASTRO SF94
TRACY LOCKE CASTRO SF95
41
32
26
Internships
Connect
the Lab to Life
On Reading,
Religion,
Redemption,
and Reasons
for Giving
SUSMI SHARMA SF21
MARK JORDAN SF73
Alumni Association
Honorees 2022
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
3
�A Re-envisioned
Relationship
A
nnapolis tutor Erica Beall (A07) remembers
the conficting feelings that arose in the years
immediately following her graduation from
St. John’s. “It was possible to remain engaged with
the college, but it was not always clear in what capacities we still belonged,” she says of herself and her fellow Johnnies. “We used to joke about how those four
years of intense self-discovery can lead to an ambivalent attachment: both clinging to and feeing from the
college when it’s fnally time to go.”
Now, as a member of the Alumni Relations Working
Group (ARWG), Beall is committed to helping change
that dynamic. With representation from staff, faculty, alumni, and members of the Board of Visitors and
Governors, the group advises the collegewide Offce
of Alumni Relations, and Beall describes it as “almost
like a think tank.”
“There’s room for unstructured conversations that
generate interesting ideas for how to serve, and show
appreciation for, our alumni. It’s a great mix of brass
tacks and broader refection, all with an eye to re-envisioning alumni relations in a way that’s both practical and true to the spirit of the college,” says Beall.
For Director of Alumni Relations Chris Aamot (SF04),
the ARWG serves as an invaluable source of support
and encouragement—and ensures that the alumni
voice is heard. “They are holding me accountable for
doing the best job that I can do,” he says. “It’s the most
productive relationship I could ask for.”
When Aamot looks out toward alumni, he sees a
community for whom “being a Johnnie is who they
are.” But, he adds, that sense of identity doesn’t always translate into concrete action.
4
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
From Aamot’s point of view, the primary challenge
is for St. John’s to determine how it can best support
alumni while also inspiring them to take action on behalf of the college.
This bidirectional approach to alumni relations is
a new industry standard and differs from the past
when, Aamot says, “You simply held a get-together
and hoped that happy vibes would somehow lead to
good outcomes.”
In pursuit of a more effective—and mutually benefcial—model, the Offce of Alumni Relations embarked
on a listening campaign in recent years, approaching
alumni who didn’t have histories of deep engagement
with St. John’s.
Alumni are defned by the college’s governing
document, the Polity, as any former student
who has completed one semester of the
undergraduate program or one segment of a
graduate program. It is a lifelong community
that is not bound by time or place but is united
by a common curiosity and commitment to
exploring fundamental questions together.
“We knew these alumni still loved the college,” says
Aamot. “So we asked them, ‘what can the college do
for you? What do you need?’ The universal answer
was: ‘Help us continue the life of the mind that we began at St. John’s.’”
�CHRIS AAMOT SF04
Aamot and his colleagues are dedicated to providing
Johnnies with numerous opportunities to do exactly
that, whether on campus, off campus, or virtually. He
cites Summer (and now Winter) Classics as popular
and enriching options along with the three low-residency programs of the Graduate Institute, which are
open to alumni on a degree-track or audit-only basis.
As it seeks to meet the needs of alumni, the college
also asks that alumni help meet the needs of current
and future students, through advocacy, philanthropy, and volunteerism.
Regarding the frst of these, Aamot says, “We need
our alumni to be talking about St. John’s to the people within their sphere of infuence. Our mission is
to continue the Great Conversation by bringing people of all ages to the table to read these books and explore these questions. If we have empty seats, then
nothing else matters.”
Next, says Aamot, St. John’s needs to engage more
volunteers. “That has been a longstanding challenge
for us, because we’ve always had more alumni who
want to get involved than we have been able to deploy,
but we are going to keep working to build channels for
those who raise their hand.”
The third action the college wants to encourage is
philanthropy. This particular need became especially
crucial when the college reduced tuition by one-third
in 2019. “What made that possible was an outpouring of philanthropy from alumni,” Aamot says, noting
that the college needs more participation from alumni who are willing to make small gifts, year after year.
“St. John’s tends to produce maximalists,” he notes.
“We are the people who are going to read the thou-
ERICA BEALL A07
sand-page book on the beach. But we need to remember that the little things matter. The small gifts, the little actions of advocacy, those things have real power
and can change trajectories.” Like his colleague Beall,
Aamot knows frsthand how complicated alumni feelings about St. John’s can be.
“We want it to be better than it is because we believe
in the true, the good, the beautiful—that which is the
ideal,” he says. “We believe in arete, and the college is
always going to fall short of arete. How do we reconcile
that? We adopt a calculus where we are both supporting the college as it is and helping it to become better.”
For both Aamot and Beall, that means recognizing
and celebrating that Johnnies are lifelong members
of one community—and then focusing on the ultimate
reason for the college’s continued existence.
“As a tutor, this shift has meant a greater awareness
that part of what we are doing is preparing our students to be alumni,” says Beall. “Maintaining a healthy
connection between alumni and the college helps me
keep this essential aspect of a tutor’s work concretely in view.”
This evolving relationship between the college and
alumni is not only crucial to St. John’s future but is also the right approach for the present.
“In this environment, where people are becoming
increasingly polarized, there is nothing more valuable than true collaborative inquiry into meaningful
questions,” says Aamot. “Teaching students how to do
that—to stand for their own voice and genuinely listen
to others who differ from them—there is no better education for the modern moment.”
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
5
�MARTI ACOSTA
A92
DINO ANDERSON
A99
�An Open
Conversation
MARTI ACOSTA A92
T
his spring, the college sat down for a conversation with Marti Acosta (A92) and Dino
Anderson (A99), two of the many alumni who
have positively impacted the college through their
volunteerism and advocacy. Their involvement with
the college as alumni is extensive and includes collaborating with the college on issues of concern to
alumni, including diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Marti Acosta has worked in leadership development
for more than two decades. Currently a senior moderator for Harvard Business Publishing, she has facilitated diversity and inclusion programs for global corporations including Natixis, Mars, and Intel.
Dino Anderson began his career teaching at Bowdoin
College and Columbia University. He is the chief culture offcer at Articulate in San Francisco and is a
lecturer at the Master of Liberal Arts program at
Johns Hopkins and the Stanford Graduate School of
Business.
DINO ANDERSON A99
How have you been involved with the college as
alumni thus far?
MARTI ACOSTA: I’ve been involved for many years
and volunteered in several capacities. I did a video
around how the St. John’s education develops the leadership skills that are desired in corporations around
the world. I have presented to parents of newly admitted students, and I have delivered workshops to students on topics like networking. I was on the Alumni
Association Board, and now I sit on the Board of
Visitors and Governors.
DINO ANDERSON: I am mainly involved on three
fronts: through the board Task Force on Diversity and
Inclusion; I am the director of the Alumni Association
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) working group
for the Alumni Association Board; and I participated in the One Table, Many Voices visioning process.
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
7
�Columbia University professor
Roosevelt Montás visited both
campuses to speak about the
value of the Great Books and
why they matter in our modern
and diverse world.
Did you miss the presentation?
Videos of both lectures
can be found on the college’s
YouTube channel:
youtube.com/stjohnscollege
�I know of your work on the Diversity and Inclusion
(D&I) Task Force and related work partnering with
college staff to develop a vision for One Table, Many
Voices events, like the Roosevelt Montás lecture and
visit. How would you describe this work?
ACOSTA: It’s the work of every organization to create
an environment that is supportive of everyone showing up authentically as themselves. I’m an immigrant,
and I’m also mixed-race. When I was younger, I sort of
accepted this feeling of not really ftting in anywhere
in the world, and when I went to St. John’s I found
my people. The Program, how we approach Western
thought, is by its nature intellectually inclusive. For
me the importance of being on the D&I Task Force is
to help create an environment where everyone can
fully engage in this very special education and have
their diverse voices heard, even if they don’t see all
their identities refected in the texts.
ANDERSON: It comes from an awareness that there
is an opportunity for more diverse representation
among the voices that have shaped Western civilization. The conversation is not limited to the authors on
the Program, since there are more voices that have
contributed to sustaining and expanding the big questions on the true, the good, and the beautiful.
Marti, what stood out to you from the Roosevelt
Montás visit or lecture, and how would it have spoken to you when you were a student at the college?
ACOSTA: One of the things that was really beautiful
was that Professor Montás was talking about his personal relationship with some of the works we read at
St. John’s. A crazy thing blew my mind: I asked him a
question about his defnition of freedom, and he clarifed something for me, which is that the word “liberal”
in liberal education is more closely related to “liberal”
in the sense of “liberty” than in the sense of “broad.”
I have lived in lots of different cultures and countries, and I realized that so much of the ways that we
categorize ourselves are for other people. One of the
liberties that a liberal education gave me is the ability
to question these narrow categories, approach issues
from multiple perspectives, and embrace my complexity and even my paradoxes.
How do alumni help the college understand and address important efforts like this?
ACOSTA: As alumni, we provide a larger context outside of the school. The St. John’s education requires
study and self-refection and insularity. There’s a contraction of our activity to allow for an expansion of
our minds. The alumni help people see what expansive education means in the world—what’s next after
St. John’s and how we carry that education with us—
because it’s hard to do that when you are focusing in
on the fundamental principles of a triangle or the astronomical foundations of calculus.
Dino, talk more about your role in the events related to the 70th anniversary of W. E. B. Du Bois’s visit to the college.
ANDERSON: What an exciting opportunity to have
collaborated on commemorating the visit of a seminal
Program author to the college. I was particularly excited because in grad school I did deeper research on
Du Bois’s dynamic life, writings, and pedagogy, particularly as it concerned the grounding and promise
of the American polity and preservation of the contributions of the African diaspora.
When I got involved with the task force and the
Alumni Association, I found an article with the exact
date of when Du Bois spoke at St. John’s, so I was one
of the people to voice that he made an appearance. I
think it is important to note that quite a few people
pointed out that fact. I am glad that these voices were
able to infuence the realization of this event. Sadly, I
didn’t have the opportunity to attend the all-college
seminar because of other teaching commitments, but
I was happy about working with staff and other alumni to make sure we told the story of what it meant for
Du Bois to be at the school.
What did it mean for you to experience this focus on
the Du Bois visit and speech?
ANDERSON: I recall reading the text as a senior and
not grasping the gravity and urgency of his words.
This could have been due to an immaturity on my
part, and our reading only a part of The Souls of Black
Folk—a complex work of education written in the
Bildungsroman tradition.
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
9
�Dino, take yourself back to being a student at
There’s a certain maturity you need to read that
St. John’s. How does your work with the college towork, because it’s representative of Du Bois’s lifelong
day speak to, or from, your younger self?
commitment to documenting and eradicating the social injustice and inequities that happen for Black and
other people of color. And now, seeing the exacerbaANDERSON: I’ll never forget what one tutor, Debbie
tion of race relations in the United States (and in other
Renaut Axelrod, told me when I was adamant that I
countries), we have much more context for Du Bois’s
wanted to pursue a graduate degree in philosophy and
text as a harrowing depiction of the U.S. polity and its
maybe one day come back to teach at St. John’s. (This
inability to live up to its promises.
romantic vision was not uncommon.) She told me it
It was exciting to have Du Bois’s voice be central—
was important to gain different perspectives on othnot as a reaction or a performative gesture in the
er schools of thought and approaches to philosophy.
name of diversity, but because he is in the Program
When I did go to grad school, I had the courage to put
and because these words still resonate as strongly as
the Western philosophical canon into question—from
they did in 1903, and in 1952, and now in 2022: “so
those who inherited the tradition and those who had
that they can come to know what has
their histories and thoughts contesttaken place in the past and what mised. I’m glad that I’ve had that ability to
takes have been made.”
mature and think differently, to quesIt gives me hope to see the college
tion the canon. The Program should alAlumni should
shining a light on this great thinker
ways keep its central questions alive
really be proud
and his urgent words and, through this
and always ask who is not at the table
that they are part
celebration, creating a space for diffand why?
of a community
cult conversations. I feel the college is
that is willing
How d id each of you v iew you r
trying to heal its own soul so that it can
to look at itself
St. John’s education in real time and
be a voice to help heal the American
critically—and
how do you view it now? Has your
polity’s soul.
also with
perspective changed?
compassion and
Marti, I heard you participated in a
also with praise.
video shoot that paired a student with
ANDERSON : My younger self didn’t
We deserve all
an alum up on Monte del Sol, having
have all these resources that are on
of those things.
a conversation about a great book.
the campus now. What a great and
What did you talk about?
wonderful thing to know that we can
get better. I see that commitment hapACOSTA: I was paired with a student
pening, and it makes me hopeful. My
— MARTI ACOSTA A92
who is Nepalese, a wonderful, thoughtyounger self is glad that I made the
ful Johnnie. We had a brief discussion
right decision to go to a school that is
about a passage in the Iliad, specifcally around the
committed to giving us a foundation and always lookrelationship between Achilles and Patroclus. My biging at ways it can improve.
gest problem with the video was trying to decide how
to pronounce Patroclus, because we all had different
ACOSTA: I often introduce myself to other Johnnies
ideas!
as someone who did junior year twice, not because I
There’s a thread that holds all Johnnies together,
had to but because I wanted to. My perspective about
and even though, as I said, I found my people there, I
St. John’s now is one of feeling great privilege for havfound a very diverse people: people from all over the
ing been there while also being shocked that the world
place with different backgrounds and different reladoesn’t recognize it fully for the gem that it is.
tionships to the work and different things they wantAlumni should really be proud that they are part of
ed to do with life. Being able to come back and connect
a community that is willing to look at itself critically—
with some students and seeing how amazing and how
and also with compassion and also with praise. We dediverse they are, it was fun.
serve all of those things.
“
”
10
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�The St. John’s community
marked the 70th anniversary of
W. E. B. Du Bois’s visit to the
Annapolis campus with an
all - college seminar on his 1952
lecture. Du Bois, author of The
Souls of Black Folk , is believed
to be the only Program author to
speak at St. John’s College.
�How can I
be an advocate
for the college
and its alumni?
12
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�Be an advocate for
GivingTuesday 2022.
Join us this year for GivingTuesday
to watch small gifts compound
into spectacular support for our
students and the Program.
Email development@sjc.edu to learn
how you can use your networking
or social media skills to
further support GivingTuesday as
a GiveCampus advocate.
Elect your representatives
on the Alumni
Association Board.
All alumni are members of the
St. John’s College Alumni Association,
an independent group that works
closely with the college to advocate
for St. John’s continued excellence.
The Alumni Association is governed by
a volunteer board of directors who
represent their fellow alumni and are
elected by and from the alumni body.
Visit sjc.edu/alumni/association for
more information about items on the
ballot, including the Association’s
board of directors and your elected
representative to the college’s Board
of Visitors and Governors.
Nominate outstanding
alumni for the
Award of Merit.
Each year the Alumni Association
bestows the Award of Merit on our
fellow alumni for distinguished and
meritorious service to the United
States, to their native state, to the
college, or for outstanding
achievement within a chosen feld.
The Awards Committee needs your
help to ensure that deserving alumni
are recognized and celebrated.
sjc.edu/award-merit
Submit a story idea
to elevate
extraordinary alumni.
Share your best
dorm stories.
Take a walk down memory lane
and share your best stories about
Johnnie dorm giggles, gaggles,
and maybe even a few geese to
support our upcoming campaign
for campus infrastructure and
renovations. Submit your stories
and keep an eye out to see which
fantastic tales are chosen.
sjc.edu/dorm-stories
The St. John’s Communications Offce
loves to celebrate the amazing pivots,
journeys, and achievements of our
alumni. Highlight a signifcant moment
for a peer or yourself at:
sjc.edu/submit-story
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
13
�Teacher Ignites
International Interest
in St. John’s
A
ny St. John’s alum who hapas a student and now as a teacher.
pened to peer into the classIn between, he found St. John’s,
room of high school teacher
and his encounter with the Great
Liam Goodacre (SF08) would fnd
LIAM GOODACRE SF08
Books shaped the trajectory of his
the intellectual comforts of home—
future.
and some familiar friends.
“The college was a step in a different direction for
Aristotle, Kant, Sartre, Beauvoir: all make an apme. I had no experience with the classics, but I was atpearance.
tracted to the seminar style of learning and the demoIt is not necessarily the subject matter—grounded,
cratic principles of the classroom,” he recalls, adding
though it is, in the classics—that would transport this
that he “discovered philosophy” along the way.
hypothetical Johnnie back to the seminar table; it is
“St. John’s was four great years of thinking ‘what is
the plurality of voices, united in the pursuit of underthis person trying to say? I have never thought along
standing.
these lines, and I cannot imagine coming up with this
In Liam Goodacre’s classroom, conversations
idea because it is so alien, so radically new.’”
abound.
After graduating from St. John’s, Goodacre felt he
“My teaching has evolved over the years, in terms of
could help other students to develop their own relaboth style and content, but Socratic teaching methtionship with “radical ideas.” Attracted to UWC’s comods are still very fundamental for what I do,” says
mitment to egalitarianism in education and the diverGoodacre, who teaches philosophy at the United World
sity of the student body, he joined the faculty of UWC
College Mahindra near Pune, India.
Mahindra, where he spent the frst fve years of his
The United World Colleges (UWC) constitute an inteaching career. He then taught for four years at UWC
ternational network of high schools that share a stated
Dilijan in Armenia before returning to India.
aim of uniting “people, nations, and cultures for peace
It was during his time in Dilijan that Goodacre’s
teaching methods had a profound effect on James
and a sustainable future.” Goodacre has been a part
of the UWC community for more than 12 years, frst
Law (SF25).
14
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�“I was really struck by the detail in which Liam
already have, something they can’t even imagine,”
thinks about things. We would read a sentence from
says Goodacre. “I suspect that at a lot of liberal arts
Plato, and he would stimulate a fantastic conversation
colleges, you are getting fed what you already know,
just around that,” says Law, one of two students who
or what you already believe. St. John’s will challenge
attended Goodacre’s philosophy class at UWC Dilijan
students in ways they can’t even imagine being chaland are now in their second year at St. John’s.
lenged.”
“Some teachers stand in this elevated role, but with
That desire to be challenged also manifests itself
Liam, you were on common ground. I can see now that
in Goodacre’s own approach to education. For years
he ran his class just like a St. John’s
he has taught Simone de Beauvoir’s
class.”
The Second Sex, giving students an opGoodacre says that numerous stuportunity to hear from one of history’s most infuential female philosodents will invariably ask about his educational background, giving him the
The Class of 2025
phers. Most recently, he helped UWC
is the largest in
opportunity to describe and promote
Mahindra develop a course in which
a decade, and 1 in 4
students discuss the implications of
St. John’s. “Every year there is at least
of
these
rising
slavery, both historical and contemone student who will respond enthusophomores
siastically, and we will sit down and
porary, from a multidisciplinary perlearned about
talk for a couple of hours. That student
spective.
St. John’s College
usually ends up going to St. John’s.”
Both subjects address emotionally
from
an
alum.
resonant
issues that are at the foreThis was ultimately the case for Law.
front of a global conversation—and
“I was really curious about how Liam
Goodacre is convinced these are exbecame the thinker that he is, and he
actly the kinds of conversations that
told me about the college. We would
St.
meet every week to talk.”
John’s gives people of all backLaw initially succumbed to the temptation to design
grounds and perspectives the tools to confront.
his own education and spent a year at a college where
“There is so much divide these days, and I truly behe could choose from electives—but his conversations
lieve that St. John’s approach to education can help. It
with Goodacre continued to reverberate. By the time
helps us to listen, to fnd common causes amidst all
the pandemic struck in 2020, forcing Law to leave his
of the things that pull us apart. It’s not an easy thing.
college campus in Maine, he had already decided he
But I really do think that St. John’s College, more than
wanted to be at St. John’s. With a letter of recommenmost educational systems, can help bridge divides.”
dation from Goodacre, Law applied to St. John’s and
enrolled at the Santa Fe campus in Fall 2021.
“When I came to St. John’s and had my frst seminar,
I realized ‘yes, this is what Liam was trying to emulate in his classroom.’”
ARE YOU A JOHNNIE
Law joined the largest cohort of UWC students to enIN EDUCATION?
roll at St. John’s in a decade—and entered a Santa Fe
freshman class that was the largest in 18 years. These
The college would like to thank you for all
results are especially signifcant as St. John’s, like mayou do. Complete a simple form, and
ny small colleges, prepares for a demographic cliff
St. John’s will send you a package of swag
that will see the population of college-age students
and surprises, including a Great Books
drop by an estimated 15 percent in the coming years.
poster for your classroom.
“UWC is very helpful to St. John’s because it can prosjc.edu/teacher-project
vide diversity, but you also fnd people who get what
the college is about,” Goodacre explains.
The college, in return, has a lot to offer students.
“St. John’s will give students something they don’t
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
15
�How can I
connect the
college to the
next generation
of Johnnies?
16
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�Introduce a student
to the college.
Add St. John’s to your
LinkedIn profle.
Alumni are the best advertisement for
the value of a St. John’s education.
When prospective students are
making their college decisions, they
look to see what alumni are doing in
the world. Your social media presence
on LinkedIn and other platforms can
show these future students what life
is like on the other side of college.
The Great Conversation will always
need fresh perspectives. If you know
a student who would enrich the
St. John’s community, let the
college know. The admissions team
will send you a packet of information
to share, or they can send information
directly to the student.
sjc.edu/1alum1referral
Introduce a teacher to
the Graduate Institute.
When educators experience St. John’s
discussion-based pedagogy, they are
frequently inspired to model it in their
own classrooms. Teachers can
enjoy select seminars at no cost
through the Teachers Institute or earn
a Liberal Arts Education Certifcate
in just two summers.
sjc.edu/teachers-institute
sjc.edu/liberal-arts-certifcate
Be an admissions
ambassador.
Whether they have already been
accepted to St. John’s or are still
exploring their options, students have
questions. You can offer answers.
Share your experiences with a high
school senior, answer questions from
incoming freshmen, or represent
St. John’s at your local high school.
Spark a conversation
with your Johnnie swag.
Here’s how to claim your discount:
Visit johnniestore.com
by September 30, 2022
Select “shop” from the
drop-down menu
Choose the “Alumni Magazine”
category
Stock up on alumni apparel,
auto decals, water bottles,
tote bags, and more...
Enjoy a
T
SCOUN
20% DIct items at
on sele
e
johnni
om
store.c
Interested? Reach out to
annapolis.admissions@sjc.edu or
santafe.admissions@sjc.edu
for more information.
Support student
scholarships with a
gift of any size.
Your annual gift to the Fund for
St. John’s helps break down the
fnancial barriers that stand
between a St. John’s education
and nearly two-thirds of all Johnnies.
sjc.edu/annual-fund
Submit an inspiring
review of St. John’s.
Prospective students and parents
connect with the spirit of St. John’s
through authentic testimonials from
alumni like you. Share your reflections
on the power of your St. John’s
education with the U.S. News & World
Report and other influential sites.
sjc.edu/submit-review
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
17
�Summer Classics:
A Beautiful Opacity
KENNETH WOLFE SF94
B
occaccio’s The Decameron is a collection of one
hundred stories that chronicle the whims of
fortune and vicissitudes of love. Set in 1348 in
a country villa outside of Florence, it features a group
of ten young people trading narratives while taking
refuge during the aftermath of a plague.
To be sure, the book’s theme has a particular resonance in light of our collective relationship to the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But that’s not the primary reason Santa Fe tutor Ken Wolfe (SF94) chose
it as a featured text for the 2022 session of St. John’s
Summer Classics.
Although strongly associated with Santa Fe,
Summer Classics is emerging as a collegewide
program, with more tutor collaboration, online
offerings, and attendees from around the country.
18
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
LEAH LASELL SFGI04
The Decameron is also the frst major work of prose
literature produced in Italy, a country to which Wolfe
has a strong personal connection; he completed both
a master’s degree in Latin and a PhD in classics from
UC Berkeley. “I’ve had a really long-standing interest
in the Mediterranean world, not just the ancient one,”
he says. “I know Italy, and I love the food, the sound of
the language and the music—everything.”
Wolfe initially read The Decameron during spring
break of his junior year at St. John’s. “It was just on my
own,” he says. “I didn’t have a chance to have Johnniestyle discussions on the book, but I really got into it
and found it delightful.”
He began to revisit it last fall and asked Annapolis
tutor Leah Lasell (SFGI04) to join him in co-facilitating a Summer Classics seminar on the text. The two
had known each other for years and had previously
worked together on a collegewide committee.
By his own count, Wolfe has facilitated four or fve
Summer Classics seminars in the past, leading dis-
�cussions on topics ranging from Darwinian theory
to Persian poetry. For the 2022 session, he not only collaborated in person with Lasell to discuss The
Decameron but also teamed up with Annapolis tutor
Allison DeWitt for an online seminar, “Reading the
Qur’an as Literature.”
This is the frst Summer Classics experience for Lasell,
who shares Wolfe’s interest in the geographical region and culture of Boccaccio. “I have a grant to study
Galileo this year and next year, so I’ve been working
on Italian science and philosophy,” she says.
Unsurprisingly, there are a number of factors that
might draw tutors to a particular text or work of art
for Summer Classics. It could be the appeal of revisiting a Program text with a fresh group of readers or the
allure of exploring something new—including flms,
opera, paintings, or photographs. Sometimes it’s simply committing to a book that has sat for too long on
a shelf, untouched, as was the case with Lasell and
The Decameron.
Of course, the plague theme did play into the two tutors’ choice of text, too.
Says Wolfe of the pandemic, “It’s been a really diffcult time for a lot of people in terms of isolation. You
might be isolated alone, or you might be isolated with
family members, and both situations will have their
challenges.”
The Decameron can provide an antidote of sorts to
that diffculty. “It’s a really fun book,” Lasell says. “A
lot of the stories are based on pleasure. There’s sort of
an interesting interplay between what’s allowed, with
respect to the state and religion, and how people are
trying to fnd pleasure in the crevices there.”
In general, she fnds that a text that engenders fruitful discussions is one that can be approached by readers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences,
which is also the ideal profle of a Summer Classics
seminar group.
Alumni accounted for 1 in 5
Summer Classics participants in 2022.
2022 session) people with a strong personal connection to the college, Summer Classics attendees are immediately immersed in the culture and conventions
of a Great Books seminar.
“We do have a lot of repeat participants, and newcomers can learn from people who have done it in the
past,” says Wolfe. “They all bring a lot of energy and
enthusiasm and freshness to the conversations.”
The desire to connect through ideas is central to a
St. John’s education and, some would argue, a defning characteristic of our shared humanity. For Lasell,
this notion was reinforced by a story she heard on
public radio some years back.
In an interview, an Afghani man spoke of being middle-aged in a war-torn country and recalled
how groups of people would get together to read
Shakespeare.
Shakespeare remains
the most widely read author
in 32 years of Summer Classics.
“It would have been impossible to talk about war
directly and about how it affected their lives—it was
just too raw,” says Lasell. “But somehow talking about
Shakespeare gave them the opacity that they needed
to think about their life without thinking about their
life. It created this barrier.”
“When we’re reading Boccaccio, we’re talking about
post-plague Italy. It’s as if we are not talking about
ourselves at all. That allows us to talk about the things
that we might want to talk about, but maybe they are
too politically tense. Our emotions get too high when
we talk about things directly, so this allows us to talk
about them indirectly.”
“That’s what St. John’s does so well,” she adds, referring not just to Summer Classics texts but to the Great
Books overall. “It provides us not just some opacity,
but a beautiful opaque surface.”
Whether they are alumni, lifelong learners, or (as is
the case with Lasell’s mother, who registered for the
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
19
�How can I
return to the
conversations
I love?
20
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�Join fellow seekers
for a Year of Classics.
Send your mind on a
summer adventure—
or a winter one.
Spend a week (or more) among fellow
lovers of intellectual inquiry as you
delve into texts—as well as visual
and cinematic pieces—that you didn’t
have time to explore as an
undergraduate. Online options are
available, or you can attend Summer
Classics in person and make Santa Fe
your vacation destination.
sjc.edu/summer-classics
sjc.edu/winter-classics
Savor nine months of profound, rich,
and resonant readings. This
once-a-month experience is the ideal
in-person or online getaway for
anyone whose intellectual appetite
needs to be sated, from the inspired
artist to the busy executive.
sjc.edu/year-of-classics
Johnnies are welcome.
The Master of Liberal Arts degree is
now open to alumni who earned a BA
from St. John’s more than fve years
ago. Encounter the Great Books from
a new vantage point and see how the
shifting sands of time have changed
your thinking around the texts you
explored as an undergraduate.
You are entitled to
an alumni discount.
When you complete the application
for need-based fnancial aid, you
receive a 25 percent discount on your
tuition. You might also qualify for
additional scholarship assistance,
but even if you do not, you still receive
the alumni discount.
You can do it online.
Flexible options mean you don’t
have to upend your family or career.
Attend in person, online, in the
evening, or only in the summers.
The choice is yours.
Hear from
current students.
Indulge in a banquet of poetry, essays,
and other original content through
St. John’s three primary student-run
publications: Colloquy, The Gadfly,
and The Moon. You are also welcome
to submit your own content to
Colloquy, which is produced by the
Graduate Institute in Annapolis.
Recent issues are available to
read online.
colloquysjc.com
sjc.edu/gadfly
sjc.edu/moon
Discover what you
didn’t know about the
Graduate Institute.
Take in a lecture,
Johnnie-style.
Friday night lectures remain a
cherished tradition of the academic
year. If you remember what it’s like
to see familiar ideas thrust into new
light, that experience is still yours to
enjoy, free of cost.
Visit events.sjc.edu for the
schedule or watch past lectures on
the college’s YouTube channel.
youtube.com/stjohnscollege
The Eastern Classics will
rearrange your thinking.
The classic texts of the Eastern
traditions do more than enhance
those of the West; they often surprise
with a wholly different, frequently
sublime take on timeless universal
themes. Be prepared for frm ideas
to develop new contours.
sjc.edu/graduate-institute
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
21
�“
After graduating from the Graduate Institute,
I really missed St. John’s—learning through
discussion was amazing. To relive this
experience, I enrolled in the Year of Classics.
These seminars—just an hour and a half a
month—were wonderfully enriching, with
intellectual classmates and insightful tutors
who enhanced my learning experience.
For anyone seeking to expand their
intellectual horizons, I would strongly
recommend the Year of Classics as the best
way to learn and to exercise your mind.”
—CATHY FOGEL AGI11
“
St. John’s has remained my diamond test for
intellectual engagement, so when I recently
became a Johns Hopkins professor, I chose
to live in Annapolis, drawn partly by the
prospect of Friday night lectures. Anxious
that memory’s lens would be distorted by
the gauze of nostalgia, I attended my frst
lecture primed for disillusion. But experience
exceeded expectation. I arrived at eight and
had to stand, while the students had come
early, jamming the Great Hall, content to wait
and to listen, and then to stay late, eager
to ask questions. Whether you’re waxing
nostalgic or wanting intellectual inspiration,
come to a Friday night lecture. But come early.
Otherwise, you’ll have to stand.”
—DANIEL H. FOSTER SF90
22
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
“
A week of seminar tends to frame the
events in my life. It happened all through
the Graduate Institute, and it happened
again at Winter Classics. We used the Emily
Wilson translation of the Odyssey, and I
was so taken with it that I told everyone,
including an old friend from the Peace Corps.
I said: ‘Dennis, I had a week seminar on
the Odyssey. An old guy, after decades of
sleeping with goddesses, wants to go home
to see his dog, his wife, and his son, and to
kill everyone who ever crossed him. His dog
wagged his tail before anyone else recognized
him.’ Dennis replied that he really likes to get
home to see his dog too. Then in April my son’s
obituary was published. Homer came again:
‘His spirit left his body. Still alive, still seeing
the sunlight.’ You have to suffer, but you can
get home. Consolation.
Whether light-hearted or deadly serious,
Winter Classics sticks with you. Come be a
part of it again.”
—W. PETER BALLEAU AGI17
�“
“
It was August 2020, and I was sitting in the
comfort of my own home, after sanitizing
groceries in our self-imposed lockdown.
I pulled up my email and there was a notice
from St. John’s College announcing the
Eastern Classics Program would be available
online. I stared at it, dumbstruck. Finally,
after 20 years of wanting to study these texts,
a pandemic gave me the chance. We would
not sit around a physical table, but we have
been participating with each other in tiles
across the computer screen from homes
and offces all over the world. It worked
beautifully! Even Sanskrit, which I am
continuing with a special study group … yes,
online. Now you too can study practicerealization with Dogen, trek through the north
with Basho, and translate the Gīta. Enjoy!”
The Summer Classics in beautiful Santa Fe
is a return to the memories, conversations,
and friendships of your St. John’s experience.
I loved my Johnnie experience and Summer
Classics allows me to be a Johnnie all over
again. Day to day it is very hard to have
conversations on the beautiful and true with
the nicest of people—Summer Classics is a
return to the good life and is the highlight
of my summer (perhaps even my year).
I am so happy I made the decision to get
back to Santa Fe and St. John’s. If you loved
your St. John’s experience, I implore you to
get back to the high desert come July. It will
be like you never left. You will be instantly
hooked all over again!
LONG LIVE ST. JOHNS!”
—BILLY GERRISH AGI11
—PAM CARTER SFGI08
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
23
�Supporting
our Newest
Johnnies
KIDUS KEBEDE A20
W
hen Chloe Niedzielski (A25) arrived on the
Annapolis campus of St. John’s College
in August 2021, she was, like many of her
peers, concerned about ftting in, about making
friends, and about making mistakes. She felt anxious,
and she struggled—with her fears, with the weight of
her college decision, and with frustratingly unfamiliar laundry machines.
“I had so many questions,” says Niedzielski. “But I
was also given the opportunity to ask them. I wasn’t
just handed a folder and a room key and told ‘good
luck fguring it out.’”
24
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
CHLOE NIEDZIELSKI A25
Niedzielski was among 54 members of the Class of
2025 whose frst year on the Annapolis campus began
with the Pritzker Promise Bridge Program, an extended orientation experience for qualifed incoming students who would like additional preparation prior to
the start of the academic year.
The welcome she received is different from the one
that Kidus Kebede (A20) remembers.
“Transitioning into the college is tough,” says
Kebede, St. John’s frst-year student engagement coordinator, who helps oversee the bridge program in
Annapolis. “This is true of any institution, but histori-
�cally St. John’s has not had a focus on easing that trannights and long papers from peer mentors who offer
sition, particularly for students who are already at a
a candid—and uncompromising—view of Johnnie life.
disadvantage.”
“Peer mentors are specifcally instructed to repSix years ago, Kebede was a frst-year student with
resent the college as honestly as they can,” Kebede
challenges of his own. He came to St. John’s as an insays. “And that’s important, because while new stuternational student and found an education that imdents might think they are going to leave every semmediately captivated him—and an institution that took
inar with a sort of glow, that isn’t reality. There are
longer to love.
frustrating conversations, and students need to hear
“After the frst few weeks, you were mostly left to
about them.”
fend for yourself,” he recalls. “I was midway through
Luke Widenhouse (A25) participated in the 2021
my sophomore year before I fnally gained my footing.
bridge program as an incoming freshman and says
Looking back now, I feel like I wasn’t
the peer mentors offered a “no holds
necessarily set up for success.”
barred perspective” that prepared him
But that was then. Today, he says,
for the classroom more than any oththe college is taking a more proactive
er discussion he had. “It's one thing to
The Pritzker
approach to student support, spurred
hear from a member of the adminisPromise Bridge
in part by constructive feedback from
tration, but it's another thing to hear
Program
alumni.
about the version of St. John’s that
addresses one
might be different in real life than it
“Instead of waiting for students to
of the concerns
walk into offces and say, ‘I am strugis on paper, to learn what actually does
most commonly
gling,’ we are creating communicaor doesn’t work in the classroom.”
expressed by
tion bridges between students, staff,
In 2021, eight students served as
alumni and future
and faculty from day one,” Kebede expeer mentors in Annapolis; this year
alumni: the need
plains. “Students feel more connected
the campus has ten. Both Niedzielski
for a strong
to the school and to the administration
and Widenhouse, now sophomores,
infrastructure of
and not left to fend for themselves.”
are among them.
student support.
Kebede describes the Pritzker
“It wasn’t long ago that I was flled
Promise Bridge Program as a core
with questions, and now I have some
component of a collegewide effort to
answers to share with the next generhelp students succeed at St. John’s.
ation of Johnnies,” says Niedzielski. “I
Funded through a Freeing Minds campaign gift from
can help them understand that you won’t reach your
the Jay Pritzker Foundation, the bridge program is
destination all at once, but you will get closer and closmeant to address the distinctive needs of new stuer until the other side isn’t overwhelming anymore.”
dents whose backgrounds and circumstances could
Widenhouse adds, “I am passionate about this
potentially serve as obstacles to academic success. On
school and want to do my part in giving back to it.”
both campuses, eligible students include those who
Their enthusiasm is representative of what Kebede
qualify for federal Pell Grant assistance, students who
sees as a broader collegewide culture shift, one that
are the frst in their families to attend college, and incalls for more collective accountability in helping all
ternational students.
members of the St. John’s community feel connect“There are some social drawbacks and risk factors
ed to the college.
that come with being a part of these demographics,”
“Every student who signs their name in the book
Kebede explains. He says the bridge program helps
during Convocation deserves to be set up for success,
to mitigate those factors by giving participants more
because that is the core of our message, that a libertime to adjust to campus, access to a social safety net,
al arts education should be available to anyone who
and an extensive overview of available resources.
seeks it.”
“Being a part of that is fulflling.”
What it does not do, Kebede assures, is downplay
the realities of a tough course load or the demands of
the St. John’s classroom. Participants hear about long
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
25
�Internships
Connect
the Lab to Life
SUSMI SHARMA SF21
26
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�E
very summer, St. John’s students fan out across
who are pursuing majors in science, technology, enthe globe to gain valuable onsite work experigineering, and mathematics (STEM).
ence through the Hodson Internships, which
“The questions we were persistently asking were
are based in Annapolis, and the Ariel Internships, ‘why do most of us spend hours using ineffective
learning strategies like highlighting or rereading
based in Santa Fe.
Students who are interested in these summer optext?’” explains Sharma. The assistance she providportunities work with the Career Services Offce in
ed during her internship will help researchers to unAnnapolis or the Offce of Personal and Professional
derstand why students continue to rely on unproducDevelopment (OPPD) in Santa Fe to identify locations
tive strategies and how educators can promote more
and programs that align with their goals—or tap ineffective ones.
to budding interests. The right match can give stuSharma now works full time as a research assistant at the University of Minnesota’s
dents a deeper understanding of their
Department of Neuroscience, where
post-graduate choices and provide an
edge as they seek employment.
she continues to nurture her interest
The experience can also foster deepA collegewide
in the neural underpinnings of human
survey of St. John’s
er relationships between students,
behavior.
alumni shows that
alumni, and the college.
“My initial fascination with neuronearly 20 percent
When Susmi Sharma (SF21) was
science deepened after my hands-on
of graduates have
awarded an internship during her seinternship,” says Sharma. “Before I
pursued
careers
in
interned with Dr. Elliott, I was quesnior year, she sought to explore her
STEM or a related
growing interest in neuroscience and
tioning my decision to some extent: I
area, such as
psychology. Piér Quintana, assistant
did not know how or even if I could rehealthcare.
director at OPPD, introduced Sharma
ally help people by doing experiments
to Dr. Taffeta Elliott (SF97), assistant
and computational work.”
professor of psychology and education
“The internship opened my eyes,
made me see that the task of a reat the New Mexico Institute of Mining
and Technology, known locally as New Mexico Tech.
searcher is to understand the problem and then conElliott was interested in hosting a student intern in
nect the experiments to real people’s lives.”
her lab and, as an alum, was familiar with the advanAlumni who are in a position to host a summer intern
tages that St. John’s students can bring to experimenare encouraged to fnd out how a current student can ental research.
rich the workplace—and how hosting a student can en“Susmi had a great can-do approach to lab work
rich their own relationship to the college.
that might have been tedious to students who have
“Mentoring Johnnies keeps me connected to St. John’s,”
less insight about their own motivations or the value
says Elliott. “Susmi brought energy to our summer projof using empirical study to test strong claims,” says
ects, and she brought great conversations.”
Elliott. “She also had an advantage in that she understood clearly how her senior essay work on Nietzsche
was related to psychological research on self-percepYOUR GENEROSITY CAN OPEN THE
tion and metacognition.”
DOOR TO A STUDENT’S CAREER.
Sharma’s internship with Dr. Elliott involved two distinct research projects that took her into the seemingSummer internships at St. John’s are funded
entirely through philanthropic support, making
ly disparate—but perhaps not too dissimilar—brains of
them more accessible to students who depend
South African clawed frogs and college students.
on paid summer work. Reach out to
The frst study looked at how frogs use an assortdevelopment@sjc.edu to learn how you can help
ment of hormones, nonverbal cues, and vocal commore Johnnies beneft from an internship.
munication to mediate their behavior and their social decisions. The other study explored the learning
strategies that are most effective for college students
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
27
�Alumni Couple
Bring Their Johnnie
Perspective to Life
E
ELI CASTRO SF94
li Castro (SF94) and Tracy Locke (SF95) Castro
created a life and a legacy from their pursuit
of knowledge of the Great Books at St. John’s
College. Their daughters Ella and Clarissa attended
Summer Academy on both campuses. Ella just graduated from American University, and Clarissa will join
the Santa Fe freshman class this fall.
“When the parents are Johnnies, we’re always going
to be talking about books,” says Eli, a Deloitte executive. “This helps us have great conversations because
we have a common language.”
Tracy, an independent web developer, adds: “Up until middle school, we read stories out loud, including
the children’s Homer.” She remembers the girls exclaiming, “We’re on our Odyssey!” as they played.
Tracy grew up on a rural Texas cattle ranch and attended a boarding high school in Dallas, Texas, where
one of her teachers knew about the Great Books program. “I found a St. John’s brochure at a career fair
and thought, ‘I am at the beginning of my life, and I
want to know the answers to the big questions; but the
books are right there in the library.’” To help her de-
28
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
TRACY LOCKE CASTRO SF95
termine whether the college was right for her, Tracy
visited St. John’s, attended seminar, and was “amazed”
at how the conversations continued late into the night.
“It felt so authentic…the blurring of your academic life
and your personal life, hiking in the mountains together,” she says.
She and Eli became friends at St. John’s and after graduation they married and settled in Texas to
raise a family. Both say they could not have predicted their future careers. Tracy’s post-graduation journey initially led her into public health nursing and
teaching at the University of Texas at Austin. After enjoying some time as a stay-at-home mom, she is now
focused on graphic design, web design, and web development. “Our path is not straightforward,” Tracy
says. “St. John’s is an education for the whole person.
It helps you learn who you want to be, and the skills
you can get later.”
Soon after St. John’s, Eli began working toward a
PhD in economics at the University of Wisconsin, a
direction he quickly discovered was not right for him.
“This isn’t working for me; do we have any leads?” he
�asked Jennifer Chenoweth (SFGI95), who was then
it. All of us who are on the other side have fgured
head of the Career Services Offce in Annapolis. She
out a path. It’s really cloudy when you try to look forput him in touch with Aaron Rosenbaum (A89), who
ward; it’s obvious when you look backward,” he exoperated a small consulting business that worked
plains. “Anyone can share their story to help make
with government clients. One week later, Eli moved
the post-graduate journey seem a little less scary, and
to Washington, DC.
that can be impactful,” he adds.
“Absolutely, St. John’s got me that job,” says Eli, who
Eli notes that the college now offers students more
began his consulting career through that fortuitous
direct career preparation. “St. John’s summer internintroduction to a fellow Johnnie. He subsequently
ship program sets the bar in education,” he says. “And
earned an MBA from the University of Texas and in
I work with higher education all the time.”
2005 joined professional services company Deloitte,
“The world is changing, evolving, and so is St. John’s,”
where he serves as a managing director focusing on
adds Tracy. “The core of St. John’s is still there with
higher education clients.
the Great Books programs, but now
The couple says their passion for
there are many activities and caSt. John’s inspired their two daughreer preparation opportunities that
ters to take an interest in the colmake St. John’s even better,” she says.
lege, with both daughters attending
Anyone can share
“While I feel strongly that being an unSummer Academy during their high
their story to
dergraduate isn’t about getting a skill
help make the
school years.
so you can fnd a job, we do have to
post-graduate
Eli is confdent that their eldest
get jobs.”
journey seem
daughter, Ella, beneftted from her
Alumni, Eli asserts, are motivated
a little less scary,
to support current students for varSummer Academy experience even
and that can be
though she eventually chose a difious reasons, including a desire to
impactful.
ferent college. “I think discourse—
perpetuate the distinctive and transcivil discourse—matters as much
formational experience they enjoyed.
when doing a public policy degree at
“St. John’s exists in a world that is beAmerican University as it does when
coming more and more specialized,
SF94
talking about books,” he explains.
so our college is becoming more and
— ELI CASTRO
“Approaching conversations about
more unique,” he says. “The Program
ideas in a certain inclusive way—lisallows people to learn to think in a way
tening to and responding to what people are saying—
that’s diffcult to learn in other places.”
that absolutely has value. Summer Academy gives a
“If you’re the benefciary of a beautiful experience
little window into that. Clarissa loved the St. John’s
like St. John’s, you owe it to the world to make sure
conversations, and there never really was another
it exists for those who come after you,” he concludes.
choice even though she was accepted at other schools.” “That’s how it is for me.”
Eli’s dedication to St. John’s has also inspired him
to think about ways to connect the college to students
outside of his own family. He recently participated
in an online workshop in which he and fellow alumIS YOUR TEENAGER CURIOUS ABOUT
ni met with newly admitted students and addressed
THE ST. JOHN’S EXPERIENCE?
some of the most commonly asked questions: How
do employers view St. John’s? What is the relevancy
Children of alumni can enjoy a week of
Summer Academy at half the price.
to the work world? Can one get into a good graduate
Ask
them to note on the application that
school after St. John’s?
they have a parent who is an alum.
“The answers were incredibly easy,” says Eli.
sjc.edu/summer-academy
“When you head out from St. John’s, you don’t have
a direction; you’re just a college graduate,” he recalls.
“Imagine a big meadow, and there’s no path through
“
”
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
29
�How can I
help fellow
Johnnies fnd
their paths?
30
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�Share your insights
with current students.
Your experience as a professional is
one of the greatest gifts you can give
to current students and fellow alumni.
As an alumni volunteer, you can
provide support for a spectrum of
career-oriented opportunities at every
commitment level, from short
conversations about your career path
to participation in a panel or
presentation, to mentorships that
support students throughout their job
search process.
Inspire others through
a JohnnieTalk.
Riff on our annual enigmatic theme as
you move through a Pecha-Kucha
style lightning talk to share your
passion and wisdom with prospective
students, current students, and
alumni. Submit your proposal for next
year’s round of JohnnieTalks here:
sjc.edu/johnnie-talks
Visit sjc.edu/career-contacts to let
the college know how you can help.
Find a place in
your organization
for a Johnnie.
Contemplating a
career change?
The college is here for you.
St. John’s offers personalized career
coaching that is free of charge to
alumni. The college can guide you
through self-assessments, interview
prep, and strategies for negotiating an
offer—without the high cost of a
private coach.
Reach out to santafe.oppd@sjc.edu or
annapolis.careerservices@sjc.edu to
get support for your career
transition today.
Whether you are looking for remote
project help, a summer intern,
or are seeking to fll a part-time or
full-time position, the college can
connect you with Johnnies who will
help your organization thrive.
Many students are awarded funding
for their internship choices, and staff
are ready to assist if you’re looking
to create an internship that aligns with
student interest.
To learn more, connect with
santafe.oppd@sjc.edu or
annapolis.careerservices@sjc.edu or
connect with them both to elevate
opportunities outside the local
campus areas.
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
31
�On Reading, Religion,
Redemption,
and Reasons for Giving
good, I’m not going to be fipping burgers. I can go to
college.” Looking back, it is especially interesting
that when I graduated from Santa Fe, the prep school
from which I had dropped out graciously awarded
me an honorary high school diploma.
MARK JORDAN SF73
The following content has been excerpted from an
interview with Mark Jordan, R. R. Niebuhr Research
Professor at Harvard Divinity School. Please visit
sjc.edu/mark-jordan to read the full interview.
How did you fnd your way to St. John’s?
I had an intense religious conversion right before
I went to St. John’s. I landed in Annapolis as a fairly
young February freshman, ready to do work on
Christian tradition, the relation of theology to philosophy, and, especially, ethics.
Having dropped out of high school, St. John’s was
my gamble. I remember getting the admissions letter a few days before Christmas and thinking, “Oh
32
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
What stands out from your initial experience of
the Program?
One of the things St. John’s instilled in me was the
courage to follow questions wherever they lead and
not to worry about the property signs that people put
up to fence off certain areas. So I started reading and
just kept going. In high school, I’d been reading
Thomas Aquinas and I continued to do so as a frstyear student, but I also fell in love with the way Plato
is read at St John’s.
My senior paper at St. John’s was on Thomas
Aquinas and Plato. The advisor who was reading
it told me that it was interesting but two times longer than it needed to be—and he was right! I went
on to do a dissertation on the doctrine of creation
in Thomas, on how God can be read through the
creation.
Are there any memories from your time in Santa Fe
that strike you differently now?
When I was at St. John’s there was passionate discussion about how the curriculum was or was not related to the arts and literature, because among the
students and faculty there were people who wrote
�novels and poems, or people who painted and threw
pots and photographed morning light on chamisa
(my fxation at the time). How could we include those
arts within the Program?
I remember sitting one day in the dining hall in
Santa Fe and thinking, “We don’t have to include
them. They already include us!” We were surrounded by this jaw-dropping beauty, and looking back
now, I realize that part of what held me in place to do
the work was the gift of being able to read powerful
books in this theater of beauties. Trying to write
those beauties has become more and more important to me—so I take that moment in the dining hall
as a premonition.
How do you characterize your ongoing relationship
with your St. John’s education?
I’m one of those people for whom the St. John’s
curriculum was exactly right. It gave me ways of
reading and teaching and writing that I have used
for the rest of my life. I still own the copies of Plato
and Aristotle that I bought the frst day I was on campus at Annapolis. I still use them to teach. So I feel a
daily connection to the work of the college.
How did you and your husband, Bill, decide what
kind of gift to make to St. John’s?
As a college teacher, I’ve never had a lot of money
to give. That was the motive for making a bequest or
planned gift. We’re not raising children, we don’t
have family obligations, so we are free to say, “Here’s
THE MOST MEANINGFUL GIFT
YOU GIVE TO ST. JOHN’S DOESN’T
HAVE TO BE THE ONE THAT COMES
STRAIGHT FROM YOUR POCKET.
It can be the gift of your legacy, given on behalf
of the students to come. By including St. John’s
in your estate plans, you can have a tremendous
impact on the future of the college—often at little
or no cost to you today. Visit sjc.giftplans.org
to start planning your legacy.
what we’ve accumulated. When the time comes, put
it to good use.”
The college was really clear that if Bill and I wanted to designate the money for particular purposes
we could. But having spent my entire life in colleges
and universities, I know that an overly specifc gift
can rapidly become an albatross. So that’s why we
decided to give our money for whatever general purposes the college deemed important. If we didn’t
trust the college to make that discernment, we
wouldn’t be giving the money.
How do you hope your gift will support the college
in the future?
As a teacher, you learn over time that how you articulate your questions today or this semester can
change dramatically. Still, underneath, there’s a current that fows, that continues to feed you through
your teaching and writing.
I feel that about the college, too. There may be—
will almost certainly be—many changes in the articulation of the curriculum, but what I want to support
is the current underneath. If you believe that the
kind of work St. John’s does reaches deeply into human capacities or needs or pursuits, then that work
will be important as long as there are humans.
I look forward into a future that I really can’t discern. I have no idea what the college’s curriculum is
going to look like in a hundred years, but I very much
hope that St. John’s will be around to provide fundamental education.
IS ST. JOHN’S ALREADY
IN YOUR ESTATE PLANS?
Email plannedgiving@sjc.edu and let the
college know. Documenting your intentions
will ensure that your gift is used exactly as
you want it to. This important step also
allows the college to say “thank you”
through St. John’s Forever: The Legacy
Society of St. John’s College.
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
33
�How can I
support
St. John’s
with my giving?
34
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�Challenge your classmates
to make a difference.
Make the Annual Fund
a yearly priority.
Regular annual giving is the best way
to support everything you care about
at St. John’s: every student, every
tutor, every conversation, and every
need. Through monthly recurring gifts
and multi-year pledges, you can
spread your commitment over time
and make a signifcant difference at
a manageable level.
sjc.edu/annual-fund
You lived together, ate together, and learned together.
Now you can make a difference together—and you
don’t have to wait until your reunion year to do so.
November 29 marks St. John’s ffth year of participation
in GivingTuesday, the national day of giving. Challenge
the members of your graduating class to make a gift and
offer to match a certain amount when they do. If a fellow
classmate offers a challenge—step up to meet it. The results
do make a difference. During GivingTuesday 2021,
the St. John’s community collectively raised more than
$200,000 to beneft students and the Program.
Invest in the
campus experience.
Through the $25 million Pritzker
Challenge, St. John’s is preparing both
campuses for future generations of
seekers. When you make a gift
in support of campus improvements,
the Jay Pritzker Foundation will match
every $2 of your gift with another $1.
sjc.edu/pritzker-challenge
Connect your legacy
to that of the college.
The most straightforward way to
include St. John’s in your personal
legacy is by naming the college as the
benefciary of a gift from your estate.
Taking this step can be as simple as
adding one sentence to an existing
will. By combining a legacy gift with
regular support for the Annual Fund,
you can make a profound difference in
the lives of current and future
students—at a level that makes sense
for you today.
Visit sjc.giftplans.org to get started.
Find out if your
employer will
match your gift.
Your employer or your spouse’s
employer could offer a matching
gift program that will double or
even triple the value of your gift.
Check out the matching gift tool at the
website below to see if your
company participates.
sjc.edu/matching-gift
Honor your St. John’s
education with
a reunion gift.
By commemorating your milestone
reunion year with a gift to the
college, you and your classmates can
help more students beneft from a
St. John’s education.
sjc.edu/reunion-giving
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
35
�S T. J O H N ’ S
Day of Gratitude
& Reunion Weekend
AL
ANNU
IN S
A NEW
G
E
B
IO N
IT
D
A
R
T
Santa Fe Annapolis
FRI SEPTEMBER 9
& SAT SEPTEMBER 10
FRI SEPTEMBER 23
& SAT SEPTEMBER 24
This fall St. John’s begins a new tradition of uniting our most
dedicated volunteers, ambassadors, and donors with our class
reunion gatherings for a weekend of in-person celebration.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Learn about your impact and
let the college thank you.
Celebrate a milestone…
together.
Both campuses will host a
full day of events for alumni,
friends, and student leaders
who advance the mission of the
college through their
volunteerism, advocacy, and gifts.
This year, in conjunction with the
Day of Gratitude, St. John’s will welcome
back to campus our 10-, 25-, and 50-year
reunion classes, including those alumni
who were not able to celebrate in person
in 2020 and 2021.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEKEND
Seminars Gratitude Lunch Inaugural Freeing Minds Society Induction Ceremony
Campus Tours Dean’s Lecture Lunch with Faculty Intellectual Programming Reunion Class Dinners
Reach out to alumni@sjc.edu for more information.
36
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�St. John’s is profoundly grateful
for alumni whose gifts of time and
resources enable the college to…
KEEP TUITION REASONABLE
Through widespread support for
the Freeing Minds campaign, the
college cut tuition by one-third
in 2019, making St. John’s one of
the most affordable colleges in the
Small College Consortium. The
modest increase that takes place
in Fall 2022 is substantially below
the annual rate of infation, due in
signifcant part to the continued
generosity of alumni.
BALANCE THE BUDGET
After years of running a structural defcit that peaked at $12 million, St. John’s is now entering its
third consecutive fscal year with a
structurally balanced budget.
ATTRACT A GROWING
COMMUNITY OF SEEKERS
Alumni are sharing the message that St. John’s College offers a life-changing experience.
The Class of 2025 was the largest in a decade, and one in four of
these rising sophomores learned
about St. John’s from an alum.
EARN A POSITIVE CREDIT
RATING
S&P Global raised their outlook
for St. John’s from stable to positive—a strong vote of confdence
from a highly regarded credit rating agency. Alumni support is
one of the factors they considered
when determining that St. John’s
is a good place for an investment.
SUPPORT STUDENTS IN THEIR
CAREER GOALS
Alumni said that St. John’s must
do more to help students prepare for post-graduate life—and
then stepped forward to offer that
help. More than 2,500 alumni
have raised their hands through
sjcconnect.com and signaled their
willingness to have a conversation
about their career paths.
INVEST IN STUDENTS
The St. John’s Endowment consists
of invested gifts that yield an annual revenue stream for the college. For the past two years, that
income stream has been equivalent to $11,000 in annual support
for every Johnnie.
REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE
ON TUITION
St. John’s new fnancial model, bolstered by the Freeing Minds
campaign, makes generosity more
important than tuition. In 2021,
philanthropy covered nearly 40
percent of the cost to deliver the
Program, removing a heavy burden from the shoulders of students.
ASSIST 90 PERCENT OF
STUDENTS WITH TUITION COSTS
St. John’s ability to keep tuition
reasonable and still provide students with more than $14 million
in additional aid is the direct result of alumni support for the college’s philanthropy-centered fnancial model.
The college thanks you for all of the
above. Your gifts, volunteerism, and
advocacy have made these results
possible in a higher education environment where they are rare.
BE A PART OF ST. JOHN’S
GIVING SOCIETIES
St. John’s two distinctive
giving societies recognize
transformative acts of generosity.
The Freeing Minds Society
honors alumni and friends who
have made an epic commitment
to St. John’s College through
cumulative lifetime giving
of $100,000 or more.
St. John’s Forever: The Legacy
Society of St. John’s College
celebrates alumni and
friends who have linked their
legacies to that of the college
through the commitment of
a future estate gift.
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
37
�S E L EC T E D N OT E S
F R O M C L A S S M AT E S
1967
In July 2021, Ronald Kephart (A)
retired from 32 years of teaching
anthropology (linguistic, cultural,
and biological) at the University of
North Florida.
1977
The pandemic gave Ellen
(Hamilton) O’Donnell (A) time and
space to reignite her art practice.
She found a wonderful teacher to
shepherd this process via a second
alma mater, School of the Art
Institute of Chicago. She’s in a
virtual art group, has a studio,
and is engaged in making again.
1982
This August, Marion (Betor)
Baumgarten (A) and Jon
Baumgarten (A) will have
been married 40 years! They
are both retired from the
federal government and reside
in the Chicago area.
Leslie (Smith) Rosen (A) and
James Hyder ’84 (A) have moved
to a seaside cottage in MA to help
take care of Leslie’s mother and to
enjoy the next steps of their life’s
journey with children and grandchildren not far away.
1987
Ele Hamburger (A) is happily living
in Seattle with her husband and
three teenagers, who constantly
keep them on their toes. She is a
partner at a small plaintiff-side civil
rights and class action law frm,
where she focuses on health care
and health coverage issues.
She would love to visit with
38
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
friends who are passing through
the Pacifc Northwest.
1992
Captain George Dolan (SF), U.S.
Navy, completed a three-year tour
as naval attaché to South Korea in
June and is now serving on the
Navy staff in the Pentagon. He welcomes inquiries from any Johnnies
considering a career in the military.
2002
Sara Abercrombie (SF) is an associate professor and department chair
in the Department of Educational
Psychology at Northern Arizona
University. She was awarded the
NAU President’s Distinguished
Teaching Fellowship in 2021, a recognition of the highest level of
teaching excellence and positive
impact at NAU and beyond.
Kate Jordan (SF) lives with partner
Jeremy and daughters Esme (4)
and Oona (1) in Oakland, CA.
Kate serves as a chief fnancial
offcer for UC Berkeley and loves
to garden.
2012
Brandon Carney (A) got married
in August 2021 and transitioned
into fnance from scientifc
research in January.
LET YOUR CLASSMATES
HEAR FROM YOU!
If your class year ends in a 3 or 8,
email alumni@sjc.edu to include your
news in the next alumni magazine.
PHOTOS ARE WELCOME!
ALUMNI
WEEK
sjc.edu/alumni-week
Memories that
take you back.
Conversations
that carry
you forward.
No travel required.
A
s St. John’s alumni, our
connections to one another are not bound by time
or place—and shouldn’t be. After
all, the texts we read and the
questions we ask transcend generations and geography.
The physical separation we
have experienced over the past
two years has given rise to more
inclusive ways of being together.
Alumni Week is one example—
and one that St. John’s began exploring even before the pandemic emerged. Through this annual
virtual gathering, alumni from
around the world can enjoy intellectual engagement and community, but with fewer barriers
to participation. Greater access
means more opportunities to
catch up with classmates and tutors, rekindle conversations, and
reconnect with the college and
one another.
�HIGHLIGHTS FROM
ALUMNI WEEK 2022
A variety of tutor and alumni-led presentations
show that the life of the mind need not
dwell solely in the classics or in the classroom.
There are treasures to be found in unexpected
places, from Tolkien’s Middle-earth to
your own comfortable kitchen.
If you missed Alumni Week 2022 this past June,
or want to relive a moment that challenged your thinking,
visit sjc.edu/alumni-week to enjoy the following highlights.
Beyond the
Classroom:
The Mystery
of Gollum
Beyond the
Classroom:
Living the
Program
Gollum is perhaps the greatest villain of The Lord of the Rings—and
maybe its most tragic hero. Who
is Gollum? Why is he so central to
the novel? Join tutors Krishnan
Venkatesh and Richard McCombs
to dive deeper into the intricate
world of J. R. R. Tolkien.
Tutors are the more senior students and role models of our
St. John’s community, but what
does it really look like to live the
Program? Take a sneak peek into the lives of beloved tutors beyond the classroom. Hear their
wisdom on balance, integration,
and following thumos on the road,
in the kitchen, and everywhere
in between.
JohnnieTalks
A game designer, a pediatric neurologist, and a tech entrepreneur
talk about life’s turning points—
what they mean, how to live them,
and how they can change everything.
Alumni
Association
Awards
Every year the Alumni Association
welcomes honorary members into
our ranks and bestows the Award
of Merit on those alumni who are
elevating the profle of the college through their lives, careers,
and contributions to the Great
Conversation. Hear their stories
and celebrate their achievements.
In Memoriam
Join your St. John’s community as
we recognize the Johnnie chairs
that now sit empty. Together we
honor those Johnnies who have
passed, leaving us with moments
and memories to cherish.
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
39
�In Memoriam
St. John’s College remembers the alumni, staff, faculty, and leadership who
passed away during the 2021-2022 academic year. Together we celebrate the
impact of their lives and legacies on our Johnnie community.
Donald S. Kaplan (Class of 1945)
Charles Coaston (SFGI76)
Clarence R. Morris (Class of 1948)
Jeffrey B. Shea (A76)
Carolyn Banks-Leeuwenburgh (Class of 1955)
Terence A. Teachout (A78)
John Joanou (Class of 1955)
Joan F. Vinson (AGI81)
Barbara D. Winiarski (Class of 1955)
Nicholas M. Ossorgin (SF85)
Nancy Eagle Lindley (Class of 1958)
Toni Wilkinson (SFGI87)
Mary Campbell Gallagher (Class of 1960)
Elizabeth Malmgren (AGI88)
Lloyd H. Byassee (Class of 1961)
Anna A. McManus (SFGI91)
Natalie Silitch (Class of 1961)
Amanda E. Richards (SF91)
Jeffrey P. Escoffer (Class of 1964)
Leo P. Kelley (SF93)
Richard E. Roderick (Class of 1966)
Raymond R. Ames (A94)
Margaret Winter (Class of 1966)
Brian C. Bowman (SFGI94)
Leslie S. Bornstein (SF68)
Michael A. Miller (A94)
Robert A. Fielding (A68)
Glenn Freitas (H04), Santa Fe Faculty Emeritus
William J. Cromartie (SF69)
Katherine L. Harper (H06)
Patricia A. Turner (SFGI69)
Tova R. LeCuyer (A14)
Richard A. Treacy (SFGI70)
Frederick C. Foote (SF15)
Anthony Vitto (A70)
Carmen Harrell (H15)
David C. Chute (A72)
Michael A. Thomas (A15)
Fred Mattis (A73)
Charles S. Trefrey (H19)
Gene F. Taylor (SFGI75)
Charlie H. McKenzie (SF21)
This listing includes those who have passed between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
We care deeply for all members of our college community. If you know
of fellow Johnnies who have passed away but are missing from this list, please
contact advancement@sjc.edu so we may honor those individuals.
40
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�Alumni Association
Honorees 2022
Honorees are selected each year by the Alumni
Association Board of Directors and recognized for
their pursuit of and success in leading examined lives,
as well as their steadfast commitment to the St. John’s
College community. During Alumni Week 2022,
the college and the Alumni Association honored the
following recipients of the Award of Merit, Volunteer
Service Award, and Honorary Alumni designations.
AWARD OF MERIT HONOREES
For distinguished and meritorious service to the United States,
to their native state, to St. John’s
College, or for outstanding achievement within a chosen feld.
Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš (A88) –
for extraordinary advocacy of freedom and democracy and service to
the people of Latvia as prime minister.
Kariņš is the prime minister of
Latvia. He may be the only Johnnie
alumnus to date to serve as head
of state of a sovereign nation. As
a freshman in 1984, Kariņš received an honorable mention for
the best freshman essay, an honor
he has touted throughout his adult
life. He continued his education
at the University of Pennsylvania,
earning a PhD in linguistics.
Kariņš later moved to Latvia,
where he was frst elected to
Latvia’s Parliament in 2002, and
in 2009 was elected to serve
as a member of the European
Parliament. He became prime
minister in 2019 and has led one
of the longest serving Latvian governments in modern history. As
prime minister, Kariņš has been
an outspoken advocate for freedom and democracy, arguing that
“Democracy is contagious. It is an
attractive idea because it is the
people, not autocrats, who decide
who runs the country and in which
direction to move.”
Pedro Martinez-Fraga (A84) – for
achievement in the feld of law and
international relations.
Pedro J. Martinez-Fraga is a renowned international lawyer. He is
a partner at Bryan, Cave, Leighton,
and Paisner, where he co-leads the
frm’s international arbitration
team and is a World Bank arbitrator. He served as lead U.S. counsel
on behalf of the Republic of Chile
in the case against former Chilean
president, Augusto Pinochet, and
has also worked on the prosecutions of Venezuelan president
Hugo Chávez and deposed Haitian
president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
His writings in the felds of public and private international law
have been published in 15 coun-
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
41
�tries and fve languages, including more than 50 reviewed articles and six books. Martinez-Fraga
has lectured at more than 30 universities across the globe and is an
honorary professor of law at both
the Universidad de San Ignacio de
Loyola and the Universidad del
Pacífco in Lima, Perú.
Boaz Roth (AGI92) – for achievement in the feld of education.
Boaz has dedicated his life to
teaching in the St. John’s mode.
He is chair of the English department at Thomas Jefferson School
in St. Louis, where he has taught
English, Greek, and math for almost 30 years and coached basketball for more than 20 seasons. The
school has small, seminar-based
discussions in every discipline
and boasts that its average student will have read 80 works of
classic literature by graduation.
His school’s basketball court has
άρετή painted on its foor and a local newspaper once found it noteworthy to state that “The varsity basketball team huddles with
coach Boaz Roth, then springs
back and yells, full-throated:
‘Arete!’ This is how one cheers at
Thomas Jefferson School.”
In addition to his master’s degree
from St. John’s, where he is remembered both for his focus as
a student and his drive as a basketball player, Roth earned a BA
with a double major in philosophy
and economic theory from the
American University.
42
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
John Ruskey (SF90) – for achievement in the arts and exploration.
John Ruskey is a river guide, adventurer, canoe builder, artist, and
Bluesman. He conducts workshops
on ecological education, runs
camps for local children, and, with
his company, the Quapaw Canoe
Company, leads canoe tours on
the Mississippi River. He and fellow alumni once co-led a seminar on Mark Twain’s Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn—while traveling
on the mighty Mississippi itself.
One of his long running projects is
rivergator.org, an all-encompassing internet and print resource
providing detailed instructions
for paddling the Mississippi River
between St. Louis and the Gulf of
Mexico.
Ruskey was the frst curator of
the Delta Blues Museum; is the
co-founder and director of the
Delta Blues Education Fund; and
has written a monthly column,
“Down in the Delta,” for Blues Revue
since 1998. In 1997, he won the
Early Wright Blues Heritage Award,
presented to a non-musician for
outstanding work to preserve, promote, perpetuate, and document
blues in the Mississippi Delta.
VOLUNTEER SERVICE
AWARDS
Chelsea Adams (A12)
Adams began volunteering for
the college and the Alumni
Association soon after she graduated in 2012. Her service includes
ten years on the Alumni Giving
Council, the Alumni Leadership
Forum, the Admissions Working
Group, and the Awards Committee.
She has also volunteered with
Summer Academy, the online
Great Books Summer Seminar
Series, and at numerous college
fairs. In addition, she has served
as class chair for the Annapolis
Class of 2012. Adams is known
to both college and Alumni
Association leadership as a cheerful and tireless volunteer. Her service in all facets of alumni volunteerism is extraordinary.
Claiborne Booker (A84)
Booker has given the college and
the Alumni Association years of
cheerful and diligent service. He
was elected by the college’s alumni to the Board of Visitors and
Governors in 2011 for a three-year
term, which was extended for an
additional two years. After he completed his tenure on the board, he
immediately began four years of
service on the Alumni Association
Board from 2016-20, leading our
volunteer efforts to support annual
giving. Booker is like Aeneas, “duty-bound, and known” in the service of St. John’s.
�HONORARY ALUMNI
Michael Bechko
Mike Bechko is the network and
telephone systems coordinator
on the Santa Fe campus and joined
the college’s IT department in May,
1999. Of Bechko, it is said that “his
ready smile, great sense of humor,
incomparable dependability, and
relaxed demeanor make it possible for us to face technology’s continued stressors. Nothing rattles
Mike: as one staff member notes,
she’s never heard him yell, ‘though
there are many times when he
should have.’”
In his life outside the offce,
Bechko enjoys engaging in new
forms of exercise and approaches to well-being; and he steadfastly believes in the importance of
using one’s brain for other-thanwork activities.
Cara Sabolcik
Cara Sabolcik was a vital part
of the Greenfeld Library staff
on the Annapolis campus for 21
years, most recently serving as
the associate library director until 2021. Sabolcik was instrumental in establishing the college's
digital archives and digitized the
library's audiovisual collection. It
was Sabolcik who confrmed that
W. E. B. Du Bois gave a lecture on
the Annapolis campus, an event
which became the basis for a collegewide celebration this year.
Sabolcik’s service to St. John’s also includes various appointments
on the Staff Council and in numerous faculty, undergraduate, and
Graduate Institute study groups
through the years. In the great-
er community, Sabolcik served
as chair and vice chair of the
Maryland Interlibrary Loan Group,
thereby enabling access to books
otherwise not readily available to
St. John’s College and making the
Greenfeld Library more widely
known as a participating peer institution.
Susan Shamos
Dr. Susan Shamos is the founder
of The Centus School Counseling
Program, which places experienced counselors and social
workers in schools that otherwise
would not have enough access to
high-quality mental health services for students. Together with
her husband, Jeremy (SFGI76),
Shamos has been a supporter and
benefactor for multiple arts organizations throughout Denver and
the state of Colorado. Shamos and
Jeremy led Denver’s efforts to host
the 2008 National Performing Arts
Convention, a gathering of 5,000
U.S. and international artists and
arts professionals.
and theology, having received his
doctorate in mathematics from
the University of Texas at Austin,
as well as a PhD in systematic theology from Cambridge University.
Prior to coming to St. John’s,
Sinnett was a lecturer in mathematics at Concordia Lutheran
College, Kansas University, and
San Jacinto College. He is also a
minister of Word and Sacrament
in the Presbyterian Church, having served as minister at the First
Presbyterian Church, Stephenville,
Texas, and as a senior minister at
Clemmons Presbyterian Church
in Clemmons, North Carolina.
Sinnett had the honor of being
a visiting scholar at St. John’s
College, Cambridge, in 1997.
A beloved tutor, Sinnett was overwhelmingly chosen by the graduating Class of 2022 to be their
graduation speaker.
Notably, Shamos has participated
in Summer Classics at the college
for over three decades. She and
Jeremy are among the top 15 lifetime donors to the college, inspiring others to join them in philanthropy and enriching the college
community by gifting substantial
works of art for public spaces on
campus. Shamos has served on
the college’s Board of Visitors and
Governors since 2016.
Mark Sinnett
Mark Sinnett served as a tutor
at St. John’s College from 20002020. In this role, he drew upon
his background in mathematics
A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E
43
�How can I
stay connected
and informed?
Don’t let the alumni magazine
be your only source of
updates on the college and
your classmates.
44
S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E
�Bookmark the
college website.
Read the
award-winning
Annual Report.
Recognized by the Council for
Advancement and Support
of Education, St. John’s 2021
Annual Report to Alumni and
Friends boldly claims that the
college is stronger than ever—and
delivers the evidence.
sjc.edu/annual-report
Sjc.edu isn’t just for current
and future students. Alumni can
also fnd a wealth of content,
from thought-provoking podcasts
and recorded lectures to profles
of fellow alumni.
Update your
email.
If the college does not have your
current email, you are missing out
on news, invitations, and intellectual
content from the college.
Here are three options for updating
your contact information:
1.
Fill out the enclosed envelope
and mail it back to the college
2.
Visit sjc.edu/alumni-update to
update your information online
3.
Come home
for a visit.
If you live nearby, come grab a
snack at the coffee shop, check out
a book from the library, or just stroll
around and see the campus
improvement projects that are taking
place in both Annapolis and Santa Fe.
If the passage of time has put
physical distance between you and
our two campuses, make a plan to
visit. Our frst annual Day of Gratitude
would be a great time to get
reacquainted with your once and
always home.
Scan the QR code below
Follow St. John’s
on social media.
The college has an active presence on
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Visit sjc.edu/social-media for links to
all of these accounts and more.
Update your information
by November 14, 2022 and
be entered to win one
of six gift cards, valued up
to $500, to the St. John’s
College bookstores.
sjc.edu/alumni-update
�1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca
Santa Fe, NM 87505-4599
Non Proft Org
US Postage
PA I D
St. John’s College
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Alumni Magazine
Description
An account of the resource
St. John's College began publishing the <em>Alumni Magazine </em>in 2020. It is not a continuation of <em>The College</em>. More details about the publication are available on the <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/alumni/alumni-magazine">Alumni Magazine</a> page of the SJC website. <br /><br />Click on <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=65&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d" title="Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection">Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, Md.
Santa Fe, NM
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
AlumniMagazine
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
48 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Alumni Magazine, 2022
Description
An account of the resource
2022 issue of the Alumni Magazine.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Alumni and alumnae
St. John's College (Santa Fe, N.M.)--Alumni and alumnae
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SJCAlumniMagazine_2022
Alumni
Publication
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/98e9b601628b9e538ccca2beca29186f.pdf
6939df0f747820102518ded137a0f9ef
PDF Text
Text
Pathways
Fellowship
Reports
Summer 2022
�Pathways Fellowship Reports, Summer 2022
Table of Contents
Page
Parth Sarthi Bajaj ’24: Harvard Business School Online, Boston, MA
3
James Bieneman ’23: University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
Course: Pre-Calculus & Calculus 1 (online)
4
Ann Burke ’22: University of Texas, Austin, TX
5
Course: Credential of Readiness (CORe) (online)
Course: CELTA
Ian Howell ’24: Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, NY
6
Course: Torah & Jewish Studies
Songeun Jang ’24: The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
7
Course: Neuroscience (online)
Isabella Kiedrowski ’23: Northwestern Univ. School of Professional Studies,
8
Evanston, IL; Course: Museum Studies (online)
Hyojeong Lee ’23: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
9
Course: Human Happiness
Jungeun Lee ’22: Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD
10
Course: Statistics (online)
Jacob Lees ’23: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
11
Course: Modern Physics
Elizabeth Mueller ’23: British American Dramatic Academy, London, UK
12
Course: Greek Theatre: From the Ancient World to the Modern,
Through Theory & Performance
Joseph Padgett ’23: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music,
13
Bloomington, IN, Course: Composition Academy (online) and
The Peabody Preparatory, Baltimore, MD; Course: Private Piano lessons
Dolan Polglaze ’24: University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
15
Course: Deutsch/Englisch Intenivkurse fur Beruf und Alltag
James Siranovich ’22: European-American Musical Alliance,
Paris, France; Course: Conducting Program in Harmony, Counterpoint & Analysis
1
16
�Lirian Spolaore ’23: Coursera; Google UX Design Certificate (online)
17
Honor Stanton ’23: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
18
Jessie Tagliani ’22: Marchutz School of Art at IAU, Aix-en-Provence, France
Course: Marchutz Core Art Program
19
Joshua Tague ’24: The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC
20
Course: The American Legal System
Course: Summer Greek, Elementary-level (online)
Madeleine Weaver ’22: Marchutz School of Art at IAU, Aix-en-Provence, France
21
Course: Marchutz Core Art Program
Spencer Wollerton ’24: Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
23
Course: Intro to Mathematical Reasoning & Multivariate Calculus (online)
Meien Zhang ’23: UCLA Extension, Los Angeles, CA
Course: Python Programming (online)
2
25
�Parth Sarthi Bajaj ‘24
Harvard Business School Online
Course: CORe: Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting
Instructor: Prof. Jan Hammond, Prof. Bharat Anand, and Prof. V. G. Narayan
Duration: May 24-August 23, 2022
Certificate of Completion
Harvard Business School offers various courses to
people around the world through their online
platform. These courses revolve around and
encompass various business disciplines such as
finance, economics, marketing, etc. HBX CORe is
an intensive certificate program that comprised of
three courses—Introduction to Business Analytics,
Introduction to Financial Accounting, and
Introduction to Economics for Managers—that
offers a well-rounded toolset to its students, so that
they may look thoughtfully and understand the
relationships and structures among and between
the corporate realm and rest of the of the society.
I pursed HBX CORe due to its emphasis on
bringing out the business concepts from textbooks
into the real world. The course is designed such that
students can start recognizing business concepts
around them and think clearly about them. This
was accomplished through various case studies that
served as the primary pedagogical force. I was
asked to approach each case with much thought: in
order to recognize the forces that drive the case, think critically about the concepts learned in the
course, and find the intersection among them.
The course is divided in various modules, and each week two or three modules are meant to be
finished. At the end of each module, there was a quiz to determine the eligibility for the
certificate. Having such a structure in place kept me on track throughout the course, and was
largely welcomed because of the courses’ relative length and breadth.
I have always been interested in business and really enjoyed the material, but the experience
was intense nonetheless. The course takes about 150 hours to finish. And given its nature in
which new material builds over material learned before, it is essential to have a clear grasp of
each concept before moving forward.
As it would be expected, CORe had very little to do with what we read at St John’s. However, skills
developed at St. John’s over the last two years were crucial in my enjoyment and engagement with
the course. I found myself thinking about the fundamental forces that drive human behavior when
learning microeconomics; this would never have happened a couple years ago.
I would highly encourage CORe to anyone who wishes to dip their toes in the business realm.
The breadth of the course really fortifies itself and brings a sense of cohesion to the pursuit of
understanding our corporate world. However, I would like to state that CORe was largely
introductory in nature, and thus perfect for me. For someone with prior knowledge, or with a
wish to grasp greater depths of either Accounting, Data Analytics, or Economics, there definitely
exist courses that will bring more value and learning.
3
�James Bieneman ‘23
Arizona State University
Online and self-paced
Course: MAT 170 Precalculus & MAT 265 Calculus for Engineers I
Instructor: (170) Fabio Milner, Sue McClure / (265) Fabio Milner, Rochus Boerner
Credits: 3 each, total 6
The calculus classes I took this summer were, for
me, a practical necessity, and to that end they
served me well. My goal was to take the
foundation in calculus I had acquired in Junior
year at St. John’s and extend it into something I
can use as I move forward. That being the case,
what I learned at St. John’s was helpful in
entering the classes this summer, and the
foundation I had allowed me to better understand
what I was learning.
For more background: I took this course because,
as I mentioned, I wanted to solidify what I had
learned at St. John’s. In addition to that, as I plan
for after St. John’s, it seems very likely that I will
need the basic calculus that I acquired this
summer. It was useful, then, first to be able to find
a program such as the one at Arizona State which
allowed me to take these courses, and second to
use the Pathways program to make the courses
available to me.
Having done this, I now not only have what I keep
referring to as the basic background in calculus which I lacked, but also a better understanding
of how I can transition from St. John’s to other things. The mathematics at St. John’s are
brilliant but unique, and this was a good opportunity to readjust to much of what will be
required as I move forward. If somebody else were in the same position—needing this basic
education, and unable to find it at St. John’s—online courses such as the ones I took would be a
good choice. The specific courses I took had the weaknesses that are inherent to any online
courses, but I was still able to succeed with them, and they would be similarly useful to anybody
else with that same necessity.
4
�Ann Burke ‘22
University of Texas in Austin, Austin, TX
Course: Certification of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA)
Instructor: Margaret Blanchard
Duration: June 20-July 15, 2022
Certificate program
This summer I attended and successfully earned
my CELTA certification under the guidance of
Margaret Blanchard and her co-tutor Colleen
Kalchik at UT Austin. As my time at St. John’s
drew to a close, I sought a way to support myself
while traveling outside of the country. Teaching
English abroad was immediately appealing to me,
it became my goal to join the English Program in
Korea. It is necessary to obtain a teaching
certificate prior to beginning to teach abroad in
most countries and EPIK recommends in-person,
rather than purely virtual, programs. I chose the
CELTA due to its rigorous standards of
completion and impressive reputation. The
Cambridge accredited course requires weekly
written assignments as well as the successful
instruction of three ESOL lessons per week.
The course was intense. My schedule typically
consisted of waking at 7:00 am to complete my
lesson plan and finish the design of materials,
arriving at the UT campus by 9:00 am to discuss
my next lesson with Margaret or Colleen, then
classes until 5:00 pm, after which we would observe our peer’s lessons and conduct our own
until 8:30 pm. My time over the weekend was dedicated to essays and material development. I
came out of the course exhausted. All the time spent practicing new instructional techniques,
learning pedagogical philosophies, and the endless language analysis made it difficult to think
creatively, a vital skill in teaching. For that reason, I feel incredibly grateful for the support from
my fellow trainees and the course’s tutors. Both Colleen and Margaret are perceptive and
effective tutors, their advice and mentorship was invaluable.
At UT I had the opportunity to teach ESOL classes to members of the UT community. This
served as the perfect playground for a burgeoning teacher. The chance to put the course’s theory
into action was always constructive to my learning. As my tools for instruction grew, so did my
relationship to the students. That is what benefited me the most. I owe so much to the respect,
patience, and dedication of my students. As CELTA is beginning another course, I am receiving
messages from my former students who have advanced a class. It is incredible to feel the impact
of my teaching on them.
While the course was difficult and teaching is challenging, my experience at UT Austin made me
confident in my future as an English language teacher. The course provided me with all the tools
and resources to be successful in my application to EPIK and a plethora of teaching samples to
include in my application.
5
�Ian Howell ‘24
Jewish Theological Seminary of America, New York, NY
Nishma with Hebrew
Course: TAL 6621 Talmud Text Level A: Taking Hold of Talmud II, HEB 5001: Alef 1
Instructors: Luciana Lederman, Nina Nesher
Duration: June 1-August 5, 2022
Certificate for Audit
Talmudic thinking is a world unto itself. It is not
quite philosophy, it is not quite law. This summer
I immersed myself in another way of thinking. A
simple way of understanding Talmud is as a
clarifying text. Rabbis are concerned with where
in the Torah the source is for a law established by
the Mishna, or what exactly are the cases in which
the law applies. But to define it in this is way is to
limit it. In the act of clarifying and defining there
is judgment. The questions that the Talmud
tackles are of a banal nature, how should one
recite the schma, what language should the tefillin
be written in, but behind these legalistic exercises,
where one finds precedent in the canon for the
way one does something, there are judgments
about the importance of language, tradition,
holiness and routine in one’s life.
This is a new kind of thinking that St. Johns has
prepared me for because we are asked to do so
many different things here, I feel at home when I
am changing the way I’m thinking and doing
something so radically different from my previous
experience. I believe that my career
goals/graduate school goals have changed. I have realized over the summer just how much I
enjoy reading and thinking about these things, but also the cost of doing so. Talmud and Hebrew
enveloped my life this summer which was truly amazing, but at the same time I felt the loss of
other things which I value. If I were to pursue this at a higher level, some things will be lost.
While this is a resume builder, it does not meet any specific requirements for a graduate school
program or career. I learned so much about myself this summer.
6
�Songeun Jang ‘24
University of California, Berkeley (online)
Course: Neuroscience MCELLBIX108-021
Instructor: Sylcie Poluch, PhD
Duration: 180 days
Credits: 3
I decided to take this course because I wanted to
test whether neuroscience is what I want to study
in the future or not. Throughout the course, I did
not know if my St. Johns College's education
helped me carry out the requirements or not, but I
did feel like I was searching for something
different from other people that were taking the
online course. I was constantly wondering about
two questions that Mr. Tipton brought up in one
of the tutorials: What can I know, and how can I
live? I do not think the course really provided me
with much content to think about how can I live,
but it showed me the beauty of the St. John’s
education where I am provided with the perfect
environment and community to look into every
type of study and find out how I should carry out
my life and be a part of the community. St. John’s
had and is continually cultivating my desire for knowledge of human beings and the world we
live in.
After finishing all the lectures and readings, I concluded that I do want to study something
related to medicine and neuroscience. It is the closest subject that can help me understand the
relationship between the human body and its soul. The human brain seems to operate almost
like a machine, but it is also the source of non-machine-like things such as emotion and
morality. I had grown more and more curious, as the course progressed, about the relationship
between our rationality and feeling. It is an attractive subject to me because it lies between
philosophy and science. Even though what we have in this field is mostly technical observation
at this point, I believe this observation can help me to proceed and dig into my question if I can
keep up with curiosity and passion.
I have to admit that taking this course as a Johnnie was not easy. After accustoming myself to
the way of education at St. John’s, going back to the conventional way of learning was
challenging. I had a hard time trying to memorize a lot of facts to take quizzes and tests.
However, it was a great reminder for me about the world I will be going into after St. John’s, and
I have to wrestle with the questions and desire for certain knowledge myself without a
community like St. John’s. I would recommend this course to any student who is interested in
neuroscience and to those who want to get a taste of the world outside our St. John’s bubble.
7
�Isabella Kiedrowski ‘23
Northwestern University School of
Professional Studies, Evanston, IL
Course: Museum Studies (online)
Instructor: Caroline Goldthorpe
Duration: June-August 2022
Certificate of Completion
This summer, I completed an important step towards
my chosen career. I’ve wanted to work as a museum
curator—specifically in Dress and Textiles—since I
was sixteen. Early in my Junior year, I started
looking around at museum job openings, just to see
what the requirements were. All of them required
some degree of formal training, which despite the
archival and museum work I’ve done to date, I did
not have.
Having grown up down the road from Northwestern,
I knew that their School of Professional Studies
offered a Museum Studies Certificate, specifically
geared towards individuals looking to start careers in
the museum industry. A major draw for me was also
that the instructor, Caroline Goldthorpe, is a former
Dress and Textiles Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. The course itself is in three parts, meant to be taken over the course of eighteen
months—I decided that I could probably do it in six. I took my first course—Successful Museum
Management—in the spring, and took the two remaining courses—Museum Origins & Issues,
and Learning & Museums—over the summer, as part of my Pathways fellowship.
Taking this certificate course was a wonderful experience, one which I would highly recommend
to anyone trying to gain further experience in the museum field. Having wanted to work in
museums since I was sixteen, I can’t say that my career goals have changed as a result of my
fellowship, but they have certainly solidified. Taking this course gave me the confidence to apply
for—and to get!—my first museum job this summer; my museum director turned out to be a
graduate of the same program.
I entered this program rather unsure of how being a Johnnie would impact my learning
experience. It was the first time in several years that I’d cracked open a textbook, but I found
that approaching the readings the way I might a Program book made me think more deeply
about the subject than I might have otherwise. Since one of the courses centered around the idea
of learning and museums, I got to think about the difference between learning and education,
and which one is more appropriate in a museum context. Coming from the St. John’s
background, I think I was uniquely prepared to contemplate the subject of learning, and to put
some of my philosophically grounded notions into practice.
The highlight for me this summer was probably the fieldwork associated with the courses. Every
week, I was assigned a type of museum to visit—art, living history, science (just to name a few)—
and write a report on the experience. I started looking at museum visits from more than just a
visitor’s perspective, and I think I can say quite confidently that I will never look at museums the
same way again. Every visit solidified my desire to work in museums, and to continue my
mission towards eventually becoming a Dress and Textiles Curator.
8
�Hyojeong Lee ‘23
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Course: Human Happiness
Instructor: Eugene Hightower
Duration: July 5-August 12, 2022 (6 weeks)
Credits: 3
From the week of July 5 until August 11, 2022, I
was enrolled in a psychology class at UC
Berkeley. The course took an interdisciplinary
approach to an understanding of happiness. The
course first reviewed different treatments of
happiness. The course covered the concepts of
the good life in ancient Greek, a view of
Christianity, the East Asian philosophies, and
the ideas about happiness that emerged in the
age of Enlightenment. With these different
perspectives, the class learned treatments of
happiness in the behavioral sciences,
evolutionary scholarship, and neuroscience.
The program was different from St. John’s in a
way in that it was textbook-based lecture style. It
was interesting to have such a different style of learning experience, having a professor lecturing
in a big classroom. My learning at St. John’s College helped me to engage in class regularly by
asking questions and answering questions that were being discussed. As the class dealt with
both west and east philosophy, my background knowledge of western philosophy I received
from St. John’s helped me to have a better understanding of both as I was able to compare and
contrast differences and similarities between them.
My goal stays the same, pursuing a career in psychology. Even though I was always interested in
psychology, this was my first time taking a formal class. As it was a beginner’s course, it will not
meet a requirement for a future grad school program, however, this was a good opportunity for
me to explore the field of psychology.
It was fascinating to learn about the human mind through scientifically proven theories and
different psychological approaches of the same matter. Studying about the human mind helped
me with my personal growth as I was able to apply the theories I learned in class into my life. I
would recommend this program to those who are interested in psychology. It was a good class
for beginners, and a good time to think about what happiness is, which we all are pursuing.
9
�Jungeun Lee ‘22
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD
Course: Statistics (MAT 135)
Instructor: Jennifer Birdsell
Duration: 10 weeks, June 15-August 16, 2022
Credits: 3
I spent 10 weeks taking a basic Statistics course
at Anne Arundel Community College located in
Arnold, Annapolis. The course was a 100%
online and asynchronized class. I could decide
when to study the assignments and when to take
the tests within certain deadlines. I studied the
materials including quizzes through AACC
online self-paced learning modules, Pearson
Canvas. Sometimes the modules do not give you
a satisfying explanation for the question. But you
can always visit the professor's virtual office or
send an email about your questions. Other tutors
are available to help you as well—like a math
assistant at SJC. The midterm and the final
require in-person tests. If you have a legitimate
reason, you can have one remote test proctored
by the professor. AACC is one of the most
affordable colleges around the Maryland area,
even though there are no tuition discounts for
international students.
During my senior year, I started to consider
psychology as one of my ‘viable’ career paths.
When I was searching for grad schools, I realized
that it is important to know if I feel comfortable about using basic statistics skills for my
psychology research. You don’t have to be a statistics expert, but basic statistics courses are a
prerequisite for some schools. I decided to take the 101 course to figure out if I could learn the
basic concepts.
The course did not have an emphasis on specific areas such as business or research. It was
definitely helpful to see a bigger picture of how statistics are being involved in our daily lives.
When I was reading business related or research-based articles, some of the technical terms
sounded familiar to me after taking this course. However, it did not teach me how I can actually
use statistics when I conduct a survey.
I recommend Statistics (MAT 135) to students who are planning to apply for grad schools which
require basic stat skills, not limited to psychology. I do not recommend this course if you want to
or have to conduct your own research for your internship or job. If you are somehow familiar
with the basic terms or concepts, you might be disappointed about the practicality of the course.
The content will be mathematically easy for all Johnnies and professors highly recommend
students use technology.
10
�Jake Lees ‘23
Worcester Polytechnic
Institute, Worcester, MA
Course: Modern Physics
Instructor: Professor Raisa Trubko
Duration: 5 weeks
(July 11-August 12, 2022)
Credits: 3
My course this summer met four
days per week, with
lecture/discussion classes on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays, and a laboratory class on
Thursdays. I enrolled in this
course for two primary reasons;
both stemming from my aspiration
to eventually work in a physics
laboratory after graduating from St. John’s College. The first reason was to become more
familiar with the equipment, software, and practices of a modern laboratory. Having been a
laboratory assistant at St. John’s for two years, I had some experience in this already, and by the
end of this year I will have been a laboratory assistant for three years, but the St. John’s
laboratory program fundamentally lacks many aspects of modern research laboratories,
especially regarding the use of computer software. The second reason was to become familiar
with how modern physics material is taught at a more traditional, science-driven institution, as
well as how students in this kind of program think. This was because I wanted an idea of where
other college graduates interested in physics careers are coming from. I did not take this class
for the credits, nor is there any graduate school or occupational requirement I hoped to meet by
taking this course.
Both of my goals were met somewhat, but not to my complete satisfaction. There were four labs
throughout the five-week course, including identifying the analog of the photoelectric effect in
LEDs and measuring the spectral lines of gasses to calculate Rydberg’s constant. I became
familiar with the use of the equipment for these labs, but I was disappointed with the sparse use
of modern software programs. In addition, while the students I met gave me some idea of the
kind of person who’s interested in the same fields of science as me, the class was small, so I did
not get to know as many students as I would have liked to. I learned a lot about the world of
modern physics – special relativity, blackbody radiation, Compton scattering, the photoelectric
effect, wave-particle duality, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, etc.—but this material is
mostly covered in the Senior Laboratory at St. John’s.
I am glad I took this course because it gave me much knowledge of the equations in modern
physics, which I’ll come to understand more deeply through Senior Laboratory, and because this
course reinvigorated my passion for science. Surprisingly, the most substantial benefit I got
from this course was in how to write an official lab report. While I’ve written lab reports for
many years and I have a good sense for what content is required, I learned through this course
how to lay out that content in an accessible and proper way, using online tools that were new to
me such as overleaf.com. To a student whose goals are the same as mine were, I would not
recommend taking this course. However, if one wishes to participate in interesting laboratory
experiments, or supplement their learning in Senior Laboratory, or simply learn the vernacular
and propriety of modern science, then this course may interest them.
11
�Elizabeth Mueller ‘23
British American Dramatic Academy, London, UK
Course: Greek Theatre: From the Ancient World to the Modern, Through Theory and
Performance
Instructor: Paul O’Mahoney
Duration: 4 weeks
77 hours of contact work with 90 hours of individual work (proof of attendance provided)
While St. John’s has turned out to be the perfect
college for me, it surprised many people in my
life that I had not gone to an acting or music
conservatory. I am known in my community as a
performer and a lover of the arts, so when I
chose to spend these four years in an intellectual
environment, many were concerned that I
wouldn’t be happy. A Johnnie’s workload is
heavy, so I can only devote myself to intense
musical and theatrical pursuits during the
annual summer break. While this arrangement
has been alright, I have sometimes worried that
because I can never pursue both interests
simultaneously, my artistic and intellectual sides
must be incompatible. I worried that any career
I pursued would only satisfy one part of me.
With the help of the Pathways Fellowship, I
traveled this past summer to Greece and
England to partake in a month-long program for
the analysis and performance of Aeschylus,
Euripides, and Sophocles. As a Freshman
reading the Oresteia, I never would have
imagined that I’d have the opportunity to visit
Clytemnestra’s tomb in person, see the ancient
theatre at Epidaurus, or wander around the
same Delphi I’d read about. I got to discuss these texts while sitting in the very places the plays
were set, or theatres where they would originally have been performed. But beyond this work,
which is not unlike what I do at St. John’s, I learned to read the text as an intellectual for the
sake of its artistic value. I acted every day and worked with fabulous coaches to bring out layers
in the text I could never have found except through performance.
I see now, because of this program, that trying to put my artistic intuitions aside in the St.
John’s classroom will not only limit me but will limit the discussion. To think of a play as just
words on a page, we discard much of the truth of the thing and ignore the tools that the
playwright, as well as its original performers, make available to us through movement and
sound. A play cannot be truly investigated, I believe, from either the performative or the
intellectual standpoints, but it is through both, together, that we may approach a play in its
wholeness. I don’t worry anymore about my interests being divided, for it is the text I care
about, and it is in the text that they unite. Thank you.
12
�Joseph Padgett ‘23
Peabody Institute, Baltimore, MD
Jacobs School of Composition, Indiana
University (online)
Courses: Private Voice Lessons / Composition
Academy
Instructors: Christopher Corelli / Benjamin
Taylor and Corey Chang
Duration: 8 weeks / 8 weeks
Through the Pathways Program, I took a singing
and composition course over the summer, which
together where revelatory in my understanding
of music. The Composition Academy was aimed
at the composition and performance of a new and
original piece of music, with the masterclasses
covering various aspects of composition, and the
private lessons aimed at editing the piece we
were working on. The lessons included tips for
getting past writer’s block, copyrighting scores,
one lecture on a musical theory (the tone
spectrum theory), and one lesson dedicated to
workshopping our piece with the performers.
These were very helpful, and my only grievance with the program was its limited nature; the
time we worked was short, and we had only one chance to work with the performers before the
performance. From these little vignettes, and from other masterclasses, I discovered that for
myself, composition must be a project or profession aimed at learning about music with other
people—the most brilliant moments of my time in the masterclass were moments like these: one
of my classmates (a 15-year-old no less) would say simply the most remarkably insightful things,
on one occasion about how to succeed at any work; another was a long call I had with Dr. Taylor
about his life as a freelance composer, married and with many children; and an email
correspondence with Dr. Freund after the program finished. In these moments I learned what a
composer must do, and what I must do to be a composer; if I elect to pursue that profession, I
will need to write more music and more about music (every day), and to continue to learn how
music can be arranged and made, since it is under the conditions of learning about music that I
am best able to write.
The voice lessons I took at the Peabody Institute showed me different things, and they too were
helpful, albeit differently. The purpose I had in taking these lessons was twofold—firstly, I was
under the impression I would need to audition for a composition program, and secondly, it
seems proper to me that a composer should have a good command of the instruments he
composes for and with. As a side note, I also thoroughly enjoy using my voice, and have sung
enough at St. John’s to know that I did not have the confidence or projection to sing loudly,
which my teacher made the starting place of singing well. For example, since I sang softly, it was
difficult to hear my inaccuracy, or to discover precisely how bad I am at breathing. Our first
lesson involved a lot of shouting on my part, so that I would learn to open up and release my
voice, and I found this difficult and a good exercise. These first lessons were very difficult for
me, since I do not like loud noises, so making a loud noise with my body was uncomfortable, and
since I was so focused on making an accurate pitch with my voice, I was neglectful of the other
parts of singing. By the end of the eight lessons, I could sing both of these songs reasonably well.
13
�Listening to Mr. Corelli telling me not to hold myself back during our lessons brought to mind a
thought Pascal expressed, “Respect means, putting yourself out there.” This has provoked me to
consider what I want my relation to music to be as a thing which is performed, since I see that I
could, now, become a performer as well as a composer, and I see that this might even be good
practice for me, as I “respect” myself more, and learn better exactly what it is I am meant to do
with my life, as I surely am meant to make music and write it down. To do that, I will want to
learn more music—probably at a school—and to make more music (with musicians). For now
both the singing and composition are bearing rich fruit as a music assistant for the College, and
in the longer term they have provided me with better questions to interrogate the present with.
14
�Dolan Christopher Polglaze ‘24
University of Vienna (Universität Wien)
Vienna, Austria
Course: Intensive German
Instructor: Jose Mertola
Duration: July 5-29, 2022
Credits: 4 ECTS (European Credit Transfer
System)
As I reflect on my summer spent learning the
German language in Vienna, I realize that the
experience has both strengthened and clarified
my desires for my future. I set out on the course
of study with the understanding that knowing
German would serve me well since I plan to
dedicate my future to environmental law or
international policy work, since Germany has
recently emerged as a world-model for
environmental policy. Over the course of the
summer, however, my love of the German
language itself blossomed in a way that I could
not entirely have expected. I became enamored
with the linguistic structures and mode of
expression that the German language embodies.
I found myself sitting in various cafes translating German poetry as best I could, and eagerly
trying to express myself in German whenever I had the opportunity. I am grateful that I have
begun this journey not only for the sake of my future career, but also for the sake of the language
itself. Leaving Austria, I was filled with an eager desire to return and continue to deepen my
relationship with the German language. I feel my life will be infinitely enriched by the
experience that I began this summer.
The language program itself was phenomenal. Even though I was spending four hours a day in
class, I always felt motivated by the progress I was making, and the teacher was both
entertaining and serious in perfect proportion. The language center (Sprachenzentrum) at the
University of Vienna is an established and well-run institution, and I would highly recommend
their courses to any students considering a German language course.
My St. John’s education improved my experience in a few notable ways. I think that St. John’s
always asks us not to simply take each reading as it is, but to always go deeper and to ask
ourselves how the work relates to our own being. I quickly followed that same wisdom as I began
to learn German: I practiced speaking and translation constantly, even though the process was
often difficult and certainly humbling. The conviction that St. John’s has built in me helped me
to be a better, more interested student even outside the context of the St John’s classroom.
15
�James Siranovich ‘22
European-American Musical Alliance (EAMA), Paris, France
Course: Orchestral and Operatic Conducting Program
Instructor: Dr. Mark Shapiro, conductor and teacher
Certificate
For the second summer in a row, I had the privilege
of working with EAMA faculty on conducting,
harmony, counterpoint, analysis, and general
musicianship. EAMA was started 27 years ago by Dr.
Philip Lasser, longtime Professor at the Juilliard
School, and is very much committed to teaching in
the tradition of the late Nadia Boulanger (18871979), one of the finest musicians and teachers of the
20th century. Mlle. Boulanger took a “Johnnie”
approach to music, whether she was aware of our
College or not. Harmony, counterpoint, analysis,
conducting, and composition were all integrated,
such that all aspects of her program reinforced one
another. She firmly believed that every musician,
whether professional or amateur, should have the
same rigorous training that a composer receives, and
should learn to think as a composer thought. Above
all, the teaching of music was never to be divorced
from sound; Boulanger had little interest in purely
academic writings on music, although she was a
brilliant scholar herself.
As at our College, all students at EAMA are required
to sing in Chorale. Our unofficial theme song, “Sicut
cervus”, was included in the long and diverse repertoire list. Chorale met twice a week for four
weeks, and we gave a good concert on the penultimate night of the program. Composers,
conductors, teachers, and chamber musicians all had masterclasses specific to their disciplines,
but otherwise we were all enrolled in the same harmony and counterpoint classes, and attended
the same analysis lectures, although there were different levels of classes according to ability.
My career goals remain the same—to make music at the highest possible level, and to join the
faculty of our College. The teachers were so extraordinary, and often operated more in ‘tutor’
than ‘professor’ mode, that I feel the EAMA studies have helped me come closer to both my career
goals.
I heartily recommend EAMA—the Summer Institute, the online Academy, or both—to any
Johnnie of a musical bent who wishes to learn craft, to go deeper into what we explore in
Freshman Chorus and the Sophomore Music tutorial. Even after years as a professional musician,
I found that my mental hearing and general musicianship improved exponentially, and in fact I
am enrolled in some Academy classes now, and plan to go back to Paris next summer to continue.
Please feel free to reach out!
16
�Lirian Selene Spolaore ’23
Coursera, California
Mountain View, California (online)
Course: Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design
Instructor: Google
Duration: Self-paced
Certification of Completion
Thanks to the Pathways Fellowship, I had the
opportunity of taking a course on User Experience
Design through the Stanford-founded website—
Coursera. I recommend the course to whoever is
interested in dipping their toes in the field. The
classes are self-paced and easy to follow. This is very
convenient for students who have other duties to
attend but are still willing and eager to learn more.
However, this course also has peer-reviewed
assignments, so even if it is self-paced you can still
get feedback from students and feel like they are not
on this alone.
I am extremely thankful to the Pathways Fellowship
for allowing me to take this course. I had done a bit
of research on User Experience Design, but there is nothing better than an “on-the-field”
experience to properly learn how a day in the life of a User Experience Designer goes. Although I
did not work in an office or in a start-up company, I still got a feel of what it means to work in the
field. Many UX Designers work from home, and many have to set their schedules based on the
amount of work they have to do; while taking into account that burnout can happen and then they
work accordingly. Through this course, I was not only working from home in a similar
environment, but I also completed some projects that I could then input into a portfolio.
Despite my inexperience at the beginning of this course, by watching the pre-recorded videos,
reading articles, and also taking advantage of the many resources that Google offered, I was able
to enrich my knowledge of the job and also do projects that improved my ability to talk about
UX Design, as well as doing some actual design. I had to do a project in which I interviewed
people through a survey to discover what the target audience of a pre-order album app would be
and what their needs and struggles would be so that I could create their personas—fictional
characters that have characteristics of the main target audience of a product.
Additionally, I got to learn how to distinguish what good and bad UX design is and how crucial it
can be to daily life. Have you ever pushed a door that you were supposed to pull or tried buying
things online, but the website is so confusing that you have gotten frustrated? All of that is just a
product of bad User Experience Design because UX Design is supposed to help the users to have
the best experience by making it more accessible, user friendly, and considering any difficulties
and struggles that users might face.
I feel like St. John’s has helped me in taking this course by fostering clear thinking and
communication skills, which are most definitely needed in a career like this, since most UX
Designers need to collaborate with multiple people and teams—such as software developers,
stakeholders, product managers, etc. People desperately need assistance in structuring their
work tasks, data, and thinking. I am positive that St. John’s has prepared me well on all the
parts that matter most and are needed in this career.
17
�Honor Stanton ‘23
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Course: Introduction to the American Legal System
Instructor: Professor C. Evan Stewart
Duration: Three-week course and three-week internship
Credits: 4
I first heard of the Cornell Pre-law program and
Internship through the Career Development
Office. I was very interested as I was considering
going into law in the future, something which I
am now more certain about due to the Cornell
course. I was also curious about what a law
course would be like and if I would be able to
adjust from the St. John’s program to a law
school style class. There were some initial
problems, mainly me hearing that the class
would be taught in Socratic method and
assuming it would be analogous to a St. John’s
seminar, rather than each student being quizzed
by the professor on the content of the readings.
Though it was a difficult adjustment from a
discussion-based curriculum to the course’s
method of teaching, St. John’s did prepare me
well for reading cases and parsing through them
for relevant information, something that became
easier and more intuitive as the course went on.
As difficult as it was to take my first pen and
paper exam in four years, St. John’s papers did
prepare me well for the essay portion of the
American Legal System exam, and it was a good
experience of more conventional teaching that showed me that I could, in the future, use what I
learned at St. John’s College in further education. Crucially, the class gave me the chance to see
the bones of cases, what materials lawyers needed to gather, how interviews with witnesses
functioned, and insights into how judges made their decisions. When the course ended and the
internship stage of the program began, I also had the opportunity to ask other lawyers involved
about the law school application process and ask how they had achieved their bar licenses, as
well as see how they operated on a day to day basis. Overall, from the Cornell Pre-law and
Internship program I learned that not only was law something I was interested in, but that it
was something I actively wanted to pursue in the future, and what aspects of law had the most
appeal for me.
I would recommend the program for other students. I found it a valuable experience not only in
the subject matter, but as a way to experience a more conventional college experience within a
shorter time frame, which could be useful for anyone looking at pursuing a further degree. The
program itself, with its combined course and internship, gave me both theoretical knowledge of
law and the chance to see it implemented. For anyone looking into law, this could be an
invaluable experience.
18
�Jessie Tagliani (A22)
Marchutz School of Fine Arts
Institute for American Universities & the
American College of the Mediterranean
Aix-en-Provence, France
Course: Painting 101 and Art Criticism
and Aesthetics
Instructors: O’Neill Cushman and
Pauline Betrancourt
Duration: 6 weeks
Credits: 6
For the last half of this year, I eagerly
awaited the start of summer: I had
decided to enroll in the Marchutz School
of Fine Arts in Aix-en-Provence so that I
could master the basics of oil painting. I
had never seriously painted with oil in my life before, and I wanted to try something new—and
perhaps gain a new skill out of it!
In hindsight, however, learning to paint was just one component of an experience that was
broader, richer, and more exciting than I ever could have anticipated. It turns out that the
Marchutz experience was also one of immersion into the French culture, and an introduction to
a manner of art criticism that will surely serve me for the rest of my life.
With regards to the art course itself, the first two weeks were spent learning how to draw and
copy from the sketches done by the great masters of art—such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh and
Delacroix to name but a few. In doing so, we learned how to correctly place shadows in relation
to the contour lines of the figures and landscapes. Moreover, these exercises meant that we also
got to experience a broad range of styles and manners with which to represent human figures
and landscapes.
All of these practical drawing exercises were getting us ready to take the next step: oil painting in
the landscape itself. At the start of the third week, we received a set of oil paints, an easel, a
palette, several cardboard canvases, two brushes and a backpack to put them all in. For the next
few weeks, we would collect these items at the start of each day and take a 20-minute bus ride
out to the foot of the nearby mountain called Sainte Victoire. There, we proceeded to paint the
surrounding landscape for about 3-4 hours, each day focusing on different motifs or trying out
new techniques.
Over time, I was able to discover my personal style of representing the world around me. In
doing so, this has given me a newfound confidence in myself: I feel like I have discovered a new
tool with which to describe my lived experience (in addition to writing poetry, for instance). It is
a powerful feeling to know that I can share my understanding and insights with other people in
this way, and perhaps help them in as yet unforeseen ways.
The other major component of the Marchutz art course was the introduction to art criticism and
aesthetics: every week, we would read a short text pertaining to the interpretation of art. These
texts were from extremely diverse backgrounds and fields: for instance, we read an essay by
Flannery O’Conner (a famous novelist from the 20th century) as well as an excerpt from Dante’s
Paradiso (the third book in a 15th century Italian poem). However, I came to greatly appreciate
the range of subject material, because it caused me to think much more about art as a broad,
overarching concept instead of being just relegated to a visual format.
19
�Joshua L Tague ‘24
Catholic University of America
Washington, DC (online)
Course: Intensive Elementary Greek
Instructor: Luke Maschue
Duration: Six Weeks
Credits: 6
During the summer course, it was clear
that the grounding principles I had
acquired in the first two years of St. John’s
Greek set me apart. As this Greek course
will likely fill requirements in my graduate
studies, success was quite important. I
believed St. John’s enabled me to reach
top marks in the summer program.
After the Greek course, my goals for the
future remain relatively similar. I still plan
on attending an intensive Greek course
again next summer, since many of the
graduate programs I am considering
require it, but I will also be implementing
further study of a modern language as well
(a common requirement in graduate
programs). I hope to study a modern
language at Middlebury's summer
program.
In review, I would recommend both the Pathways Fellowship and Intensive Greek at Catholic
University, but with one warning, be prepared. The Catholic University program is a challenging
program with large readings and an onslaught of content to attempt to master. With that said, it
is quite rewarding.
The Pathways Fellowship allowed me to test the waters for my future. During the summer
“break” I started a six-credit course as the school year ended. My studies continued and to a
certain extent intensified. This challenge allowed me to push myself and test my ability to
remain focused on my academic pursuits. I am most grateful for the opportunities the Pathways
Fellowship has provided me.
20
�Madeleine Weaver ‘22
Marchutz School of Art, Institute for American Universities & the American College of the
Mediterranean
Aix-en-Provence, France
Course: Painting and Drawing 1 Foundation 107 and Art Criticism and Aesthetics 311
Instructors: O’Neill Cushman and Pauline Betrancourt
Duration: six weeks
Credits: 6
When I first applied to the Pathways
Fellowship I was beginning to feel
that “what’s next” dread that comes
with graduating college. I knew for
certain I wanted to point my compass
towards a career in art; my time at St.
John’s only encouraged my passion
for fine arts in the last few years.
However, “art” encompasses a broad
range of skills and professions and it
is clear in my application essay to this
fellowship that I wasn’t sure what
specifically I wanted to specialize in. I
waffled between curation and
creation, education or restoration.
It wasn’t all uncertainty. I knew what kind of art I liked, I knew I liked to talk about works of art
like we talk about the Great Books, and I knew if I wanted to obtain any kind of degree in fine
arts I would need a certain amount of experience and work for a portfolio. The summer course
offered at Marchutz was the perfect program for what I was certain of. The intensive six-week
class in the south of France explored the masterworks of mainly impressionist painters, held
seminars on works of art and writings on technique, and encouraged and facilitated its students
to practice their own art every single day.
The weekly seminars were always fascinating as the art class ended up being predominantly
people from St. John’s. I feel like this elevated the conversations we would have in class. I felt
particularly confident when I signed up to ask the leading question because l feel my degree
from St. John’s has taught me to read more critically. I felt equipped to unpack questions like
“what makes a work of art?” When reading the letters of Vincent Van Gogh and discussing them
in class, I felt like I could connect with his art on a deeper level. Whatever first drew me to St.
John’s is the same desire I have to stand in front of one painting for hours just talking about it
with others.
Something new that I learned during this course was how to silence that inner critic we all have
to push forward and complete my art. For a couple weeks, we hiked four days a week to
Beaurecueil to paint the landscape (sometimes twice a day to paint the sunset). Our instructors
had us sketch in whatever free time we had. In the silencing of the critic and the new motivation
to make art every single day, I have enough pieces to begin a portfolio, which I had most hoped
to achieve on this trip.
Over these six weeks I found myself mainly drawn to the field trips dedicated to painters who
were known to have been inspired by southern France. As a class we practically traced the
footsteps of Paul Cézanne and had seminars at his old atelier discussing where he could have
21
�stood to paint all his iconic Sainte Victoires. We read the letters of Vincent Van Gogh to his
brother during his years living in Paris, Arles, and Saint Rémy, and then took trips to the latter
two places to discuss the progression of his work. These trips quickly began to pique my interest
in art history. I struggled with history in high school, and though reading the classics helped me
get better acquainted with the subject, I’ve never felt so connected to history than when it is
specifically about art. On the field trip to Arles, following a fascinating conversation wherein the
class had to speculate in what order three of Van Gogh’s “Reaper” were painted, my instructor,
Mr. Cushman mentioned that one of the three paintings was in a small gallery in the middle of a
national park just south of Amsterdam called the Kröller Müller museum.
When planning my trip to France for the Marchutz class I gave myself ten days after the
program to backpack around Europe and ruminate on all that I would learn. As the end of the
program neared and I began planning the rest of my trip, all my desired destinations were
museums around the world. It started with frequenting the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence,
and then it was hearing about the Kröller Müller museum, which holds the second largest
collection of Van Gogh works, behind the Van Gogh museum itself. I booked a stay in Velp,
Netherlands and took a bus to Otterlo where the national park is. I then had the opportunity to
take an enchanting bike ride through the woods to find one of the most beautiful galleries I’ve
ever seen. I ached to see the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam for a deep fondness of Rembrandt and
did so the following day. I mentioned in my application essay having a transcendent experience
in an art seminar in front of Rembrandt’s Bathsheba so I made a stop in Paris for a day and a
half just to go back to the Louvre. I even found the time to stop by the Musée Marmottan Monet,
which is where I truly fell in love with impressionism and specifically Berthe Morisot, the first
female impressionist. On top of those museums I also visited the Arnhem Museum in Arnhem,
Netherlands and the Musée des Beaux Arts and MuCEM (Museum of Civilizations of Europe
and the Mediterranean) in Marseille, France. As I touched back down in America, I realized why
I was drawn to the arts, why I didn’t give up on history, and why I have such reverence for the
classics; I think I have a thing for museums.
Ideally my dream would be to talk about paintings, to lead the tours; a docent. Yet the more I
think about it I would do anything to be a part of a museum. I’d train to work security, sit at the
front desk all day, I’d even mop the floors. Of course, I also learned that my educational career is
not going to end with St. John’s. With this newfound fascination with museum curation I want
to pursue a graduate degree in either Art History or Museum Studies. Now that I have
completed this program I now have credits in art centered classes and a burgeoning portfolio
that I am eager to fill should they be requirements. Marchutz, the art school hosting the
program I attended this summer offers an MFA in Art and Art History which includes a work
study semester as a docent. If I can’t find an art school I like in America, I know I can always go
back to France.
Accepting this fellowship allowed me to take a step away from all that post-graduation dread
and really immerse myself in what I truly enjoy doing. It was the perfect opportunity to develop
my independence, and I got the chance to discover what it means to live for my craft, an
experience I can’t recommend enough. Making art, reading about the painters and discussing
their greatest works became a source of clarity for me. I still have a lot of planning to do, but at
least I now know what comes next.
22
�Spencer Wollerton ‘24
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Course 1: Intro to Mathematical Reasoning
Instructor: Ghidewon Abay-Asmerom
Duration: May 23-June 23, 2022
Credits: 3
I took this course to begin completing
prerequisites for a graduate school degree in
Mathematics. The course material for the class
was primarily focused on methods and subjects of
mathematical proofs; for example, the class
covered direct proofs, proofs by contrapositive,
and proofs by contradiction, and then applied
them to problems in algebra, combinatorics, and
set theory. The types of proofs were immediately
familiar from the mathematics course of study at
St. John’s. Proof by Contradiction is, in essence,
just another name for Euclid’s reductio ad
absurdum, wherein the method of proof involves
assuming an alternate to the given statement and
showing its impossibility. Naturally, the St.
John’s curriculum helped massively in proof
structure since Proof by Contrapositive and
Direct Proof are so familiar from Euclid. The
other half of the curriculum was certainly less
familiar to the first two years of our curriculum as
a natural result of the highly geometrical focus,
though even this early into my Junior year I can
recognize some other familiar concepts from the
class, and I expect it shall help me more
throughout the rest of my time at SJC.
It should also be remembered that this course was taken synchronously online. Since it started
so soon after the end of the spring semester here at SJC, I had to keep up the work quite well
with the extremely accelerated pace of the class, since I learned in five weeks what usually gets a
whole semester to sink in. Despite the brutally fast nature of this course, however, it was
definitely very helpful to gain a more complete and varied understanding of proof, and I do
recommend a course of this nature to anyone interested in proofs or sharpening their general
logic, since that is often a natural result of this sort of mathematics.
Course 2: Multivariate Calculus
Instructor: Mark Schwitzerlett
Duration: June 13-August 4, 2022
Credits: 4
Multivariate Calculus is another course I took as a common requirement for higher-level
mathematics, since most senior-year level or higher mathematics courses require extensive
calculus knowledge. This course’s subject matter was wholly focused on vectors and calculus
operations in three-dimensional space, expanding the understanding of calculus from its 2D
groundwork. With differentials and derivatives, the course showed how to do operations with
them in functions with multiple variables, along with some multivariable functions wherein the
23
�variables are themselves defined by other functions. As a result of this, defining functions
implicitly and writing out all the symbols for change in variables, such as dx, dy, and dz, was
very crucial to keeping up with what was going on in a given problem. With integration, on the
other hand, the focus was largely upon using multiple sets of bounds to identify areas, volumes,
and that sort using two or three integrals at a time. The course also encouraged taking other
classes such as Linear Algebra or Differential Equations to get further into some of the concepts
that were necessary for this course, such as functions which were defined using vectors rather
than simply x and y variables of the traditional Cartesian function.
Since this course was longer and required me to be on campus, I got a full experience of VCU as
a student living in a dorm there for the program’s eight-week duration. This also required me to
remain heavily focused on academics throughout the summer, as I was so immersed in the
campus, instead of the traditional summer job or camp. As a result, however, I found myself
somehow less burned out than I expected, since I had to focus myself on a solid routine, which
helped me keep up schedules despite my classes being late on weekday evenings. Though the
schedule itself was certainly difficult at first, this is another course I recommend, for a few other
reasons beyond the simple effect of improving one’s own routine. The aforementioned focus on
implicitly defined differential equations has so far already carried forth well into my Junior
Math course here at SJC with the Leibniz readings, and I suspect it will also help me immensely
in my lab class along with future parts of the math tutorial, just as the set theory from the other
course likely will. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these courses, and feel all the more excited to
focus more on mathematics after I graduate from SJC.
24
�Rose Meien Zhang ‘23
UCLA Extension, Los Angeles, CA (online)
Course: Python Programming
Instructor: Bianca Cung
Duration: June 25-September 3, 2022
Credits: 4
I think my work at St. John’s at first
glance seemed very irrelevant to the
course because it offered a very
systematic way of learning computer
programming. But I found that when
trying to solve problems or write codes
it was a similar process of trying to
solve problems in mathematics
tutorial, and also learning different
commands felt a little like learning
Greek or French so it came rather
naturally.
When I was taking this course, I
wanted to go into astrophysics, trying
to help with Mr. Beall with the
astronomy. But now my career goal
has steered towards medicine and psychiatry after the summer working and taking this course.
However, it has helped me tremendously as I think it’s a good skill to have in my back pocket.
Taking this course broadened my career options after graduating, I can apply for jobs that need
Python skills.
The course helped me learn that I need better time management skills. I’m good at time
management, but I realized there are places to improve upon especially through this course. As I
was working for two departments on campus this summer, I found it hard to keep up with the
course at times. I’ve also learned that I’m not completely lost in learning computer science as I
often dismissed myself as not being mathematical or scientific. I’ve learned that if I give myself a
chance, there’s really nothing I cannot learn.
I think it’s a great program, it’s very straightforward, no discussion, which might be different to
the typical St. John’s experience. But it definitely gave me a good insight into what traditional
college classes are like.
25
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Career Development Office—Annapolis
Description
An account of the resource
Career Development Office (Annapolis) publications including Hodson Internship Reports and Pathways Fellowship Reports.
Click on Items in the Career Development Office Collection to view and sort all items in the collection.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
26 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Pathways Fellowship reports, 2022
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of Pathways Fellowship reports from summer 2022.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Experiential learning
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PathwaysFellowshipReports_2022
Internships
Publication
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/1a6aa0ec10ce71b5a7edc339387c6b6b.pdf
5f64880c729d40c1c3dfaac4ecc60623
PDF Text
Text
Hodson
Internship
Reports
Summer 2022
Annapolis, Maryland
�Hodson Internship Reports
Summer 2022
Table of Contents
Page
Overview of Hodson Internship Projects
4
Laurali Breeden ’25
8
Clarece Collins ’22
10
Elizabeth Dowdy ’23
11
Agnes Galvin ’23
12
Jakob Garvey ’22
14
Georgia Green ’25
16
Catherine Greer ’25
18
Noah Hale ’23
20
Nelli Harutyunyan ’24
21
Rachel Hauben ’25
22
Zeinep Ibragim Kyzy ’24
24
Gelila Kebede ’25
26
Levan Kiladze ’22
28
Classical Academic Press, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Woodside on the Move, New York, New York
Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland
City of Annapolis, Dept. of Planning & Zoning, Annapolis, Maryland
Leela Market, Scottsdale, Arizona
Office of U.S. Senator Wyden, Washington, DC
Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio
Chesapeake Bay Media, Annapolis, Maryland
FLEX, American Councils for International Education, Yerevan, Armenia
Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
Plant-for-the-Planet, Uffing, Germany
MCRC (Mother and Child Rehabilitation Centre), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ministry of Culture, Sports, & Youth of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
1
�Mia Kobylski ’23
30
Daryl Locke ’23
32
Nathaniel Martin ’24
33
Isabel McDonald ’23
35
Juana Melendez ’22
36
Grace Miller ’23
37
Madelyn Minor ’24
38
Monica Molina ’22
40
Tom Ni ’23
41
Isabel Olavides ’25
42
Lysithia Page ’23
43
Dion Adora Paun ’25
45
William Payne ’22
46
Theodora Reiter ’25
48
Elsa Risgin ’22
49
Jacob Rowley ’23
51
Kabita Sen ’23
53
House of Ruth, Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, Baltimore, Maryland
Touchstone Gallery, Washington, DC
Historic Annapolis, Annapolis, Maryland
Ayuda, Maryland Immigration Legal Program, Silver Spring, Maryland
Ki Smith Gallery, New York, New York
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Dept. of Neurology, Washington, DC
Cornell University, Experience & Cognition Lab, Ithaca, New York
Calloway Fine Art & Consulting, Washington, DC
Office of Congressmen Steny Hoyer, White Plains, Maryland
Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Parental Defense Division, Baltimore, Maryland
Touchstones Discussion Project, Stevensville, Maryland
Hertog Foundation, Washington, DC
Kidd Restoration Studios/Archival Arts Inc., Baltimore, Maryland
Boston University, Social Learning Lab, Boston, Massachusetts
Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland
Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Parental Defense Division, Baltimore, Maryland
Tomorrow’s Women, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2
�Sarah Thyer ’25
55
Felix Tower ’25
56
Ian Walker ’22
58
Cynthia Wu ’23
60
Jingyi Zhang ’23
61
Office of Rep. Tavia Galonski, Ohio House of Representatives, Columbus, Ohio
New Bay Books, Tracy’s Landing, Maryland
Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons, Maryland
The Kay and Prendergast Labs, Institute for Mind & Biology,
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
YK Law, New York, New York
3
�Overview of the 2022 Hodson Internship Awards
Laurali Breeden ’25, Classical Academic Press, Camp Hill, PA
Create lesson outlines and quizzes for online video course materials; provide logistical support for
new course content with visiting presenters; edit and post video captions for lectures and help in
other projects as needed.
Clarece Collins ’22, Woodside on the Move, New York, NY
As a policy intern, gain first-hand practical experience in policy advocacy and civic engagement at
the local level; assist in the creation of permanent Arts & Cultural program, and represent Woodside
on the Move on monthly government committee meetings regarding Arts & Culture. Assist with
multicultural community outreach regarding 1-2 specific policy initiatives that impact Woodside
and Western Queens. Assist with the creation of organizational 1-pagers and social media slides
regarding public policy and current legislation.
Elizabeth Dowdy ’23, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
Work in Digital Acquisitions researching court records through online and original indices and
indexing records material for a grant project.
Agnes Galvin ’23, City of Annapolis, Dept. of Planning & Zoning, Annapolis, MD
Gain experience in various aspects of city planning while assisting the City of Annapolis with
projects that advance its comprehensive planning goals. Participate in meetings; research best
practices in bike/pedestrian planning and design; perform fieldwork and data collection to
document existing conditions in the city related to housing, infrastructure, etc. and provide an
analysis of existing conditions; write; design infographics, & provide outreach as needed.
Jakob Garvey ’22, Leela Market, Scottsdale, AZ
Experience the operational and “back of house” structures of owning and developing a small
business in the world of fashion and retail by providing a deeper knowledge of business ownership;
work on the sales floor; assist with operational duties; and attend buying meeting and markets.
Georgia Green ’25, Office of U.S. Senator Wyden, Washington, DC
Gain skills in political communications: draft press releases and social media posts, conduct media
monitoring, research and distribute press clips; work closely with the communications team on
specialized projects, draft quotes for the Senator; clip/edit videos, and create digital content.
Catherine Greer ’25, Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
As collections intern, work with the Senior Collections Manager and the Curators to learn how to
care for art in a professional setting. Document and catalog art; design and hang exhibits and
galleries; input data into the museum’s collection management system; and learn the general
workings of an art museum in preparation for graduate studies and a career in art conservation.
Noah Hale ’23, Chesapeake Bay Media, Annapolis, MD
Work with multiple departments within the CBM organization, with a focus on writing stories for
publication, editing, proofreading, crafting social media content, and story generation for CBM Bay
Weekly, Bay Bulletin, and Chesapeake Bay Magazine. Attend editorial or other planning meetings.
Nelli Harutyunyan ’24, FLEX, American Councils for International Education,
Yerevan, Armenia
Help in preparing and organizing the Pre-Departure Orientation for the FLEX Program finalists
from Armenia (49 students); assist in answering inquiries about the Program; social media of the
Program, share ideas; and assist in the departure travel organizational tasks.
4
�*Rachel Hauben ’25, Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation, Drexel Hill, PA
As marketing and communications intern, engage in social media management for multiple
accounts across several platforms; copywrite and edit press release and marketing materials;
develop and execute strategies to sell theater tickets; work to increase marketability of donor ready
materials; solicit sponsorships and help bring business partners to the organization.
*Zeinep Ibragim Kyzy ’24, Plant-for-the-Planet, Uffing, Germany
Assist legal and media team with drafting legal documents; intercultural mediation and translation;
legislative and environmental research; organize fundraising calls and meetings; arrange
international social gatherings to attract donors; participate in meetings; and contribute ideas for
design and slogans.
Gelila Kebede ’25, MCRC (Mother and Child Rehabilitation Centre),
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Gain experience teaching children various subjects; help create a bridge with a local high school and
a rehabilitation center to increase the number of students volunteering at MCRC.
Levan Kiladze ’22, Ministry of Culture, Sports, & Youth of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
Participate in the ongoing work and projects of the Ministry; assist in both project and event
management and research; attend and participate in international meetings as well as meetings
with Georgian government officials.
Mia Kobylski ’23, House of Ruth, Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, Baltimore, MD
Receive training on the dynamics of intimate partner violence (IPV) and civil legal remedies
available to victims of IPV; complete client intake interviews and observe civil protective order and
criminal proceedings; and complete a research project.
Daryl Locke ’23, Touchstone Gallery, Washington, DC
Participate in gallery administration, art installation, and exhibit design; create and post social media
content; update the gallery website; complete a project or event related to personal interest; and gain
an overall experience of the visioning and planning in a gallery from marketing to execution.
Nathaniel Martin ’24, Historic Annapolis, Annapolis, Maryland
As an education intern, will focus on research to increase social media presence with expanded
articles on subjects highlighted in the Museum of Historic Annapolis' exhibit, "Annapolis: An
American story." Research people, places, and events; write posts; and find coordinating images for
the content created; lead tours and education and public programs while assisting with program
planning and set-up; gain an overall understanding of a non-profit preservation organization.
Isabel McDonald ’23, Ayuda, Maryland Immigration Legal Program, Silver Spring, MD
Take part in administrative duties in the Maryland Immigration Legal Program; assist staff
attorneys; gain an extensive understanding of direct legal services work.
Juana Melendez ’22, Ki Smith Gallery, New York, NY
Work closely with artists, collectors, and the community in a space that supports new and diverse
forms of visual art; participate in projects that include event planning, gallery maintenance,
exhibitions and development. Assist in communication projects by organizing the email list; write
news and media articles as well as become familiar with gallery work in New York City.
Grace Miller ’23, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Dept. of Neurology,
Washington, DC
Focus on understanding and addressing ongoing health disparities in the MS population in the DMV;
assist in analyzing racial and ethnic demographic patterns; collect demographic data; identify, apply,
5
�and assess strategies to address gaps in treatment; increase health literacy with a focus on DEI;
participate in team meetings as well as shadow clinical providers as they interact with patients.
Madelyn Minor ’24, Cornell University, Experience & Cognition Lab, Ithaca, NY
Receive a boot camp of online tutorials in statistics and computer programming and additional
training in Human Subjects procedures; recruit participants for studies; review background
literature; program and analyze data for projects; attend lab meetings; and explore major unsolved
problems in cognitive sciences.
Monica Molina ’22, Calloway Fine Art & Consulting, Washington, DC
Gain an understanding of best practices for exhibition production; inventory, catalog, and participate in
maintenance of gallery exhibitions; assist with errands and office responsibilities including scanning,
filing, and archiving paperwork along with custom framing and daily gallery operations.
Tom Ni ’23, Office of Congressmen Steny Hoyer, White Plains, MD
Assist in the everyday operations of a congressional office: process mail, answer phones, write
correspondence, plan and attend meetings, briefings, and hearings; and assist in guided tours.
Isabel Olavides ’25, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Parental Defense
Division, Baltimore, MD
Assist trial attorneys in the client-centered and team-based representation of OPD clients in the
representation of adult and juvenile clients in criminal cases; become fully incorporated into OPD’s
innovative and strategic approach to aggressive litigation and comprehensive advocacy.
*Lysithia Page ’23, Touchstones Discussion Project, Stevensville, MD
Conduct educational research, specifically discussion-based learning; provide summer programming
to youth in local communities; participate in educator workshops and training in the Touchstones
method; help with adult and volunteer engagement; receive database and systems training including
topics in non-profit management and social-venture non-profit structures and operations.
Dion Adora Paun ’25, Hertog Foundation, Washington, DC
Assist in keeping a careful record of incoming fellows, new alumni, guest speakers, and program
faculty; assist in the execution of four online "Summer Courses"; act as a resource and office
representative for the Summer Course teaching assistants; create, edit, and provide final review of
documents for the summer programs; provide data management of ongoing project involving 10 years
of applicant data.
*William Payne ’22, Kidd Restoration Studios/Archival Arts Inc., Baltimore, MD
Experience hands-on fine art restoration along with digital restoration and reproduction; receive
instruction in the: assessment of damage and required repairs for works of fine art, including oil
and acrylic paintings, works on paper, fabric, gilded and painted frames, and decorative objects.
Learn the use and handling of relevant tools, methods for formulating and testing various solvents,
hands-on cleaning, and methods for repairing a variety of damage. Receive fine art training in
painting and sculpting methods, particularly as it applies to in-painting and restoration of missing
elements of works of art.
Theodora Reiter ’25, Boston University, Social Learning Lab, Boston, MA
Gain experience with psychological research in education and social cognition, including
community outreach and participant recruitment, online and in-person data collection with young
children and adults, stimuli creation, and data analysis.
6
�Elsa Risgin ’22, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
Participate in the Quality Assurance review of scanned microfilm prior to its upload the its
electronic repository; digitize records from two major collections and digitize records requested by
the general public.
Jacob Rowley ’23, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Parental Defense Division,
Baltimore, MD
As a legal aide, interview clients and witnesses; consult on case strategy; conduct previous case
research; read relevant records (e.g. medical records), and compose legal briefs to aid in cases
involving parental and guardianship rights, CINA (Child In Need of Assistance) determinations, and
permanency plans (adoption, shared guardianship, reunification, etc.)
Kabita Sen ’23, Tomorrow’s Women, Santa Fe, NM
Provide program and administrative support; work in volunteer management, fundraising, education
and outreach, marketing, and organizational development.
Sarah Thyer ’25, Office of Rep. Tavia Galonski, Ohio House of Representatives,
Columbus, OH
Research potential or existing legislation, compiling information on key provisions, similar bills in
other states, and potential interested parties; write various texts, including press releases; and view
civil and criminal justice committee sessions.
Felix Tower ’25, New Bay Books, Tracy’s Landing, MD
Contribute to all facets of publishing, especially poetry, throughout the publishing process,
beginning with consideration of manuscripts, editing while keeping in mind the writers’ sensitivity
and voice, and understanding target audiences. Learn careful proofing; marketing; and patience
with arcane practices.
Ian Walker ’22, Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons, MD
Assist with school tours, youth and adult programs, and special events; help with planning and
implementation of educational programs and with conducting tours and programs on the
lighthouses, oyster house, discovery room, marsh walk, small craft shed, and other museum
exhibits. Spend time with each museum department: paleontology, maritime history, and estuarine
biology, learning how they operate to create and maintain museum exhibits; participate in animal
care, excavating fossils, or working on boats.
*Cynthia Wu ’23, The Kay and Prendergast Labs, Institute for Mind & Biology,
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Train in several aspects of conducting behavioral and electrophysiological research with rats,
including daily care and socialization with rats, recording brain signals and running operant
training sessions with rats. Run a semi-independent study involving passive presentation of
odorants and assist in rat electrode implant surgeries; read and present papers.
Jingyi Zhang ’23, YK Law, New York, NY
Perform legal research; learn about the law profession; and take part in litigation and transactional
matters.
*Hosted by an SJC alumnus/a
7
�Laurali Breeden ‘25
Classical Academic Press
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
While interning at Classical
Academic Press, a publishing
company that specializes in
producing classical materials for
homeschoolers and educators, I
worked with leading educators in the
renewal of classical education and
was given ample room to explore my
interests in graphic design, writing,
and the inner workings of a
publishing company.
Jesse Hake, the director of
ClassicalU.com and my mentor for
this summer, has assigned me tasks
that have included supporting
customers of Classical Academic
Press’ online teacher training platform, aiding in the creation of a new subdivision of the
company called TrueNorth.fm (a podcasting network), and listening to classical materials for
new online courses. I have not only learned about how a publishing company functions and
expands throughout years of being in business, but I have also been given the opportunity to
learn more about the history of classical education and the renewal of classical methods of
educating students. Many of ClassicalU.com’s online courses cover information on how various
subjects in K-12 schools can be taught classically and how ancient philosophers like Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle have shaped the morals and values of the classical education system.
After completing a year of education at St. John’s, I found that I was able to accurately describe
the goals and methods of classical education while discussing the model with my co-workers.
Experiencing classical education as a student and studying the Great Books has prepared me to
work in a similar environment to Classical Academic Press as St. John’s has expanded my
critical thinking skills and has fostered invaluable communication skills. The challenging
education at St. John’s has also resulted in an acute sense of work ethic and it has equipped me
with the ability to balance many tasks at once.
In working with the course development team at Classical Academic Press to enhance older
lessons and create new content, I have learned more about my own educational values and I
have developed further reasons for attending St. John’s College by hearing educators
experienced in the realm of classical education discuss the importance of a well-rounded and
thoughtful education. The team at Classical Academic Press has integrated me into their office
and I have attended several company meetings, worked with many divisions of the office, and I
have become the point of contact for various jobs and communications. I have learned about the
inner workings of office hierarchies, and I have enjoyed the intricacies that go into the social
aspects of working with many groups of people. Additionally, I felt like an essential part of the
office every day I worked there due to how my co-workers and supervisor treated me as an
equal. The only negative aspect that I experienced during my internship were that the dynamics
that contributed to what tasks I was assigned occasionally seemed more complicated than
necessary. Early in the internship, there was an incident where a co-worker asked me to change
details on the ClassicalU website that the owner of the company would not have approved of and
8
�Jesse stepped in before I started working on this task. The simple solution to avoid this
happening in the future was to consult Jesse about tasks that were assigned to me by other
people and this method worked perfectly for the rest of my internship.
Though I was primarily interested in teaching before starting my internship, my focus has now
shifted to impacting the classical education movement through supporting companies like
Classical Academic Press. I greatly admire those who enter the teaching field and I want to
support classical educators in any way I can. Moving forward, my mentor has invited me to work
part-time for Classical Academic Press during the next academic year, allowing me to stay in the
field that I wish to explore further. I have no doubt that Classical Academic Press has, and will
continue to, open new doors for me in the realm of classical education and I am excited to see
where these new opportunities will take me.
9
�Clare Collins ‘22
Woodside On The Move
New York, New York
This summer, I worked full time as a policy intern at
Woodside on the Move in Queens, New York. I worked
closely with the executive director, Steven Raga, who
acted as my mentor for the internship.
The majority of my daily work consisted in conducting
research for the purpose of policy driven initiatives to
better the community of Woodside, Queens. Each day,
the group of policy interns that I was a part of would
conduct research both online and in person by
reaching out to other activist groups and other locals
about what issues they faced. We spoke to people at
many different community events, from political
protests and demonstrations to community picnics and
even candlelight vigils. We then worked together to use
this information to write legislation that would address
the issues at hand. The conversation skills I developed
through my classes at St. John’s helped immensely with this portion of the work. The writing
skills I developed through my three years at St. Johns had me eager to help out with the bill
writing that would happen later.
My favorite thing about this internship was the creative freedom it allowed me when taking on
projects. All of my ideas were welcomed and encouraged, as long as I could coordinate their
execution. This environment allowed me to take the lead in many different situations, allowing
me to use all of my strengths to their full potential. In my next employer, I will look for the same
type of trust that Steven and the rest of my team placed in my abilities to perform.
This internship was my first experience working in nonprofits. What I enjoyed the most about
non profit work was the impact we made on a local level. I could clearly see the need for the
work that we were doing. For example, one project my team took on had to do with the effects of
hurricane Ida. Last year, when hurricane Ida hit New York, 13 people died in Queens from
drowning in their homes because they were living in illegal basement apartments. My team
worked together to draft a bill that would legalize all basement apartments in New York city so
that these tenants may receive better protection from insurance companies and government
agencies from future floods. I felt that this was incredibly important because climate change is
making hurricanes more and more common.
The least enjoyable aspect of this campaign was the bureaucratic aspect of legislative work. While
the research aspect is interesting and enjoyable, a lot of grunt work is required when writing an
actual piece of legislation in order to properly draft a bill that would actually be considered by a
lawmaker. The process of drafting a policy-based initiative therefore required us to be extremely
meticulous when choosing how to word things throughout every step of the process.
Overall, this internship was a memorable experience that helped me learn a lot about nonprofit
work and about myself. The Hodson trust gave me the means to secure housing after graduating
from college and provided me with valuable skills and connections that I gained along the way. I
have the option to continue working here, but for now I am going to take some time to explore
other options. I now feel confident and secure in my abilities to work in the political and
nonprofit world and have a clearer view of my goals for my upcoming career.
10
�Elizabeth Dowdy ‘23
Maryland State Archives
Annapolis, Maryland
My internship this past summer was at the
Maryland State Archives, where I worked in the
criminal records department and the conservation
lab. I enjoyed learning about the different aspects
of the Archives and gaining experience in and
knowledge of various subjects. At the beginning of
the summer I was unaware of all of the diverse
roles the Archives play, but now I have been able
to contribute to a few of them myself and explore
multiple career possibilities.
In the criminal records department I worked on
completing research. There are multiple local and
federal organizations which rely upon the
Archives in order to gain access to information
about an individual’s criminal record and to
complete background checks. My job was to help
find this information. Usually, I was provided
with a name and charge (along with a few other
tidbits) which I needed to confirm by searching
through online databases, files, and criminal
dockets and indices, and then providing proof of
this information to my supervisor. Although it
may not sound too exciting, this work is crucial in
improving Maryland’s safety.
My work in the conservation department was a bit more hands on. For most of the summer I
assisted on the Scharf project, which consisted of cleaning and repairing colonial documents to
ensure the paper was ready to be scanned and could become easily accessible to the public. I
also spent some time processing and organizing items for an Annapolis born musician’s special
collection. I finished out the summer working on a collection of photographs from the early 19th
century, by cleaning and identifying the locations, buildings, and objects in the photographs.
Throughout my ten weeks at the Archives, I liked how most of my work was independent, but
there were moments where teamwork was also necessary. I feel that my time at St. John’s
prepared me to be able to work well independently as well as ask questions and collaborate with
my supervisors and fellow interns when necessary. I will be seeking out this style of work in
future job opportunities. However, I did feel like a lot of my work was repetitive and didn’t
always provide enough challenge. On the whole, I enjoyed my internship and I am grateful for
the experience I was able to gain over the time I spent with the Archives. The knowledge I
gained is invaluable to me and would not have been possible without support from Hodson.
11
�Agnes Galvin ‘23
Annapolis Comprehensive Planning Department, City of Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
As a Johnnie one often feels very alienated from the
rest of Annapolis. Our community even goes so far as
to call itself a “polity'' with the idea being that we're a
city within a city, a world unto ourselves. But, over
the last few years I have become more concerned
with being a good member of that larger community,
not just the SJC polity. When I heard that an
upperclassman I know and respect had interned for
the Annapolis planning department, I thought that it
sounded like a great opportunity to learn more about
this city.
And so, I went into this summer with three main
questions. How do cities work? What makes Annapolis
unique? And, could I imagine myself working in local
government? I was able to explore all of my questions,
and find some new avenues to explore. I got a crash
course in local government, explored more of
Annapolis than I had ever seen before, and learned
about what sort of work I could see myself doing in the
future.
My main activity every week was attending meetings
and site visits. There were countless meetings of commissions, boards, councils, and task forces—
both in-person and virtual. I learned about budgets, event planning, mobility, dining,
transportation, grant writing, and housing. In larger meetings I would sit quietly and listen, not
wanting to be a distraction; but in smaller meetings I was encouraged to participate in the
discussions and share my opinions. I tried to use the lessons I have learned in the classroom to
share my thoughts. Additionally, there were quite a few situations where I was asked for my opinion
as a St. John’s student, because the projects in question directly involved the college. I really
enjoyed learning about all these groups, many of whom are formed solely of volunteers, who help
keep this city up and running.
I also spent much of my time on solo projects that needed research, writing, or design work. One
long term project was a PowerPoint about Annapolis’s new “micro mobility” program that my
supervisor used at a presentation to the Annapolis Transportation Committee. I drafted it as if it
was an essay for school, then mocked it up, then we worked on edits together until we were both
satisfied.
One of my favorite projects was when I was given the opportunity to design a flier for a community
meeting about a new bike path, and then spent a few afternoons stuffing the flier into mailboxes
around the neighborhood and talking to the residents. I really enjoyed exploring new areas of
Annapolis, and figuring out how to maximize turnout for the event.
My biggest writing project was when I wrote an analysis on a community survey about “public water
access” in Annapolis. I was tasked with going through the survey data and figuring out how to
present the results to state legislators. Generally, this meant captioning already existing charts and
pointing to the most interesting data points, sometimes it meant reading hundreds of written
responses and writing a paragraph or so summarizing the various viewpoints, other times I had to
12
�make charts from scratch to show something the other charts didn’t capture. I really enjoyed this
project, taking the data in its chaotic form and turning it into something that tries to capture the
trends while also not losing the nuance.
I have no complaints about the work I was given, or the people I worked with. I did however learn
something important about myself; namely how much I rely on outside imposed structure and firm
deadlines to motivate myself. I did a lot of my work from home, and although I was able to get all
my work done in a timely fashion, the lack of defined structure allowed me to procrastinate more
than I liked. I like having a set schedule, concrete tasks and/or expectations, and clearly defined
deadlines, because then I can organize myself within those parameters.
After my experience this summer I can definitely see myself pursuing opportunities in local
government, and have been researching what sort of position would best suit my strengths. I’ve also
identified some gaps in my skill set (mostly computer/graphics programs) that I’m planning on
working on next summer after I graduate.
13
�Jakob Garvey ‘22
Leela Market
Scottsdale, Arizona
This past summer has been an opportunity to gain
a strong understanding of the inner workings of
resale and small business ownership. Working
alongside the whole team and LeeAnn at Leela
market has been a positive and great experience:
I cannot thank them enough! Day to day functions
allowed me to operate from every position within
the company, positions such as: sales associate,
inventory/stocking, photo taking and marketing,
sales post, following up with customer support,
staging and brand representation, managerial
operations (schedule, employee communication,
restocking, unpacking shipments, etc). These roles
were fundamental to my success in learning to
navigate this field and ultimately launch my own
online store.
My focus again on day to day operations gave me
an inside look at every part of small business
entrepreneurship: the importance of ending every
day strong, properly closing and preparing a store
for the next day, and handling interactions with
grace even at the worst times. Today's success only
comes from consistent practices and careful
preparation leading to it! Staging a store and
product placement also became deceptively
difficult to navigate especially when the transition of summer into fall started. This is difficult
because one has to be able to gradually transition a store into the next phase while still remaining
original and true to the customer base desires/wants of the hot climate. Communicating with
employees and workers was also a great look into the boundaries that need to be set when starting
and owning a small business. The hours are around the clock with 2+ stores open, 10:00-9:00,
every day. The overall experience made it clear a business needs a strong blue-print pre-launch
and that boundary setting needs to happen in the “constitution” and not completely developed as
it goes. That being said, learning a small business mindset and flexibility were some of the greatest
developments and insights that this experience taught me. Some weeks forecast big sales and
others require serious price strategy and specific goals to stay a-float: there is no guaranteed
success at one point or another.
The personal relationships that grow in the small business scene also revealed the importance of a
good relationship between a company entity and a client/customer. The relationships that are
fostered between company and employee, employee and products, and company and consumer
are the most important building blocks for a successful business. LeeAnn was able to mentor me
in this area by simply committing to her business practices and kind treatment to every part of her
business (vendors, admin assistant, sales people, customers, neighbors, community). Leela
Market invests time, money, and love into every part of their surrounding business and the
collaborations they make happen are a testimony to that. Leela Market has a collaboration with St.
Mary's FoodBank: BackPack program where candle sales go directly into the sponsorship of meals
for children in Arizona. Over half of the stores are completely curated and supported by local and
14
�small business owners: Candlemakers, screen printers, wood burners, artisan fragrances, crystals,
cars, cleaning products, accessories, etc. The personal involvement and dedication to communal
betterment are definitely some of the greatest lessons I have learned and cherished from my
experience at Leela Market. The personal investment from a leader has to stand as an example for
everyone else in the company.
The difficulties and hardships of owning a small business of course became apparent with the
experience. The constant communication and need to support staff at all hours of the day
definitely blurs the work and personal boundaries. Being able to support at least two fully staffed
teams at any given moment is not only a lot of pressure but a lot of behind the scenes
organization. The selection and curating process of ordering and working with an artist is also a
big risk and rather difficult. Will this sell? Is their story clear in their work and with our business?
Can we both grow together as a business? Do our connections crossover or appear mutually
beneficial? The balance of personal gain, personal respect, and personal commitment is an
internal ratio I learned and got to talk about from these bigger questions. That being said, these
hardships and discomforts were managed and mitigated by plans in place, certain practices, and
inside tips and tricks from Leeann and the whole team. I am truly grateful for all of them!
I was grateful for my background and educational support from St. John's during this time and
the tools I learned. Being able to ask good questions and comfortable asking bad ones guided me
through as it did in the classroom. Asking questions became the life-force of my internship: from
checking-in with customers, developing relationships with vendors and employees, learning from
Leeann how to balance the chaos, and asking for help when I was lost were hallmark moments I
first started developing with my time at the college. The little Johnnie spirits and attitudes that got
me through my hardest days on campus truly prepared me for the hard days of the “real world.”
With the support and personal development I have made through this internship, I want to
develop my online presence in resale and launch my own small business. This was only made
possible by the support of Hodson Trust and everyone who helped at St. Johns, but of course there
is no denying the incredible support and love I received from LeeAnn and all the great people at
Leela Market. While my work with Leela has come to an end, the support and relationships I have
built with the company will propel me and have prepared me to fight for my own space in
entrepreneurship!
15
�Georgia Green ‘25
U.S. Senate, Office of Senator Ron Wyden
Washington, DC
The first day of my internship, I got off of the
Metro at Capitol South. I walked past the Library
of Congress, past the Supreme Court and the
Capitol Building, gazing up at the monuments I
had seen replicated in history books so many
times before. All I could think of was how
incredibly lucky I was to be there, to be able to
see these buildings on a simple walk to work.
Often, my days at the office started with the
collection of press clips, in which I compiled and
formatted news articles referencing the Senator
into a cohesive email, which was then sent to the
staff of the DC and Portland Offices, as well as the
Democratic staff of the Finance Committee. Then,
I worked on press lists, eventually collecting the
emails of over 500 journalists reporting on issue
areas ranging from reproductive rights to
cryptocurrency legislation.
Writing and research were also key parts of my
work as a press intern. I was responsible for
drafting original quotes, tweets, press releases,
and newsletters for the Senator, as well as
collecting information on his past statements and
legislative action for use in press materials. When my fellow press intern and I worked on
newsletters together, I found that the skills I had gained from language tutorials came into play
more than I expected. When a sentence we wrote felt awkward or grammatically incorrect, I was
able to specifically identify the errors in syntax, explain them, and correct them. I also found
that the flexibility in language I had gained from reading so many different writers was
incredibly helpful, as I began to get used to the different styles of press releases, quotes, and
newsletters. This was especially helpful for the times when I had to write in the Senator’s voice
rather than my own.
Through the course of my internship, I appreciated the mix of individual and group tasks I was
assigned, as well as the convivial nature of the office. My supervisor was incredibly helpful and
responsive when I had questions, and provided constructive feedback on my writing, which I
greatly appreciated. He also made sure that my experience wasn’t confined to the office, but that
I had time to see votes from the Senate Gallery, observe press conferences from Senate
leadership, visit other offices, walk with the Senator to a vote, and even go on tours of the
Capitol Dome and the White House.
This internship was an incredible opportunity, filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences and
remarkable insights into the legislative process. Furthermore, it was an incredibly tumultuous
summer in D.C., as the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and the streets around my
work filled with protesters. Historic legislation was passed—and blocked—and I was glad that, in
small ways, I could do my part to help. I drafted a press release pushing back against the
16
�Supreme Court’s decision, joined protestors on my way back home from work, and talked with
the Senator about how to expand abortion access.
However, I don’t think that my path will continue on the Hill. The insular and often
disheartening nature of Congressional work didn’t suit my temperament, as I grew disappointed
in the inability of the legislative system to act on issues from bodily autonomy and
contraceptives to veteran’s rights. I figured out a lot about what I want in a job—the ability to
write, research, and think creatively—but the confines of press releases and short quotes often
frustrated me. I also wanted to dig into more detailed research and go into the weeds on issues,
which simply isn’t what press work focuses on.
Even so, I found that my internship was incredibly enlightening and engaging. I was in my
element looking into and writing about broad social issues, and I was able to learn something
every single day. This internship was an encouraging step toward further exploration into
legislative, historical, or policy-oriented research, and I am deeply grateful for the support of my
peers, supervisor, and the Hodson Trust.
17
�Catherine E. Greer ‘25
Akron Art Museum
Akron, Ohio
I spent my summer working with the
Akron Art Museum in Akron, Ohio,
as their curatorial intern. The Akron
Art Museum is a small but wellknown museum dedicated to modern
and contemporary art spanning from
1850 to the present. Though its
collection contains work of artists
from all over the United States and
the world, it has a particular focus on
local Midwestern artists with the
intention of elevating their work to
stand alongside other more widely
known artists.
As a curatorial intern, my role
spanned two departments: curatorial
and collections management. My internship mentor, Stephanie Petcavage, was the Collections
Manager and Registrar. I also worked alongside Associate Curator Jeff Katzin. During my time
spent with Stephanie, I assisted her in her own work and learned the proper procedures related
to caring for, storing, handling, and documenting fine art. We spent most of our time in
collections storage, working closely with the museum’s collection of over 7,000 fine art objects.
I played a large role in sorting through undocumented objects and identifying, labeling, and
archiving them for the collection. This involved learning how to properly handle delicate objects
of many different materials, as well as navigating the Qi online database system that the
museum used to document its collection. During this time, I also researched the collection and
the history of the museum. I gained an intimate knowledge of the collection, both of the art itself
and the many artists represented in the collection.
Another facet of my role working under Stephanie involved receiving new pieces, loaned pieces,
and pieces that had previously been loaned out and had traveled to other museums. Each piece
brought into the museum needed to be carefully examined to assess its condition. I helped
create condition reports, which are detailed documents analyzing the current condition of a
piece and identifying any current damage or delicate areas that could be easily damaged in the
future. Incoming pieces also needed to be cleaned and properly returned to the correct location
in storage.
The biggest project that I was involved in over the summer was hanging the FRONT Triennial
Art Exhibition, titled Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows. I spent a month doing condition reports
on each of approximately 40 incoming pieces by contemporary artists from around the world. I
learned an incredible amount about the current contemporary art scene, the proper handling of
numerous conventional and unconventional materials, and the detailed process of creating,
curating, hanging, and exhibiting an art show. I even assisted in the installation of several major
pieces, and gave insight into the curating process of where to place each piece.
Finally, my work with curator Jeff Katzin focused on preliminary preparations for another
upcoming exhibition, State of the Art. I helped Jeff with the process of writing the gallery labels
for several of the pieces in the exhibit. Gallery art labels need to display a very specialized form
18
�of writing that focuses on clear, concise, and honest descriptions of each piece. I had to learn
how to adapt to this unfamiliar form of writing, and in this process I stretched myself to think in
an entirely new way both about art and about writing itself. It was in this process of label-writing
that my work at St. John’s was most necessary. I attribute my ability to adapt so quickly to a new
perspective and a foreign process of thought to the skills I gained in conversation and essay
writing during my freshman year.
My overall experience with the Akron Art Museum went far beyond my expectation for a
summer internship. My mentors were incredibly eager to help me learn as much as I possibly
could and went out of their way to provide educational opportunities. I had an active role in
everything they did, and I even got to work independently on several research and writing
projects. The museum environment was positive and creative, and the whole staff welcomed me
and included me at every opportunity. Though in the future I will pursue employment at a
museum focused on historical rather than contemporary art, the environment of positivity,
learning, and love of art is one that I will hope to find wherever I go in the future.
My decision to spend my summer as a curatorial intern, with the support of the Hodson grant, is
in my eyes a decision to actualize the potential that my education at St. John’s is giving me.
While studying at school, I am committing myself to this one program that I share in common
with all of my peers. In doing so I am making an academic sacrifice of career-specialized
knowledge. In order to fully gain both the foundation of knowledge that I believe in so strongly
as well as a strong foundation of specialized knowledge, I have to take advantage of
opportunities like this internship to seek out for myself the knowledge of museum studies and
art history that I will need in the future. My experience this summer at the Akron Art Museum
confirmed to me that my goal in life is to study art
and work in a museum, so that I can be a part of
sharing the art that I love with others. This
internship also showed me that I can have both a
dedication to my St. John’s education and a
dedication to pursuing the specific field of
knowledge that is so important to me and to my
future. These two aspects of my passion for
learning have provided for me a wealth of growth
and knowledge that are certainly the beginning of
a long and successful personal, professional, and
academic journey.
Cleaning a piece by Yayoi Kusama.
19
�Noah Hale ‘23
Chesapeake Bay Media
Annapolis, Maryland
I spent this summer interning for Chesapeake
Bay Media. The company owns two majorly
popular publications—Chesapeake Bay
Magazine and Bay Weekly—and I was able to
learn about what kind of work goes into them. I
thought it would be a good opportunity for me to
gain some experience doing journalism, since I’d
been considering going into that field for my
career, and so most of my responsibilities were
related to the newspaper. This usually included
news reporting, editing, and finding pitches for
stories, but I also learned about our advertising
and paper deliveries.
On average, I wrote one to two articles every
week, building up my by-line as I went. Every
story was something that I either found on my
own or accepted from the editor if I liked it, so
everything I wrote was something that I was
interested in. That was one of the best parts
about this internship. I was also able to use the
writing and discussion skills that I learned from
my time at St. John’s to make meaningful
contributions, and it felt good to be able to use
them in their more practical capacities. There was also a chance for me to use my discussion
skills when speaking to the editor or while interviewing people for stories, and I felt like it made
my stories more interesting to read.
My time with the company gave me insight into what a career in journalism could be. I used to
think that journalism had to be big and political, but here it was small on purpose and more
closely connected to a nearby community. It has also broadened my opportunities—I see now
that there are many different kinds of journalism all over the country. I feel like I can move to
look for work if there aren’t any jobs around me.
I was also happy to meet so many of my coworkers who hadn’t gone to college to study
journalism specifically, and it made me feel more confident that I could make it in this field with
my education here alone. And while I don’t want to go to graduate school at the moment, if I do
I think it will be for a degree in journalism. Either way, this is now definitely what I want to do
with my life, and I’m infinitely grateful for being given the funds necessary to make this
experience possible in the first place.
20
�Nelli Harutyunyan ‘24
American Councils for International
Education, FLEX, Yerevan, Armenia
During the 2022 spring semester at St. John’s
College, I was offered an internship at the
American Councils for International Education
in Yerevan, Armenia. With the generous support
from the Hodson Trust Foundation I was able to
afford my trip and stay in Armenia for the whole
duration of the internship. The American
Councils around the world have numerous
educational programs for young people. I was
able to be an active part of an exchange program
called FLEX. FLEX is a highly competitive,
merit-based scholarship program funded by the
U.S Department of State that operates in many developing countries in Eastern Europe and Asia.
The scholarship provides an opportunity for thousands of students from various backgrounds to
travel to the United States and attend a local high school while living with a volunteer host family.
My internship responsibilities in the FLEX program included assistance during the organization
of the Pre-Departure Orientation for the program finalists, working on the social media posts and
helping in the departure preparations for a number of finalists. The preparation for the departure
required a lot of translation work for me to make sure that the students and their parents who did
not speak English have the essential information about every detail of their trip to the United
States. During the two months, along with many other tasks, I translated dozens of pages of
policies and rules and directions for the program participants. Regardless of the challenge of this
task, it quickly became my favorite part of the work day. This seemingly monotonous and timeconsuming activity became a way for me to learn about the specificities of the languages I was
working with and apply them with the utmost responsibility for the nervous and excited students
and parents to clearly understand the content of those texts. In my translation I could see the
result of all the work in the language tutorials at St. John’s College that made this process an
excellent learning opportunity for me.
Along with my translations and other daily tasks I was able to see and actively participate in the
organization of the Pre-Orientation Camp. I had the chance to see how challenging the organization
of exchange programs are. I was surprised to notice that the hardest part of such programs for the
organizers is not the logistical challenges of moving 50 underaged students to another country, but
it was the process of the psychological preparation before moving to a completely different culture
all alone. I was very privileged to see this process from the perspective of the organizers. This kind
of work is what I aspire to do when I graduate and start my work in the field of education. This
internship convinced me that regardless of the challenges and a huge amount of responsibility, the
feeling of becoming a part of somebody’s life-changing learning experience is truly rewarding.
Moreover, I was able to observe how the foreign governmental organizations work in developing
countries and tried to think about their impact on Armenia in particular. I had to consider many
cultural and social factors in my search of the understanding of whether the support provided by
NGO’s or foreign governmental organizations was sustainable. Those questions are critical for
me to answer before I can start making changes in the Armenian educational sector; one has to
be very careful and intentional in such matters, since the education in the country directly
impacts the social patterns of small countries. I can say for certain that the style of education at
St. John’s has helped me a lot in this process since I have learned to ask the right questions and
not rush into a quick understanding, but slowly examine the subject that I want to master.
21
�Rachel Hauben ‘25
Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation
& Upper Darby Performing Arts Center
Drexel Hill, PA
Hosted by alumnus Thomas Pack (A17)
As soon as I began my marketing internship with
the Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation
(UDAEF), I knew this summer was going to be
incredible. Not only would I be working alongside
people I had looked up to for years, but we would
be collaborating to bring the joy and connection of
music and performance to the community. There
are a multitude of programs under the authority
of UDAEF, including Upper Darby Summer Stage
and the Brad Schoener MusicMan Academy.
During my internship I created press releases,
conducted interviews with participants, aided in
brainstorming marketing tactics, and collected
stories & quotes which will be helpful for
obtaining grants and local support. I worked
closely with my mentor, Thomas Pack (A17), who
I am so grateful to for providing me with this
wonderful opportunity.
My very first assignment for UDAEF was to
conduct an interview with Chris Luner, the new
Artistic Director of Upper Darby Summer Stage. Without either of us taking much notice, what
was originally going to be a brief interview became an hour-long conversation full of incredible
quotes and stories that could be used both in the immediate interview post, but also in content
for years to come. When looking over the results, my mentor and I determined that the
interview should be sent out as a press release in addition to being a blog post on the UDAEF
website. I worked with a few other members of the marketing team to rework the interview into
a press release, which was then sent out and published in The Delaware County Daily Times. It
felt so fulfilling to see something I had created be published on behalf of a program that is so
dear to me.
From then on, I handled all of the summer press releases, aided along the way by the invaluable
help of my mentor and other members of the marketing team. Every week there was at least one
press release to work on, whether it was providing news about the various camps contained in
the MusicMan Academy or one of the seven shows presented by Summer Stage. There was some
concern at the beginning of the summer about the low registration numbers for MusicMan
camps, especially for the Jazz Jam! camp and Butterfly Buddy adaptive creative arts camp for
children with special needs. To try and boost numbers, I was asked to create a press release to
convey all the wonderful things that had taken place at this year’s flagship MusicMan Camp and
to inform readers about the two other camps. I also took on the responsibility of researching and
reaching out to various groups for children with special needs to spread the word about the
Butterfly Buddy camp.
Although the press release did not get picked up by any external news outlets, the Butterfly
Buddy camp saw an increase in registration following its publication on the UDAEF website and
a connection with a special needs organization in the area. On the closing day of each week, I
22
�visited Butterfly Buddy camp to take notes about what I observed and to collect quotes from
parents, staff, and visitors from the state government. I then used those notes and quotes to
create a blog post for the UDAEF website informing people about this incredible program. I also
sent the quotes I had collected to Jennifer Schoener so that she could include them in a
presentation for the Upper Darby School District School Board to encourage them to continue
supporting music education in the district through the MusicMan Academy. They will also be
used when coordinating with companies to receive funding for both Butterfly Buddy camp and
other UDAEF programs.
I was pleasantly surprised by how useful my work at St. John’s College proved to be for my
internship. As I wrote press releases and blog posts throughout the course of the summer, I used
the lessons I had learned at SJC about intentional writing to ensure that we were able to
disseminate as much valuable information as possible without extraneous material being added
in. The skills I learned about verbal communication through seminar and the various
extracurriculars I participated in this year helped immensely when calling up local organizations
and businesses to distribute marketing materials. They were also a great help when coming up
with questions for the interviews I conducted so that interviewees felt comfortable and welcome to
share their stories and ideas, which led to an abundance of material I could use for written posts.
I had never considered the realm of marketing as a career option before, but I really enjoyed
carrying out my duties this summer. I particularly enjoyed writing the various press releases
throughout the course of my internship, and it felt so fulfilling when they were picked up by
local newspapers. It was especially gratifying to see the press release I had helped to create for
the first Summer Stage show of the season make front page news for The Delco Times. Before
going into this summer, I wanted to pursue a career that has close ties to the arts and/or
English, and this internship has only strengthened that motivation.
I absolutely loved working at the Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation. My co-workers
and I worked very closely together, and were able to find opportunities for fun even during
stressful and busy weeks. I would have preferred all the members of the marketing team to be in
the marketing office in person multiple times a week, since there were instances where certain
members of the team did not respond to emails regarding time-sensitive press releases in time. I
think that having opportunities to speak to them in person would have been helpful to keep us
all on the same page and prevent us from running late, but almost everything worked out
perfectly well in the end.
Throughout the summer I made it a point to stay on top of all deadlines, and prepping materials
for myself in advance so I did not have to rush to complete them. For instance, Summer Stage
put on seven shows throughout the course of the summer, and each one had a press release sent
out. Since I knew what the shows were, I was able to draw up a rough draft of the press releases
for each show well in advance so that I only needed to add in and adjust a few things closer to
the deadline. I will absolutely try my best to keep this concept in mind and practice moving
forward in both my schoolwork and future employment, since it helped me more than I can
express in carrying out my duties.
I do think that this internship site is a possible place for future employment. Not only do I love
the people I have worked with this summer, but I adore the work that I did for an organization
that is dear to me. In speaking with Harry Dietzler, Chris Luner, and of course my mentor
Thomas Pack, it certainly seems as though I would be welcomed back there as an employee in
future summers or even invited to work on projects year-round. I am incredibly grateful to have
had the opportunity to be an intern at the Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation. I have
loved every moment of my time here, and cannot wait to see how our paths will cross in the
future.
23
�Zeinep Ibragim Kyzy ‘24
Plant-for-the-Planet, UNEP “The Trillion Tree campaign”
Tutzing, Germany
Hosted by alumnus Sagar Aryal (A18)
At Plant-for-the-Planet I was an intern in international
management, legal and communications. The most
significant part of my internship was creating legal and
operative guidelines for stakeholders that are planning
to come to a partnership or a cooperation agreement
with the foundation. This task served as a pre-law
experience for my future law-school application. I
found this task very challenging but exciting. My
supervisor supported me in presenting my findings
and research to the Board of Directors and Global
management. Due to the quick-changing nature of
academics at St. John’s college, my acquired flexibility
and adaptability served me well in this task. The
student-led class style taught me to show initiative and
unwaveringly open conversations on certain topics. I
encouraged the international team to partner with U.S.
institutions. My idea, although met with objections at
first, was welcomed after some careful deliberation,
research, and persuasion from my side. I am happy
how effortless and not stressful it is now for me to
share my ideas and accept criticism. My other tasks in
the international team included proof-reading and
fact-checking important documents before they were
distributed to the press.
In the communications team my main focus was
creating videos for the social media pages and working
on engagement-increasing strategies. I am proud to say
that the videos I produced received eight times more
views than the average video on the foundation’s social
media pages. As I am the art assistant at St. John’s college, I am used to being creative on-demand,
so having to produce content every day was not challenging. I learned valuable editing and
organizing skills which helped me to improve the quality of my content. I also learned to align my
creativity with the foundation’s communication goals and values.
The environmental message of the foundation is very close to my heart, as I have been an
environmental activist for a long time and advocated for environmental rights in developing
countries. That is why working in this foundation was very important for me because it gave me lifelong contacts to the environmental industry, which I will use to accomplish my career and
environmental goals. I became acquainted with the founder of Plant-for-the-Planet and many other
leaders in the sustainability movement. Through my newly acquired contacts, I have organized and
will lead a webinar on the importance of ecofeminism and how the climate crisis affects women the
most, using the Central Asian Network of Environmental Climate Action platform.
The location of my internship was very important, as Munich is one of the biggest metropolitan
areas in Europe, where the most important environmental decisions take place. I was active in
24
�participating in the local environmental strikes and protests and used the events to spread
awareness.
My academic and career goals have not changed much but made me more motivated and excited to
be part of the sustainability movement. I am still planning to go to law school to study
environmental law after graduating from St. John’s College. However, I did get tempted to continue
working at the foundation for a year longer, as I was offered a position by the founder of an on-site
reporter in the headquarters of Plant-for-the-Planet in Mexico. This was a big signal of my
improvement and competency in the environmental industry, as I was offered a relatively large
salary on an annual contract. I am happy to have rejected the offer, as I strongly feel that graduating
from St. John’s College and getting a law degree would open even more doors in my career path.
Nevertheless, I am planning to visit the headquarters over fall and spring break this school year. I
would like to stay involved in the projects that the foundation is working on, especially in the
projects that initiate international partnerships. I have asked the foundation to keep me involved
during the school year. I think that next summer I will try to intern at a different organization,
perhaps a law firm or in the UNEP, but I will stay in touch with Plant-for-the-Planet for possible
employment after I graduate from St. John’s college.
An unexpected positive outcome of my internship was my German language skills increasing. I had
not expected to speak a lot of German during my internship, as Plant-for-the-Planet is an
international foundation. However, I was surprised when all of the team meetings were in German.
This forced me out of my comfort zone, and I spoke more German than I anticipated. I am now
considering interning in Germany again and further improving my German. Knowing German
would be helpful for my intended field of study, international law, and it would open up the
possibility of completing my law degree in Germany or Europe after I graduate from St. John’s
College.
I think that this internship helped me build my future career and academic plans. It opened up
many doors and I realized that I enjoy working in a small, non-profit environment. I think it would
be valuable for me to experience the corporate environment at some point too, through an
internship, but I think that the non-profit, sustainable environment makes me happier in general.
Thank you for choosing me as a Hodson stipend recipient!
25
�Gelila Kebede ‘25
Mother and Child Rehabilitation Center
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
This summer, I was fortunate
enough to volunteer at the innercity site of Mother Child
Rehabilitation Center (MCRC) in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MCRC’s
main goal is to help extremely
disadvantaged children from Addis
Ababa, thus, the Center’s basic
tasks include feeding those in the
program, providing a formal school
education for the children, and
funding medical care and housing
for the children in need. The site I
had interned at only taught until
the 1st grade, however MCRC also
helped fund their future schooling.
During my time in the summer, I
volunteered to teach children from
grades three to seven. Most of these students had learned at MCRC when they were of age and
now are being funded by MCRC to continue their educational journey.
I choose to teach these children because I want to advance into the education sector once I
graduate from St. John’s College. I have always wanted to work with children; however, I was
uncertain about which avenue I wanted to advance in. Thus, I used this internship as an
opportunity to try one of my passions. In the past, I have taught children when I worked in an
orphanage and although I enjoyed it, I was not sure if it was something I would like to pursue as
a full-time job. To test this, I applied to a rehabilitation Center (Mother and Child Rehabilitation
Center) in Ethiopia. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to see if I wanted to become a
teacher and to see if I would be able to teach as a full-time career. Additionally, it was an
excellent way to help the disadvantaged students in my hometown. My duties as an intern were
to teach students from grades three to seven Math, Science, and English. During their break
times, I would help take care of them and make sure they had eaten and were playing safely.
The great books program was very useful in helping my articulation skills in addition to helping
me overcome my shyness and express my thoughts quickly and comfortably—as these are skills
that the program demands of any Johnnie. I strongly believe this made me a better teacher as I
was able to clearly explain different ideas. In most classes the students are in the same grade
thus, it is usually easier to explain one idea to the whole class, however since the students in my
class were mostly in different grades, I would need to teach all the students different concepts. I
had to quickly and coherently explain various topics so I could help all of the children.
Consequently, the articulation skills I had honed as a Johnnie had become very useful.
MCRC not only had a commendable mission but also had an amazing staff that were great
coworkers. I felt as though if I needed help it was always available which made me more
confident in what I was doing. It created a very friendly and safe environment not only for the
kids but also for the worker. Which in turn helped the students get a better education. Within a
few short months, I saw my passion turn into a potential career. The staff was willing to help
and adjust circumstances based on the children and their needs. The staff is able to adjust to the
26
�different students' needs to make their education more impactful. However, having to work with
students who needed different resources and content at times made it difficult to focus on each
student. Some students needed help covering their syllabus for the upcoming year and some
needed help going over everything they had previously learned because they had such difficult
home lives and did not have a lot of free time at home to study as they mainly helped their
parents. The children were very appreciative of the attention they were receiving, which only
motivated the staff more. Seeing the children grow and improve their confidence throughout my
time volunteering was a very heart-warming experience.
I do not believe my work with MCRC will end here and I hope I can contribute more when I
return. I am extremely grateful to my mentors, coworkers, and the Hodson committee for giving
me the opportunity to not only help the children but also to help solidify my future career. I feel
it has confirmed my desire to become a teacher. Thank you.
27
�Levan Kiladze ‘22
Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth of Georgia &
The Embassy of Georgia to the US
Tbilisi, Georgia
This summer, I did a joint internship at the
Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth of
Georgia and the Georgian Embassy to the
United States. My job at the Ministry was to help
organize various cultural events. At the
Embassy, on the other hand, I researched and
analyzed the assigned news topics about US
politics. The internship allowed me to bring my
interests in cultural development and sociopolitical issues together and reexamine them.
At the initial stage of the internship, I was
assigned more administrative tasks. One of the
events I helped the Embassy organize was
Georgia’s 31st Independence Day. I also had a
chance to work with Georgian non-profit
organizations that are based in the US. For
example, I participated in organizing the annual
board meeting of American Friends of Georgia, which was attended by the Georgian
ambassador, David Zalkaliani. While taking an active part in the internal meetings of both the
Embassy and the Ministry, I was able to understand the work of these organizations better. I
also explored how non-profits, such as AFG, play a role in strengthening cultural ties between
Georgia and the United States through initiatives, such as fundraiser exhibits, movie screenings,
workshops, and art auctions. Many of the events I worked on through the Embassy, including
the 14th anniversary of the Russo-Georgian War, were coordinated with the Ministry of Culture
in Georgia. This helped me network in my home country where I am planning to pursue my
career in the future.
At the Georgian Embassy, I mainly wrote weekly analytical reports regarding current issues in
U.S. politics. My research included finding credible articles about specific topics and reading
them closely. I then had to write a summary of the socio-political situation around the issue and
provide an analysis of the effects of the researched topic on United States politics. The analysis
also covered outlooks from different political camps in the US and possible conflicts between
these viewpoints. If relevant, I usually provided the possible influence of the local political issue
on US-Georgia relations. All of this information was organized in the form of an analytical
paper. Preparing these papers allowed me to apply writing and research skills acquired at St.
John’s to the real world. I especially enjoyed looking into diverse visual or written media
resources and analyzing them according to their affiliations with particular political groups.
My reports for the Embassy were mostly focused on the upcoming midterm elections. I
examined different factors that could influence the results of the elections. Some of these factors
included current socio-economic issues in the United States, such as inflation, abortion rights,
and an increased crime rate. Another major element was events surrounding former president
Donald Trump, who might be planning to run for president again in 2024. January 6 hearings,
Mr. Trump’s possible prosecution, and the recent Mar-A-Lago raid are a few of the events that
had an important influence on the current stances of both Democrats and Republicans on
28
�various issues. Examining these events through multiple perspectives, largely developed my
understanding of US domestic politics and its influence on the international world.
The process of compiling and analyzing information on the specific topics helped me not only to
get a better insight into the specifics of U.S. politics but also broadened my understanding of
how political research works in general. I learned how one country’s internal affairs could
influence another’s. By working with non-profit organizations, I found that mutual influences
can be positive. I believe that this internship made me better aware of the political situation
around me and showed me how state organizations, such as embassies and ministries can work
together for a more stable international system. At the same time, discovering multiple ways of
popularizing and conserving Georgian culture inspired me to reconsider my future interests and
helped me see that there are many aspects of cultural development projects that I would prefer
over political or international work.
29
�Mia Kobylski ‘23
House of Ruth Domestic Violence Legal Clinic
Baltimore, Maryland
Mia is pictured, center, with her mentors.
During my eight weeks with House of Ruth, I was
tasked with the many different responsibilities of
an employed legal advocate. On a typical day, I
verified conflict checks in our online database,
completed intakes to assess service eligibility, and
observed civil and criminal hearings. I would often
connect clients with additional internal or external
services for victims and their children. If we offered
an individual direct representation for a protective
order or custody/ divorce, I would conduct followup calls to ensure orders are being followed by
abusers. During intake interviews, I would
sometimes help clients compile evidence for their
hearings. I also attended multiple training sessions
regarding lease termination, the cycle of domestic
violence, and trauma-informed advocacy. Over the
course of two weeks, I worked on a filing project to
alphabetize paper files in the administrative office.
Supplementary to my main work, I researched
three topics that affect the organization: What
states have laws that protect
victim-advocate privilege? How do abusers use
smart-home technology to further their control?
What community resources exist for low-income individuals struggling with housing, food,
immigration, etc.?
I spent most days in an office with a handful of work-from-home days. My primary
location was Baltimore County District Court in Catonsville, with visits to the administrative
office and Baltimore City District Court. Being in-person allowed me to watch court
proceedings, see House of Ruth attorneys in action, and engage with court staff. While at home,
I focused on calling clients and my various research projects. I am thankful that I attended court
most days. There were dramatic cases regarding brawls on the street between friend groups over
trivial disagreements, but also severe cases of abuse that resulted in criminal charges. The
energy changes in an instant, and I found myself captivated by the hearings. The House of Ruth
work environment can be unpredictable but in a positive way where no two days are the same.
There are days when everyone is busy, the phones won’t stop ringing, and all the clients are
breaking down crying on the phone. There are also days where nobody is calling back, and the
only hearings are for traffic violations. I spoke with a diverse group of clients who represent all
corners of the community. I appreciated being taken out of my comfort zone and hearing
first-hand about long-standing disadvantages from people actually living through them.
One way St. John’s has helped me at this internship is in the way of “group think” (as one
managing attorney calls it). Every month, there is a meeting called “Case Review” where
advocates present cases to the family law attorneys for custody and divorce. Then, there is a
meeting called “Divorce Group” to handpick cases for direct representation. The cases shared
during this process present complicated legal questions or contain particularly severe abuse. I
30
�have also witnessed staff members routinely call others with questions or walk through a case
together. In addition, St. John’s helped me with my research assignments to read state laws,
statistics, applications for government services, and legal documents. The ability to sort through
text in an effective manner allowed me to complete assignments quickly and accurately. St.
John’s also helped me to ask specific questions to clients about why they require legal
assistance. When doing intakes, many clients have trouble recalling traumatic events. I would
often ask follow up questions to gather a full picture.
All of the staff across departments were very welcoming and knowledgeable. Working with
victims requires listening to testimonies of brutal beatings, death threats, assaults, shootings,
etc. Some of the incidents are very upsetting and understandably cause the clients serious
trauma. I think the organization maintains a good balance of professional and casual
interaction. I believe the staff tries to keep the office light and friendly to offset the nature of the
work. We even went out to lunch one afternoon for the staff to get to know me more. Since the
organization operates mostly by phone, if clients are not answering calls, finding something to
work on can be a struggle. Thankfully, I had research projects to complete during these times. In
a future workplace, I would like to duplicate the frequent collaboration between members and
the welcoming atmosphere. Receiving positive feedback and building working relationships with
coworkers motivated me to do my best. I felt comfortable asking for help when needed.
My career goals have not changed, but have been strongly affirmed by this experience. I
thought I wanted to enter the legal field, but now I am definitely sure this is what I would like to
pursue. I would like to get a paralegal certificate and save for law school after graduation. I
enjoyed doing advocacy work in particular. House of Ruth serves primarily low income, minority
women. I have always had an interest in women’s advocacy, and this has strengthened
that interest. I know that something I care about in my personal time can be manifested into a
meaningful career. One of my mentors said to me that if they are hiring any advocates after I
graduate, I should apply if interested. She said if they are not hiring, they could refer me to
similar organizations that are hiring. I would definitely be interested in taking either of these two
opportunities. I am proud to have this work experience on my resume and I believe the legal and
advocacy skills I have learned will be beneficial as I enter the workforce.
31
�Daryl Locke ‘23
Touchstone Gallery
Washington, DC
While at the Touchstone Gallery, I assisted artists
with their exhibitions and took part in clerical
and communicative duties. I helped maintain the
gallery space and conducted interviews with
artists. The gallery acquainted me with the
operation and environment of an art gallery and
introduced me to the art world.
The work I do at St. John’s assisted with my
internship responsibilities. There were times over
the summer when I felt like I was not interacting
with the work at the internship as much and I was
reminded of Pascal Pensees when he wrote “one
must think more.” So there were times when I
would be in a situation where I would feel lost and
unable to think about in-depth ways and I would
think about Pascals Pensees and I would think
more about what I was doing and what aim I
wanted to be at.
My academic and career goals have changed
drastically in the most beautiful way possible. I
think before I was lost and stuck on not knowing
what I wanted to do but after having my internship
I think I have a better idea of what I want to do and
that is to be an artist and keep creating and meeting people.
During the internship I mostly loved working closely with other artists during the period where I
would help them set up their exhibitions, conduct interviews, and have deep conversations about
art and life, as well as working closely with my mentor. She taught me a lot about the art world
and it helped me evolve as slowly as an artist but as a person and to become more established. My
least favorite part was earlier in the internship when I thought I didn’t have a voice but as time
went on I realized that I do have a voice in the art world and in the things that we did at the
gallery. I’ve learned that I just need to exercise that voice more often. I would like to duplicate
working with artists more and with exhibition set up.
I believe the door is open for me to return to the Gallery in the future, whether that’s part-time or
full-time, doing events or working with artists, or just assisting the gallery wherever they need
assistance.
32
�Nathan Martin ‘24
Historic Annapolis Foundation
Annapolis, Maryland
Working with Historic Annapolis this summer
has been an eye-opening experience to both the
non-profit world as well as the museum
discipline. As an education intern, I worked
closely with the Education Department at
Historic Annapolis developing social media
outreach programs from scratch, budgeting and
innovating educational programs, attending
community outreach events, and learning to
become a docent so that I may volunteer with
Historic Annapolis. I plan to maintain a
relationship with the organization due to the
enticing and worthwhile mission that it hopes
to achieve. In every task that I completed, I felt
that I was benefitting the community of
Annapolis and helping build this community
into something stronger than it would have
been without me.
At St. John’s College, we are taught one key
thing that I used to my full advantage in my
internship: how to have a conversation with just
about anyone. While attending All-Staff
meetings and employee enrichment programs
that leadership at Historic Annapolis planned, I
was thrust into an environment with the executive staff and was able to have conversations with
them about the organization and the work involved in it. I was given examples of not only the
educational department, but also the preservation and advancement work involved in the mission
of the organization. On my first day, a select number of employees from different departments
were given a tour of the Brice House, which is currently undergoing restoration. On my last day, I
got to scrape beeswax off a beekeeper’s frame and witness the extraction of honey produced from
the William Paca Gardens. This mobility and opportunity for adventure at Historic Annapolis
inspired me. I attended weekly staff meetings with the Vice President of Education, the Curator,
and other Educational Specialists where we worked together and solved issues that we were facing
any given week. Each time they asked me if I had anything to share, and I did.
This, along with the non-corporate nature of these meetings, I learned would be something I’d
like to see in different areas of my employment moving forward. This environment was antiintimidation and really cared that all employees were heard and helped on any given day. The
all-hands-on-deck nature of the organization allowed me to learn in a short amount of time that
what I was doing mattered for the organization and would have a lasting impact.
To detail more of what my main project entailed, I read through different historical texts
regarding Annapolis and compiled key dates that would be beneficial to share with the community
in social media posts. Once my supervisor and I had vetted these different dates together, I
drafted all components of the post and it was edited by my supervisor, the Vice President of
Education, and then an Advancement Department employee would edit it and schedule the post.
This process took multiple days, and we hoped that by doing this work that the process would
33
�become more localized to the Education Department so that posting to social media in the future
would be easier. However, the posts we were creating turned into a series of remembering Carr’s
Beach, which was a segregated beach and concert venue in Annapolis. We took concert posters
and found the information we could about the given concert.
As my supervisor and I did this, we also worked closely developing a future educational program
that is in the process of being prototyped at the Museum of Historic Annapolis, but the timeline
for implementation outlasts my internship. Everyone at Historic Annapolis has stated that they
hope I will be able to come back to the organization and still help where I can, and this has
caused me to want to volunteer with them in the future. Every outreach event that I participated
in, including parades, a naturalization ceremony, and even simply attending a community
farmer’s market, has caused me to really cherish the people that I have met at Historic
Annapolis and the mission of the organization.
34
�Isabel McDonald ‘23
Ayuda, Maryland Immigration Legal Program
Silver Spring, Maryland
Isabel, on the left, is pictured with her
mentor.
Over the Summer of 2022, I was one of
the legal interns at a nonprofit called
Ayuda. Ayuda provides legal, social, and
language services to help low-income
immigrants across Washington, DC,
Maryland, and Virginia. I interned with
the immigration team at Ayuda’s Silver
Spring, Maryland office. At the
beginning of the summer, I was able to
train collectively and collaboratively
with interns across all three offices.
The spirit of collaboration continued
throughout my internship. I was able to
sit in on the weekly case review meetings of both the Maryland office and the immigration team
as a whole. These case reviews cover a wide range of subjects: pro-bono clinics, consults of
immigrants being bused in from the southern border, victories in cases, and tough questions
about ongoing cases.
The internship was hybrid, meaning that I was in the office 2-3 days a week and worked from
home the other days. While I was in the office or working from home, I was able to complete a
variety of tasks, not only for my supervising attorney, but also for other attorneys and staff
members in the office.
My main focus this summer was working on preparing an asylum case that will go to trial next
spring. Asylum applicants are people who are no longer safe living in their home country due to
persecution. This could be due to their political beliefs, religion, race, sexual orientation, among
many other reasons. The client whose case I worked on was fleeing persecution for identifying as
gay in the country of Ghana. I worked on research, including researching country conditions in
order to validate the client’s claim of persecution and finding experts on the topic or region who
could testify in court to support the client's claim. I was also able to observe meetings with
clients. I was even able to answer questions for the client and lead an interview for a meeting to
draft a client’s declaration for court.
Outside of the asylum case, I assisted other attorneys by compiling Employment Authorization
Document applications, Advanced Parole applications, researching and requesting background
checks, and complying, scanning, and sending case files.
I have always wanted to be a lawyer, but I had never had the chance to see a lawyer’s work
firsthand. If not for the Hodson Trust, I would never have been able to afford this opportunity. It
has enabled me to experience the real impact and change that these lawyers are making in
people’s lives. Experiences like these used to only be available to those who could afford to do
them without pay, but since I was able to have this internship funded by a grant, I was able to
learn and experience a new professional world, network, and prepare myself for life after
graduation. I am grateful to both Ayuda and Hodson for giving me the opportunity to experience
this.
35
�Juana Melendez ‘22
Ki Smith Gallery
New York, New York
This summer I was an intern at Ki Smith
Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in New
York City that has been trying to build and
maintain a small community of New Yorkbased artists. Given that the organization
was going through constant changes
during June and July, I had the
opportunity to help with many aspects of
the gallery’s inner workings.
My responsibilities included: being a
gallery administration assistant, installing
exhibitions, doing photography work,
conducting research, social media
management, editorial writing, and event
planning.
My experience was, overall, a fruitful one. I
learned a lot about how art galleries tend
to manage themselves in New York and
their function within the neighborhoods
where they are located. I think I had a
more romantic view on the affairs that
surround the art world before I started this
internship. These months have given me
time to reconsider the way I look at art
beyond the canvasses, at the dynamics that
we create in relation to—and at times despite of—art itself.
I was very lucky to meet and talk with some talented people and my supervisor was very kind to
me through the whole time I worked there. One of the things I liked the most about this
internship was the 45-minute-long subway ride on the way to my internship site and the walk
back. The train I used goes above Brooklyn for 20 minutes and the view is beautiful. However, if
I had the opportunity of participating in a Hodson Internship again I would try to work for an
organization that helps stranded whales. I am grateful to the Hodson Internship Program for
giving me the resources to explore a part of what I thought to be what I want to do after St.
John’s.
36
�Grace Miller ‘23
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital,
Department of Neurology
Washington, DC
Over the summer, I was a student working with
Dr. Robert Shin. He is a neurologist with a
specialty in neuroimmunology and multiple
sclerosis (MS) at the Barlow Building Clinic in
Chevy Chase, MD. Some of my responsibilities
included:
1. Single Digit Modality Test (SDMT)—test
the cognitive and motor speed functions
of people with MS. Every time a patient
comes in, the test is administered to have
a generalized date that can be tracked.
2. Patient Determined Disease Steps,
(PDDS)—a survey filled out by the
patient to address how they believe their
MS is progressing.
3. Positivity groups—conducted by social service worker Ms. Kim Foster, in which I would
arrive on Tuesday mornings to hear patients talk about their experiences with MS.
4. Patient history—when a patient was assigned to a room, my colleagues and I would be
the first to see the patient and gather their medical history; this information would then
be given to Dr. Shin.
5. 25-foot walk—like the SDMT, this test is used by Dr. Shin as an indicator of a patient’s
health during each visit. I would ask the patient to walk briskly with me for a set
distance, and time them to see how their walking speed compared with their last visit.
6. Administration meetings—on Thursday mornings, the MS team would get together and
discuss what each staff member wanted to add to the clinic, or problems among the team
and how best to resolve them.
7. Radiology meetings—after the administration meetings, there would occasionally be
additional radiology meetings. The meeting would consist of several doctors getting
together to analyze x-ray scans, and coming up with a most-likely diagnosis. These were
my favorite meetings because it was a great opportunity to learn about how conditions
can manifest differently within individual brains.
8. Working with a medical student, Leanne, on a project to ensure that people of Hispanic
descent are being properly represented in medical records.
After my experience with Dr. Shin, my goals have distinctly changed; I would now like to
become a neurologist, just like him. The work environment was very fast-paced, which I greatly
enjoyed, but everyone was willing to take a moment and explain the medicine when I did not
understand. Dr. Shin was a particularly great mentor, and was always appreciative of my
questions or inputs. His fellows, particularly Dr. Brayo and Dr. Luis, would show me bits of
medical information, and explain to me what Dr. Shin was looking for; thanks to them, I
understood what was going on whenever I joined them in a patient’s room. Also, since I have a
service dog, it is always anxiety-inducing to think of how my dog and I will be treated when
starting a new job or school. Fortunately, Dr. Shin and his team accepted me and my service
dog, Laurie, with welcoming arms; for some in the clinic, meeting Laurie actually became their
favorite part of the day! If Dr. Shin has an opening at his clinic next year, I would love to
continue taking part in his fascinating field of work.
37
�Madelyn Minor ‘24
Cornell University, Department of Human Development
Experience and Cognition Lab
Ithaca, New York
After a calming commute through
nature trails and across a gorge-ous
bridge, I arrived for my first day at
the lab and was immediately
informed of the replication crisis
(then we had a pizza party!).
Psychologists all around the world
are realizing that old data with its
questionable methods of acquisition
isn’t holding up when the
experiment is replicated. One way of
taking up arms against said crisis is
to conduct literature reviews, and
that’s exactly what Dr. Casasanto,
the pizza party thrower, entrusted a
grad student and I with for the
summer.
The lit review surveyed papers that might replicate the main study of a certain article of Dr.
Casasanto’s, Time in the Mind (2008), with results showing that spatial information may
influence our temporal estimations more than the reverse. This suggests an asymmetry in our
conceptions of space and time. We ended up searching more than a thousand publications for
experimental data to include in the lit review, culminating in a database of 1282 entries, 1265 of
which would prove incompatible. 1282 papers digitally stacked before us, each with its own
unique nomenclature, analytic philosophy, and page after page of statistical jargon—and I didn’t
even know what a P-value was!
But Freshman Greek tutorials taught me how to keep calm and stare down the confusing. If
nothing else, I knew how to pronounce Spearman’sρ. My fellow lab members were ridiculously
helpful, and set me up with all the digital artifacts of a stats course taught by one of the
department’s professors. I found that with these references on hand, people to talk the tough
bits over with, and patience, the papers could be broken down just like Sophocles’ grammar.
“Data science bootcamp,” which never ceased throughout the whole summer, included IRB
training, tutorials for R, R markdown, and GitHub, courses in Python and C, neuroscience
intros, books on scientific method and ethics, many miscellaneous papers and chapters on
literature review theory, about a hundred stats blogs, as well as lab reading groups in linear
algebra and phenomenology. Of course, the more important learning came from my fellow lab
members—lessons in work ethic, motivation management, scientific etiquette, and workplace
camaraderie. They made the experience so much more enjoyable and special than it would have
been alone.
While most of my work days were spent making war on stats, knee-deep in replication crisis,
there were plenty of group activities I got to do too—like participate in reading groups and lab
meetings. My favorite was when we gathered over lunch to listen to lab members practice their
various talks to be given at conferences in Italy and Chicago. The process of refining one of these
with a big group was fascinating and very enjoyable!
38
�The Experience and Cognition lab was a wonderful place to work, and I feel absurdly lucky that I
got to spend all summer there, in beautiful Ithaca (the best place to take a lunch break). Great
place, great lab, great people, with a definite spirit of learning. Waterfalls and scribbled-over
whiteboards were plentiful. Every time I asked for material to read up on an unfamiliar concept,
I was recommended at least five papers, three books, and an online course. Tasks I hadn’t the
requisite knowledge for were never condemned as dead ends; instead, I was given the resources
to push through. If you’re interested in cognitive psychology, research, phenomenology, or
working in a lab, I highly recommend this one!
I gained valuable career insight this summer. I’m not sure pure research is all I want from a
career, though I’d certainly enjoy it as a side dish—I need something more hands-on. What I
want to do most is help people, and while research definitely helps people, I’ve realized I’d
rather work with individuals than abstract populations. My lab mates (Johnnie alumni as well as
former Hodson scholars!) helped put me in touch with other Johnnie alumni they know who
work in areas I’m interested in, including addiction counseling, asylum advocacy law, and social
work, and I have a couple leads for next summer as a result. Wherever I end up, I’ll certainly
keep using the workplace skills and research experience I gained here. I’m so thankful to the
Hodson committee for letting me have this wonderful experience!
39
�Monica Molina ‘22
Calloway Fine Art & Consulting
Washington, DC
This summer I had the opportunity to
intern at Calloway Fine Art & Consulting
located in the heart of Georgetown,
Washington DC. Calloway is a
commercial gallery with a total of six
employees (seven including myself).
Similar to my internship last year,
working at a smaller gallery allowed me
to take on more responsibility and I felt
that my work and tasks contributed in a
significant way to the day to day gallery
operations. My internship was centered
greatly around organizing inventory and
keeping the gallery’s website up to date
regarding sales, new pieces, and special
events. This was best illustrated by my
work on the “Annex Sale.” This sale was a means to clear out some of the gallery’s overstock and
I was in charge of the project. This meant photographing, listing, organizing, and marketing the
art that was being displayed and sold as part of the “Annex Sale”. I gained a greater
understanding regarding the sales and monetary aspect of the gallery world and this was a
distinct difference from my internship last year.
My time at St. John’s has allowed me to navigate conversations, discuss a plethora of subjects
with clients and co-workers alike, and most importantly my time as a Johnnie has given me the
confidence to trust in my ability to teach myself and also learn from others through experience
and conversation. That being said, and having recently graduated, I do greatly miss the identity
and structure that comes with being a student. However, I am looking forward to spending some
time in the career field before pursuing my masters.
I feel a great sense of certainty in my chosen field (arts law/art administration) and my time
here at Calloway has only made that sentiment grow stronger. I enjoy learning from this field
and those that are in it. This comes from being surrounded by wonderful co-workers here at the
gallery. I made great friends with my supervisor and the other intern. My supervisor has been
incredibly encouraging and a wonderful mentor during this internship—she pushes me to do
better and teaches me ways to do so within this field. Additionally, (and this was true last year as
well) the gallery is run (and owned) by women, and this made the environment all the more
welcoming and a place where I wanted to be working. I enjoyed the way in which I knew that
each day I would be assigned different tasks, but did not feel overwhelmed by this, rather I
thought it contributed to my work experience. I was able to get familiar with the gallery, its
artists, its art, and its operations.
Working at a commercial gallery, specifically one located in such a walkable area, allowed me to
get more comfortable with meeting and conversing with clients and curating pieces that I was
confident they would like. My only complaint would be that at times the gallery felt particularly
slow and I would find myself a little bored but never enough to truly complain. I am happy to be
staying on board as a part-time employee at the gallery once my Hodson internship is
completed. I greatly enjoy working here and I think I have the opportunity to grow to be more
than a part-time employee moving forward.
40
�Tom Ni ‘23
Office of Congressman Steny Hoyer
White Plains, Maryland
This summer, I interned at U.S. Congressman Steny
Hoyer’s office. Congressman Hoyer represents
Maryland’s 5th congressional district and serves as
the House Majority Leader in the U.S. Congress. As a
district office intern, my primary responsibility is
answering phone calls and directing constituents to
the appropriate resources.
I have been interning with the district office remotely
for over a year due to COVID. The district offices
continued to operate remotely due to other
circumstances. However, I was able to work with my
supervisor Jada Ward and designed a hybrid
schedule that allowed me to intern in person at the
Capitol Office. Working in Washington, D.C. was a
valuable experience. During COVID, I collaborated
with many staffers from the Capitol Office through
email. I was finally able to put faces behind names
and build a more personal relationship with them.
The work of the Capitol Office was more legislativefocused. I had to research and draft response letters
to answer the constituents’ legislative concerns. I
synthesized a tremendous amount of new information through multiple forms of media every
day, which St. John’s rigorous reading program had adequately prepared me for.
Working in the Longworth Office helped me better understand some of the processes of
constituent work. When a constituent ordered a flag to be flown over the Capitol through a
district office, I purchased the flag from the supply office, had the request approved, and
personally delivered it to the flag office. I discovered for the first time that there is a magical
machine called the Autopen and learned how to operate it. Understanding the behind-thescenes work allowed me to answer constituent concerns with more confidence. In the early
summer, there was an influx of expedited passport application requests. Previously, I could only
help direct them to fill out the request. Many had emergencies and called back every day. I could
not provide any comfort or updates besides “we are working on it.” After seeing how the
passport request is being processed through the various offices in the Capitol building complex,
I was able to walk the constituents through the necessary stages and the timeline for their
request and help them understand that their representative takes every constituent request
seriously with care.
The work of a district office is very challenging. Constituent calls are not always friendly; one
must be patient and respectful. Some work might seem mundane, but it is essential to our
democratic system. All constituent voices must be heard. It is a very rewarding and humbling
experience. I once received a call this summer from an elder who uses captioned-call. I had to
recall my knowledge in phonetic alphabets and slowly spell out words for her. It shows that
anything you learned, no matter how useless it might seem, could one day help you help others.
My internship further solidifies my understanding of the importance of service to others, and I
believe it is an essential component I will be looking for in my future career.
41
�Isabel Olavides ‘25
Office of the Public Defender
Parental Defense Division
Baltimore, Maryland
My internship at the Maryland Office of the
Public Defender, Parental Defense Division
was illuminating. The communication and
multitasking skills, as well as meeting
deadlines for deliverables occurred in a
completely different way than in college, but
I was still able to use the skills I’ve developed
at St John’s. I appreciated the people I
worked with and the skills I learned that are
required for success in a workplace.
The activities and responsibilities at this
internship included reviewing court
documentation and attending shelter
hearings to determine if a child would
continue to reside with his/her parents
and/or caregivers. I also attended staff
meetings with everyone in the office and
attended informative training and “brown
bag” lunch sessions. It was also my responsibility to respond to any research needs that came up
for clients in order to get them the support they required.
I was surprised by how well the work I’ve completed at St. John’s College helped prepare me for
carrying out the tasks of this internship. Through asking precise, analytical questions and engaging
people from all different backgrounds, I realized how easily those skills transferred from the
classroom to the workplace. Additionally, being able to analyze difficult texts, translating Greek,
and writing papers prepared me for reading through court documentation and other resources
efficiently, enabling me to quickly consolidate that information into short reports.
As a result of this internship, my career goals have changed. I have a much clearer picture of the
demands of working in the field of law and specifically a public defender’s role as well as the
supportive roles. I enjoyed the work environment and found everyone I worked with to be very
informative professionals who I look up to very much. I also enjoyed being in very close contact
with the clients and I would like to continue helping people in this way. I experienced moments
where improvements in the processes could be made. For example, during a court session, a lawyer
attended without being prepared for cross examination, which caused delays to our case and a need
to rebook the court date. Despite infrequent setbacks like that, I really enjoyed working at the
Public Defender’s Office and would consider this a viable place for employment after graduating.
42
�Lysithia Page ‘23
Touchstones Discussion Project
Stevensville, Maryland
Hosted by alumna Stef Takacs (A89)
My experience as an intern at
Touchstones this summer was rich and
fulfilling. I tried my hand at a variety of
new projects: volunteering multiple
times in a classroom setting at the
Maryland Correctional Institution for
Women (MCI-W), doing research on
early childhood psychological
development and literacy acquisition for
curriculum aimed at 2nd graders,
learning graphic design skills and
becoming acquainted with platforms
such as Canva and Buffer to contribute to
Touchstones’ social media outreach.
Additionally, without any prior
experience in event-planning, I organized
the annual summer staff-outing. We took a lovely trip to St. Michael’s, where we visited the
Chesapeake Maritime Museum and held a pot-luck.
One great benefit of this internship was that I had the opportunity to become familiar with the
procedures and norms of working in an office setting, which was quite an adjustment from my
academic life at St. John’s. Though my workload as a student is demanding, the 40-hour work
week requires a different sort of rigor. I had to develop the time management skills and flexibility
to shuttle between multiple tasks every day and complete them in a timely manner. Above all, I
can say with confidence that after having interned at Touchstones, I am more self-aware.
Coming into this internship as a Johnnie meant that I was already acquainted with discussionbased learning, though the purpose of a Touchstones discussion is vastly different from that of
St. John’s. Here’s the spiel I have shared with my peers who have asked me to expound upon the
subject: At St. John’s, we read and discuss to understand the ideas and artistry of the texts, in
order that they might enrich and reveal meaning in our lives. At Touchstones, we read and
discuss in order to understand ourselves and each other, and the text is only present as a
starting point in that process. The end of a Touchstones discussion is not abstract truth that
transcends the discussion, it is the discussion. For that reason, personal anecdotes are
contributions to the discussion that are just as valid as references to the text.
Through my participation in a number of Touchstones discussions, as well as leading one on
campus and one when Rich Goodman visited the office, I’m more sensitive to the delicate
balance of voices that a good discussion requires. How do you welcome quieter people into the
space? How do you encourage the giddier participants to listen to their peers? These are issues
that are central to every classroom dynamic at St. John’s. I feel that I’m well-equipped to engage
in my classes this year not just intellectually but also as a citizen in a body of thinkers.
The team at Touchstones was extremely welcoming and generally fantastic. There were many
times in which the learning curve proved difficult for me, but their feedback was always patient
and supportive. My mentor, Stef Takacs (A89), who is the Executive Director, really modeled
good leadership for me. She empowered me to take risks and try new things and was always very
43
�responsive to my questions, even when they were somewhat pedantic. My co-workers, including
senior Samantha Duckworth, were also instrumental—walking me through technological
processes (always an opportunity for growth, with me) and encouraging me to take on new
responsibilities.
My career goals have indeed changed over the course of my internship. For part of the research I
did on early childhood pedagogy, I read several essays by Maria Montessori. After having been a
Greek assistant this past year, I was already considering teaching as a possible career path after
St. John’s. But reading these essays was an especially powerful experience for me. Montessori
writes, for instance, the following:
“[A child] is a traveler through life, who observes the new things among which he
journeys, and who tries to understand the unknown tongue spoken by those
around him. Indeed, he makes a great and voluntary effort to understand and to
imitate. The instruction given to little children should be so directed as to lessen
this expenditure of poorly directed effort, converting it instead into the enjoyment
of conquest made easy and infinitely broadened. We are the guides of these
travelers just entering the great world of thought…It is our privilege to
lead him to observe the most important and the most beautiful things of life in
such a way that he does not lose energy and time in useless things, but shall find
pleasure and satisfaction throughout his pilgrimage.”
Isn’t that just spectacular? For now, at least, I feel called toward Montessori schooling. I
am currently researching assistant positions at Montessori schools in the Bay Area,
which offer simultaneous accreditation programs and on-the-ground work experience
with children.
Stef has generously offered me the opportunity to stay with Touchstones during the
school year, primarily continuing my work with Touchstones’ social media outreach and
the curriculum volume for young learners. I have accepted the offer and am expecting
that my involvement with Touchstones will provide me with many more learning
opportunities, both professionally and holistically. I highly recommend this internship to
Johnnies who are interested in education, the inner-workings of nonprofits, and
professional development.
44
�Dion Adora Mihaela Paun ‘25
Hertog Foundation
Washington, DC (remote)
I think my internship experience gave me a
good insight into the job responsibilities that lay
behind the program manager position in an
educational institution as my activities were
closely related to those of my mentor.
There were three main components in the tasks
that I was assigned. I would call the first one
administrative, because it regards an overall
viewing of a certain kind of project. For
example, there were some course or job
opportunities guides that needed to be put together, both information- and structure-wise. After
discussing with my mentor the approach to such a task, I would start working on them according to
our agreed mode. Then, there was the organizational component—which, although it might less
exciting as the other things I was doing—was an essential part for the education programs that the
Hertog Foundation offers. This included reviews of already existing documents and databases,
either for the foundation itself, or regarding career opportunities for the network of alumni.
I saved the most exciting component for the end! One of the things that I liked most was the
creative, educational in some sense, part of some of the projects I was doing. There were instances
where I had to create or complete a course packet for some of their political philosophy summer
classes. This task implied that I did some research on the respective topic, so that I was able to
make a timeline for the relevant events, to put together a collection of maps and any additional
secondary materials for the class. I was entirely responsible for the design of this task, and also for
the things I was choosing to include in it.
I think that my education at St. John’s prepared me indirectly for this internship. The majority of my
job responsibilities ultimately required my judgement about how to complete a certain task, which
requires good critical and comprehensive understanding—both of which I trained mostly through the
rigor of reading great books. Aside from this, I don’t see any other correlation between our study
program and the technicalities of the internship. Nonetheless, practical knowledge is posterior to a
theoretical one—in the sense that learning how to fulfil the particular requirements of my position
was easy after having the theoretical skill of how to understand something (nearly) fully.
Although it was rather an unfortunate aspect of my internship experience, I am glad that it
happened so, since now I know how important human interaction is for me. Namely, I felt that
I missed the social component from the things I was doing. I think this was also accentuated by the
fact that I worked remotely—the work environment would have influenced this in a positive way if I
had been working on site. Aside from this social component, my career goals have not changed, I
am still interested in pursuing something that implies education.
I think I would like that my future employment would have what I called the creative component.
Namely, that my tasks, after having been discussed with my supervisor, would still be ultimately
dependent on my judgement. The interpersonal relations in that workplace were nice, although it
would have obviously have been better if I were there in person.
As a last note, I find my internship experience a valuable insight into the activities that happen in an
educational institution, both from a managerial/creative perspective, and from an administrative
one. I find it possible that I may work in a similar position for this foundation in the future.
45
�William Payne ‘22
Kidd Restoration Studios
Baltimore, Maryland
Hosted by alumnus David Kidd (A85)
All human work, given the choice, vies for
permanency. It is entropy’s universal
guarantee that causes us to retrace our
hand’s past paths: “Things fall apart”. This
guarantee seldom left my mind as I worked
through my apprenticeship at Kidd
Restoration Studios this summer with David
Kidd (A85). Although I’ve done archival
work in the past, this was my first experience
with the conservation process directly. It is
jarring to see what goes into the
maintenance of a piece of fine art. Power
tools and unpronounceable chemicals, egg
whites and human saliva—I expected these
things to steer clear of our masterpieces, yet
they all found a place in the process.
Half of my surprise came from the reverence
I held for these pieces. I imagined that the
conservator came around once a day with a
medical-grade can of compressed air, gave
the work a once over, and then went on his
merry way, two keys being turned in tandem to hermetically seal the vault behind him. In
reality, fine things fall apart, too. I worked on many such a thing as I explored the craft this
summer: A Madonna and Child from the 1700s which had been less-than-lovingly cleaned with
hand sanitizer, a township chapel which had fallen into disrepair as the many weddings,
services, and funerals held within became memories and eventually just stories, and a rococo
mirror that held a stunning layer of 24k gold just under a century’s worth of attic dust. As I
cleaned these things and many more, they told me of their travels. And, yes, although I’d like to
hold on to my fantasy of the leave-no-trace conservator, the majority of my responsibilities
involved taking the thing off of the wall and cleaning it.
This involved a dash of every medium thinkable. I needed to brush up on my organic chemistry
to employ the correct solvent for the paint & varnish type. I learned the basics of metalwork in
order to gild an object’s ornamentation. I employed my carpentry knowledge to save old frames
and design new ones. I also found myself down many historical rabbit holes, trying to pin down
the exact adhesive used in the D.C. writing room in the 1960s when creating their comic
storyboards or something of the like. My St. John’s education helped me out greatly with this
multi-discipline juggle, but the risk and reward of this inquiry was tangible in conservation in a
way that cannot be captured in the classroom. If I overplay my hand, under-research my subject,
or take too much artistic liberty in conserving a work, I risk altering a piece of history and
throwing away the work of countless stewards that came before me. If I err too heavily on the
side of caution, however, and absolutely refuse to undertake anything invasive, the results are
often underwhelming. While underwhelming results may be fine for academic conservation, in
private practice, your clients want to look clearly into the eyes of a beloved family member once
46
�again, and no amount of chemical analysis will satisfy the gap between a job of pure
conservation and a job of pure restoration.
Although this field requires many years of experience and
education in nearly every discipline imaginable, when it
comes to the piece in front of you, you are, for the most
part, at your client’s behest. Yes, you can use the finest gold
leaf from hillside Italian metalworks, but only if your client
opts for it. This is an unfortunate truth of private
conservation practice—many of these masterpieces are
white elephants now, no matter how many hundreds of
man-hours they contain. If you employed the highest grade
of conservation work on every piece, the materials alone
would sometimes exceed the value of the piece, regardless
of the labor costs. This may sound disappointing, but it's
where half the fun comes from—tracking down equivalent
chemicals, materials, methods, and more to treat your piece
the best with what you’re given.
My time with this practice has made me curious about how
conservation work differs in an institutional setting.
Because of my wonderful experience this summer, I’ve
decided to pursue a master’s degree in conservation to
continue my exploration of this noble and inevitable craft.
I’ll continue to work with Kidd Studios in the future, and I’d
love to work with them full time once I’ve completed my
discipline.
47
�Theodora Reiter ‘25
Boston University, Social Learning Laboratory
Boston, Massachusetts
I spent the summer working at Boston
University’s Social Learning Laboratory (SLL)
at the Wheelock College of Education and
Human Development. I was a research
assistant on the Developing Belief Network
(DBN) team, where they are looking at the
development and diversity of religious
cognition and behavior in children worldwide:
from the Massachusetts area to South Africa
and beyond. My responsibilities largely
concerned data collection—conducting
interviews with participants of the study—data
management and outreach. I also was able to
contribute to thinking about the analysis: what
do we hope to gain from this data? What
questions can we answer? What new questions
and challenges have revealed themselves about
the human mind and its conception of divinity,
morality and culture?
This internship provided me with an
environment which allowed me to explore
intangible concepts—divine or otherwise. More importantly, I was able to explore the perception
we as human beings have of these things—things we cannot see or perceive but somehow
experience or interact with in some way—through the minds of very young children. I have
found that the child’s perspective is often overlooked by us non-children as too simplistic or
silly, but there is something in the simplicity of a child’s grappling with and development of a
new thought about what is real or not real, or what is good and bad, that holds a truth. This
truth seems to get lost the more we learn and grow up; the conversation becomes scary and
daunting; things get complicated. I was not raised with a foundation of religious teachings and
traditions, and so felt quite fish-out-of-water-like in anticipation of the sophomore seminar at
St. John’s College. This internship could not have been better-timed. It has enabled me to
approach the Old Testament readings with the carefree curiosity of a younger version of myself.
I learned an insurmountable amount from the children I interviewed. The development of the
human mind is remarkable—particularly with regard to our development of the conceptions we
have of the world around us: what we can see, and what we cannot. How those systems of
thought come-into-being and change throughout our lives is of endless fascination to me: it has
me feeling rather perplexed and numb about all that I know about anything.
I plan on continuing to virtually work for the SLL at Boston University throughout the fall
semester of this year—with a newfound appreciation for the study of children and the
development of the mind. I have also discovered a profound desire to—in whatever I end up
doing—be with people. To go and speak to people; live with and interact with human beings. I
feel endowed with this sense of purpose: I must work with people and develop connections with
people. It seems I have found a sort-of-calling impossible to ignore.
48
�Elsa Risgin ‘22
Maryland State Archives
Annapolis, Maryland
During my weeks interning at the Maryland
State Archives, I had the pleasure of
working with the Digital Imaging
Department on a variety of different
projects. I have gotten insider knowledge of
how much work and how many steps go
into making records available to the public,
as well as gained a greater appreciation for
the people working behind the scenes. The
ultimate goal of preserving historical
materials is so that they can be accessible to
the general public, and this is a more
complicated task than one might assume.
Digitizing physical material is vital not just
in case of a second Library of Alexandria
catastrophe, but also for the ease and
convenience of accessing a state’s past. This
ongoing priority aligns with the relatively
new St. John’s College History Task Force
initiative, which I was honored to be part of
from January 2021 until my graduation.
Though my experience at the Archives got
off to somewhat of a rocky start, the team
managed to supply their interns with plenty of work to do. I, and a partner, had been initially
scheduled to go through the large collection of microfilm, inspecting the condition of each reel
and cataloging their contents as we went. We were aware that there was going to be some
amount of damage from vinegar syndrome, which occurs when impurities left on the reel after
production break down the material over time. But the overwhelming number of damaged reels
meant our project quickly got moved outside to provide ventilation from the fumes, then to a
separate warehouse for our safety. While my ability to work with the physical reels had been
dissolved, I was still able to stay involved with the project through image post-processing. Each
scanned image needed some level of re-cropping and editing to make as much of the text visible
as possible. The St. John’s education honed my ability to adapt to changing environments and to
independently problem-solve in any scenario, so I was able to switch between projects easily and
learn quickly without needing much handholding. The main issue with the summer was that
early on, many of the intern managers did not alter their hybrid schedules, so when they were
working from home, many of us didn’t know how best to contact them or who to go to with
everyday questions. We raised this issue and hopefully it’ll be resolved by next summer, since
this is the first year back in-person since the pandemic and there were bound to be some
hiccups.
The other projects I was assigned to were marriage record and town minute bulk scanning, file
cataloging and cross-checking, and a few patron scan requests. These were all straightforward
and I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I could get into a rhythm while scanning, allowing
me to get through more material than anticipated. I’ve learned how to use several new computer
programs as well as how the different cataloging methods work. My last projects of the summer
49
�involved assisting the Special Collections Department in cataloging a large collection of
postcards into a spreadsheet, and beginning the intake process of an even larger collection of
photographs, research notes, and multi-media visuals to be fully archived in the future. My time
in the CHTF greatly aided my transition into the Archives, since it had allowed me to become
familiar with scanning, image editing, and spreadsheet cataloging, as well as the importance of
making history more transparent. I would recommend the Maryland State Archives internship
to any Johnnie with even the slightest interest in history. I appreciated how all the Archive staff
shared my passion for history and loved to talk about their own projects.
Though I have discovered that I lean more toward the cataloging and preparing of physical
documents than to digital ones, it has definitely not put me off pursuing a career in archiving,
and my fingers are crossed that they’re able to hire me soon. From this summer, I have gained a
better understanding of how all the pieces of the MSA fit together, and an appreciation for every
little step along the way. Through St. John’s, I was able to indulge and explore my passion for
history through immersion in texts, and through the Archives, I got to exercise that passion for
the greater good.
50
�Jake Rowley ‘23
Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Parental Defense Division
Baltimore, Maryland
During the summer of 2022 I was fortunate
enough to be awarded a Hodson stipend in
order to pursue an unpaid internship
opportunity with the Maryland Office of the
Public Defender in their Baltimore Parental
Defense Division. I had interned with them for
several months prior to the start of the
summer, and decided to continue working with
them during the summer months. Due to
COVID protocols, the internship was
conducted primarily online. Though this
format afforded me a great deal of flexibility
(and was the key ingredient in making the
internship possible, as I had no car and no way
of commuting to Baltimore), there were
considerable downsides. Unsurprisingly,
virtual internships hinder the formation of
workplace acquaintances and friendships. I
was rarely in contact with my fellow interns,
and almost never in contact with any of the
attorneys with whom I did not work directly.
The isolation was difficult and made selfmotivation a challenge.
The difficulties of the virtual format
notwithstanding, the work that I was able to take part in was unquestionably valuable. The
Parental Defense Division provides legal and social services to families and parents who have
found themselves caught up in the Child Protective Services (CPS) system. With one allegation
of neglect or abuse, a family can wind up navigating the fraught waters of this bureaucratic
system for years. Though child abuse and neglect are serious, horrifying, and must to be
addressed, the unfortunate reality is that the majority of children and families we work with
experience greater trauma in the system than they ever did previously. This, combined with the
tendency to confuse poverty for neglect, contributes to a severely compromised and broken
system—a brokenness which was laid out in vivid terms in many of the lunchtime brown-bag
lecture sessions which were offered weekly throughout the summer. The separation of families,
the suffering of children and parents, and the often ineffectual and dawdling pace of the system
was heartbreaking; the chance to see parents gain visitation rights and families reunite, on the
other hand, was truly rewarding.
I contributed to the team by briefing precedent cases and rulings for the attorneys to make
referential use of in their cases, reading through labyrinthine and voluminous medical records,
interviewing parents and witnesses in preparation for their testimony in court, sitting in on
hearings and trials, and coordinating support services for clients. Some of this work was
engrossing—the chance to explore the legal theory which underpins the various policies and
rulings governing this area of law fascinated and intrigued me. Some of the work verged on the
tedious—combing through thousand-page medical documents for a single piece of information
is not an ideal way to spend a day. No matter what the work was, however, I applied myself with
51
�eagerness and determination. I was flattered and affirmed in my efforts when I received an offer
to join the office in a paid paralegal role in addition to my work as an intern. I was unable to
accept the position, as it required frequent commuting of which I was incapable and it likely
violated the terms of my Hodson stipend.
My time at the public defender has certainly informed my own views of what my near future
holds. Prior to this internship I had been strongly considering taking the LSAT and applying to
law school. Now, however, as I consider my time spent in this corner of the legal field, I am not
quite so sure. There are certainly elements of the legal profession which strongly appeal to me.
The critical thinking, strategizing, and extemporaneous debating and reasoning skills required,
thrill and fascinate me. The realities, however, of working as a trial attorney day in and day out,
have given me pause. To work as a practicing attorney, at least from what I saw in this office,
means to have a very thorough knowledge of a fairly limited slice of legal theory. The rulings,
ordinances, and procedures pertaining to the field of law in which you work are known back and
front, but the variety of the cases worked is not significant. Though certain areas of the legal
world may hold the intellectual challenge and variety which I crave, this does not seem to be one
of them. This, combined with the candid advice offered to me by my boss, Hailey Lichterman,
that I ought not to go to law school if I am not convinced that I want to become a practicing
attorney directly thereafter, leads me to consider other options for my post-undergraduate
academic and professional career—options I look forward to exploring in the year to come.
52
�Kabita Sen ‘23
Tomorrow’s Women
Santa Fe, Israel & Palestine (remote)
This summer, I interned remotely for a womenrun non-profit in Santa Fe called Tomorrow's
Women (TW). My internship with TW primarily
focused on assisting my mentor in all areas of
TW's international peace-building camp,
GazaGirls Oral Storytelling Campaign,
administrative tasks for fundraising in a
Salesforce database, and completion of an
independent project. I invested the first half of
my internship in fundraising, research, and
outreach for the international peace-building
camp. Each summer, TW brings Israeli and
Palestinian teenage women to a peace camp just
outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. These women
engage in dialogue and creative and therapeutic
art projects for three weeks. The focus on teambuilding and social activities helps the young
women—who arrive as perceived enemies—
reach across the divide created by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They then head home with
changed perspectives and ignited ambitions for peace. Although I was unable to attend this
camp in person and meet the campers, my mentor offered me opportunities to participate
virtually.
One of my first responsibilities was to assist my mentor with camp fundraising and outreach.
This task included contacting 80 Santa Fe restaurants, charities, arts and crafts stores, grocery
stores, and credit unions via email, phone, and mail requesting food, money, and arts and crafts
donations. A typical day as a fundraiser would consist of calling the businesses directly,
introducing TW's work, asking if they would like to donate to our camp, and submitting online
donation requests. Given that some people are often averse to receiving donation requests, this
task was challenging, but my prior work in the fundraising office at St. John's was helpful when
speaking with potential donors over the phone or via email. I was able to meet my goal of
committing some of the major businesses to donate food and arts and crafts supplies to our
campers. Additionally, my mentor mentioned that because COVID-19 had suspended all inperson camp activities for two years, TW had lost contact with most of its previous donors.
Therefore, one of my top priorities was to reintroduce TW's work to all of its previous donors
and learn how the donor's new donation model operates. I found that some organizations that
had previously donated by phone or in-person had switched to only accepting requests through
online portals. To ensure that anyone working on the donation campaign in the future would
have easy access to this information, I documented it in TW's database. I felt that this donation
campaign was a step toward learning more about the practical skills of effective fundraising
techniques, such as active listening, empathy, emotional intelligence, and other other-focused
skills critical to connecting with donors and understanding their motivations.
Recently, in one of the icebreaker questions of my Resident Advisor (RA) training, one of my
fellow trainees asked me, "What made you happy this summer?" I immediately thought of
Khushi. (name changed for confidentiality purposes and the literal meaning of the name Khushi
is "happiness") Khushi, a 28-year-old peacemaker from Palestine, was part of TW's GazaGirls
Oral Storytelling Project, which was created in 2019 to connect young women living in Gaza with
53
�the outside world, overcoming the limitations of travel and opportunity they face every day.
Palestinian women, including Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank, and Arabs from 48,
between the ages of 18-27, who are passionate about social change and peacemaking and who
are interested in connecting with their peers to make a positive impact in their communities and
the world participate in this program. This year my mentor designed the GazaGirls Oral
Storytelling Project, where eight teenage women from New Mexico and I connected with our
Palestinian peers to publish their stories in Orion Magazine's "The Place Where You Live," a
digital storytelling project that provides a forum to share personal experiences about place,
identity, and home. For four weeks, I met with Khushi for three hours on Wednesdays and
Fridays to assist her in writing and editing her story. We would talk about her early life growing
up during the Israel-Palestine conflict, memories and aftermath of the war in her life, the events
that led her to her current location, her hopes and concerns for herself and her city, and the
things she misses most about her hometown of Ramallah, which was destroyed during the
Second Intifada. As I write this report, I'm afraid I won't be able to fully express the impact
Khushi's beautiful friendship has had on my understanding of my own self, my home, war, and
citizenship. Having grown up amid a civil war, I found a friend in Khushi to discuss how war
changed/changes the once familiar place we called/call home.
During my sophomore year, I took a course in International Journalism through the St. John's
Pathways Program. Much of my study was dedicated to learning the tools of reporting war
stories and engaging with people affected by war. My tutor Mr. Sibii would always emphasize
that my work as a journalist was to spend weeks on the front lines documenting the complex
realities of war as real people experience them and not to become famous by writing clever
tweets about war or treating people affected by war as mere breaking news. Although I have yet
to put Mr. Sibii's advice into practice, whenever I talked with Khushi, I felt Mr. Sibii telling me
in the back of my head how important it is to highlight stories like Khushi's and avoid treating
her like a mere piece of breaking news. My mentor was also extremely helpful in providing me
with resources on how to interact, engage, and be respectful to a person affected by war and how
I can be of assistance (such as engaging in compassionate, non-judgmental, and active listening
with Khushi.) Khushi's story has been submitted for publication, and I am eagerly waiting for
the world to read it.
Inspired by my conversations with Khushi, I decided that my independent project would be to
research and compile youth-based storytelling initiatives similar to GazaGirls Storytelling
Project. I identified ten such initiatives run by national and international non-profit
organizations like UNICEF, the United Nations, Global Peace Alliance, and Peace Magazine.
These initiatives provide a welcoming global cyberspace for people like Khushi and other Gaza
Girls participating in TW's programs to explore, discuss, and partner on human rights and social
change issues and build their awareness, leadership, community, and critical thinking skills.
Even though I was fully remote, the domestic and international staff at Tomorrow's Women
were very welcoming. I was always invited to important meetings and asked for my input on
projects. My mentor checked in with me at the end of each week, and we talked about what I had
learned and wanted to learn as I progressed. She also advised me on how I might want to
approach my graduate school applications and career planning after St. John's. I would highly
recommend this internship to any Johnnie who, like me, wants to explore international
development, international relations, human rights, and non-profit management.
54
�Sarah Thyer ‘25
Ohio House of Representatives, Office of Rep. Tavia Galonski
Columbus, Ohio
I interned in the Ohio House of Representatives
for Representative Tavia Galonski. At my
internship, I conducted research for various bills
that were either possibly going to be proposed by
my representative, or those that were in her
committee that she had upcoming meetings on. I
also conducted research for various press releases
and other relevant state, local, and national
information. I answered phone calls and emails
from constituents, and helped direct them to the
appropriate agencies when necessary. I read the
Akron Beacon Journal to find individuals or
groups that had done something for their
community or been given an award so that we
could send them a commendation, and I looked
through the obituaries to find people actively
involved in their communities so that we could
send condolences to their families. Overall, I
worked closely with the Legislative Aide for Rep.
Galonski.
My work at St. John’s College did not really
prepare me for this internship, just because it
wasn’t actually all that necessary to think deeply
at my internship. The writing was very formulaic,
and the rest of it was just basic research skills that
I’ve had since middle school.
This internship made me inclined to think that I
definitely do not want to go into politics, even as an elected representative. Everything was very
combative, and no one was willing to compromise. Even working on the democratic floor, it was
filled with hatred and apathy. They had no hope that they would be able to actually change
anything, and what they wanted to change wasn’t centered around people, it was centered
around ideals, and those ideals had no philosophical or ethical basis. The republicans were even
worse, because not only were they irrational and heartless, but their actions were so incredibly
immoral. The whole system was corrupt, and I know that if I went in with good intentions, I
would quickly become discouraged and depressed because no one else really seemed to care. No
one listened to each other, and everyone just blamed everyone else for everything wrong in our
state. I also did not like working at a desk and not being involved in intellectually stimulating
conversation or working directly with people. I did like chatting with the people that worked
around me and being downtown, but it was all very surface level.
I would not like to duplicate any of these elements in future employment. I am not even sure I
want to become a lawyer anymore, because politics felt so devoid of beauty, and I don’t know if
law, even non-profit, would be any better. This site is definitely not a possibility for future
employment.
55
�Felix Tower ‘25
New Bay Books
Tracy’s Landing, Maryland
This summer I interned with Maryland-based
New Bay Books, a small publishing company
specializing in poetry, fiction, how to, and
memoir. My mentors were Sandra Martin
and her husband Bill Lambrecht, publisher
and editor respectively. I had the opportunity
to work in person for three weeks from
Sandra’s home office, while the rest of my
internship was remote.
The bulk of my work as an intern focused on
the work that must be done before something
is published: editing and formatting. I
worked on two large projects: a cookbookmemoir written by a two-time Pulitzer Prize
winner and a work of narrative nonfiction
about the deadliest shipwreck on the
Chesapeake Bay. In the cookbook, I
standardized the formatting of the recipes
and ensured that each ingredient was used in
the recipe itself. I also assisted in organizing
the chapters, as the recipes changed
frequently and had to be recategorized
several times. My tasks with the work of
narrative nonfiction consisted of confirming
dates of events, standardizing the spelling of
names, rewriting sentences, and maintaining
a chronological timeline. The overall “action-rest” of the book was also under my consideration;
chapters had to be arranged to maintain the interest of the reader. I also assisted in placing
images in the manuscript.
Besides editing and formatting, I accompanied my mentor Sandra in meetings with clients,
where I took notes, ensuring the client’s and editor’s wishes were recorded for posterity. After
these meetings, I scheduled further meetings between client and editor by email. I also met with
clients independently to discuss their goals for their partnership with New Bay Books. On the
publishing side, I assisted in designing outreach emails for New Bay Books’ upcoming events,
established New Bay Books social media accounts, and designed promotional images to be
shared with the publisher’s local audience.
The close-reading skills I learned during my freshman year as a Johnnie made me an efficient
editor. The patience I learned when dealing with dense texts translated well into the patience
needed to untangle a writer’s first draft. I could smoothly reinterpret with clarity while still
maintaining the intent of the original words. I was also particularly conscious of word choice
when rewriting or making suggestions, as St. John’s has instilled in me the importance of a
word’s definition. My essay writing taught me to identify filler phrases and sentences, so it was
easy to trim superfluous material in a manuscript.
56
�My summer internship emboldened me as a writer; now I have a stronger sense of how to edit
my own work, so I take more pride in it and have a vested interest in pursuing writing as a
profession. I’ve also gained confidence in my academic writing and believe my essays this year
will show marked improvement. Working with a former reporter has also inspired me to
consider a journalism internship at a local news outlet or even an internship in radio or TV.
Communicating with clients has also inspired me to research PR opportunities as well; I enjoyed
dialoguing with customers. While I don’t anticipate becoming a publisher after this internship,
this summer opportunity has opened the doors to many more potential career paths that I’m
excited to explore.
My favorite part of the work environment was the proximity I had to my supervisor. This
summer I was New Bay Books’ only intern, so I developed a close relationship with my mentors.
I felt comfortable asking questions and making suggestions, which made me feel like a valued
member of the team. Her understanding of my strengths and weaknesses allowed her to give me
tasks she knew would challenge me, which enriched my internship experience as a whole; I felt
she was truly invested in my success. My mentor was also able to make informed suggestions for
future career paths because she knew me well. My least favorite part of the work environment
was the unpredictability of my schedule, which I would often receive only a day or so in advance.
I thrive with structure and routine, two of the few things my internship lacked. If I find myself
struggling with this in a future internship, I will take it upon myself to either request a firmer
schedule from my supervisor or create my own routine.
I don’t see myself returning to New Bay Books in the future, but I will stay in contact with my
mentors for (hopefully) a long time to come. An internship with New Bay Books would make any
Johnnie a stronger writer.
Above image: Bill Lambrecht and I post-kayak trip in the Chesapeake Bay, the scene of the
drama in the narrative nonfiction manuscript!
57
�Ian Walker ‘22
Calvert Marine Museum Education Department
Solomons, Maryland
I came to the Hodson program
knowing only that I wanted to
gain experience in education.
Initially looking at summer
schools or camps, I was put onto
the idea of museums by a
fortuitous suggestion and the
Calvert Marine Museum was one
of the first I looked into, and the
first I actually got into contact
with. The whole process on that
end was very rapid; they were
eager to have me and hearing
about the possible internship as
well as the welcoming
atmosphere of our discussions
themselves made me just as eager to pursue the opportunity. Submitting our proposal to the
Hodson committee, I read up on the subject matter covered by the museum (maritime history,
estuarine ecology, local paleontology) while I waited for their verdict. Receiving a green light, I
embarked on the internship in mid-June, after a short vacation to celebrate my graduation.
When I arrived at Calvert Marine for my first day, I had a general idea of what I was going to be
doing in the sense that I understood the theoretical role of the museum educator in Calvert
Marine as explained to me during preliminary discussions with Ms. Rachelle Greene, the
museum’s Deputy Director and my mentor for the internship, but many of the specifics were
still a mystery to me. As it turned out, the role of museum educator was relatively simple on
paper. There were a number of stations at several larger exhibits or exhibit hubs, and the
educators would rotate between them. While at such a station, our role was essentially to be its
primary interactive component. At first I think I conceptualized this in a fairly shallow way, with
the educator being nothing more than a polite purveyor of information upon request. This
limited conception was daunting enough at the beginning; I came with only a basic
understanding of the subjects at hand beyond the material displayed in the exhibits themselves.
Patching those information gaps was easy, but I rapidly discovered that my initial impression of
the museum educator’s job as a surprisingly simple one was quite far from the mark. It is
technically accurate to describe the role of the museum educator as being a purveyor of
information, and it is indeed important to be polite, but this is perhaps a statement untrue in its
spirit.
The most important and concise lesson I’ve taken away from this internship came up first in a
conversation between myself and Ms. Greene. Near the end of a discussion on a more specific
topic, she made a comment to the effect that people don’t come to the museum for the
information itself necessarily, they can get all that and more online, but for the unique
experience of a museum. The educators, she said, were the core of this experience. I didn’t
entirely understand what she meant at first, but as the summer wore on it became increasingly
clear. Rather than being a stand in for a particularly wordy poster, the educator serves as the
lynchpin of the museum’s most complex exhibits, gives them more dimensions. People come to
the museum to engage with knowledge or the experience of knowledge of a certain flavor, not to
memorize facts, and it’s the role of the educator to meet them half way. At the station, the
58
�educator greets visitors as they enter, and gauging their initial interest tailors the specific
character of their introduction. From there, the educator weaves together the exhibit through
conversation. It’s a mistake to assume visitors will know what to ask when they might not even
have known what the exhibit was before they walked in. You need to provide hooks for them to
latch onto, then tie-in your answers to the resulting questions with the rest of the presentation.
You also need to do your best to account for the flow of people in and out of the exhibit; you
want to ensure as much as possible that you spend the most time on points that could serve to
draw new people into the conversation. You need to ensure a balance of complexity appropriate
to the ages of the group in front of you, you never want to neglect anyone if you can help it. You
need to make sure never to make anybody feel lost or stupid by bombarding them with more
than they can handle at once; you need to learn how to use silence and pace yourself. You can’t
get perfect marks everywhere at once so you need to figure out how and when to compromise.
This is all much more difficult than it sounds on paper, but there’s a rhythm to it, a structure
that emerges after a while. Managing that structure is the real work of the job, and it’s tiring but
rewarding. I was drawn to education initially because of a fascination with the methods
involved, with the structure of imparting knowledge. I hadn’t come to this internship looking to
further that central ambition so much as shore up the periphery in a satisfying and useful way,
gaining experience in a related field. Regardless of my expectations, this proved indisputably to
be the perfect internship for me at the time, the perfect flexible testing ground to get a grip on
practical education. The specific subject matter and methods from the Calvert Marine Museum
may not be directly applicable to the classroom, but the broader kind of thinking encouraged by
going about such a job in a serious way certainly will be.
I don’t have my future all figured out yet, but I would definitely consider working at the Museum
if a slot for another part-time educator opened up; there were no such openings at the end of my
internship. In the meantime I intend to volunteer when I can, sporadically most likely, both for
pleasure and for more experience managing conversations and groups in the complex way one
must in an education field. The people at the museum were wonderful as well, easy to work with,
knowledgeable, helpful, and professional, which doubtless has inclined me to want to spend
more time working there if I can. My education at St. John’s was not always obviously directly
applicable to the internship, but helped in key ways. Specifically, I think I would’ve had a much
harder time and come away with much less from this summer if I hadn’t had so much
experience already trying to figure the world out from other people’s eyes.
59
�Cynthia Wu ‘23
The Kay & Prendergast Labs, Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Hosted by alumna Dr. Leslie Kay (SF83)
This summer, I worked as an
intern in the Kay Lab at the
University of Chicago. The Kay
Lab is a neuroscience lab that
focuses on olfaction—senses of
smell—in rodents. Specifically,
we were looking into how the
oscillations in olfactory bulb
and piriform cortex could be
altered when encountering
different odorants. My mentor
was Dr. Leslie Kay (SF83), and
I assisted her graduate
students with their research. I
was given the opportunity of
observing and assisting animal
electrode implant surgeries, running multiple animal experiments, attending weekly lab
meetings, and more importantly, learning the daily basics of a research assistant.
Prior to this internship, I had some doubts regarding my academic plans for attending a
graduate school and research, particularly, of which research divisions in neuroscience:
molecular, behavioral, computational, etc. Now I’m glad to say that I have found my passion in
animal behavior in the field of neuroscience.
I had a great time at the lab, especially when I was conducting experiments. I learned how to
conduct experiments from scratch as well as how to appropriately handle lab equipment and
animals. I faced some obstacles when conducting the experiments, but with the assistance of
other graduate students, I was able to overcome them. Basic coding abilities are necessary in
order to analyze the data we collected in the lab. I had trouble at first, but I eventually caught
up—I was able to understand basic codes and doing simple analysis on the data we collected. It
was a difficult but rewarding process. I would say I got the full experience of a research
institution this summer, and I enjoyed every part of it.
After spending the past two months working in the Kay Lab, I now feel qualified to apply for
other research programs. In the future, I think I would thrive in a setting like this, where I could
pick up knowledge by observation and practical experience. I'm grateful that the Hodson
program gave me the chance to work with Dr. Kay this summer, but even more so, I’m grateful
for the way she and her graduate students treated me like a first-year graduate student and
trusted me to run a new project. Moreover, this is a valuable experience for my graduate school
application this year.
60
�Jingyi “Annie” Zhang ‘23
YK Law LLP
New York, New York
This summer I interned at YK Law LLP, which is
located in New York City. It was informative to
have an opportunity to work in a field that I had
never experienced. The reason why I chose to
intern in a law firm is because of my interest in
international business.
I had another online internship with a platform
which acted as a facilitator between two
companies from different countries. The
experience I had from the online internship let
me realize how important it is to have some
background in law. Thus, having a summer
internship in law was an explorative journey in
the field of law and it was also practical to my
future career in international business.
Since the education at St. John’s College does not
have a law-related major, I could only work as an
assistant to explore what the work would be like
as a lawyer and the possible scenarios which I
would have to face when I start my future career
in International Business. As a novice to lawrelated topics, the first task they assigned me was
researching “what is law.” After I had a general
understanding of the common procedures of how
a case will go to trial and what will happen after that and the different categories of law, I
officially started my internship as an assistant at YK Law LLP. My responsibilities included
administrative tasks, legal research, document preparation, business development, client intake,
documents translation, meeting scheduling, note taking, and party organizing. These tasks
allowed me to immerse myself in the environment of a law firm, to understand and discover a
career as a lawyer and how to conduct research on the legal provisions which can be applicable to
our needs and defend our rights.
Recalling my internship, I can see improvement from every task I completed. I am thankful for
my colleagues in that they were amicable and did not hesitate to help me when I did not have a
clue of how to finish my assigned task. I am also grateful that I have learned how to think
critically at St. John’s. It helped me to figure out the possible solutions and potential defects of
the tasks which I was handling. It was astonishing that people at YK Law LLP managed their
duties so well and with ease despite being a high-functioning workplace. Their working style was
hybrid, which usually causes difficulties in communication. However, when I tried to reach out
to a colleague who was working online that day, he responded in 10 minutes. The hybrid mode
provided more freedom with the location of workplace and did not seem to influence the
efficacy. I hope the combination of ease and high efficacy can be applied to my future workplace.
This internship let me have a glimpse of a possible working style which I am aiming for and
moving one step towards for my future career in International Business.
I would like to express my thanks to the Hodson committee for giving me the opportunity to
intern at YK Law LLP in New York City. It was a valuable opportunity.
61
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Career Development Office—Annapolis
Description
An account of the resource
Career Development Office (Annapolis) publications including Hodson Internship Reports and Pathways Fellowship Reports.
Click on Items in the Career Development Office Collection to view and sort all items in the collection.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
62 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Hodson Internship reports, 2022
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of Hodson Internship reports from summer 2022.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Interns--United States
Internship programs--United States
Experiential learning
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
HodsonInternshipReports_2022
Internships
Publication
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/d67872788b2b32cfabf3ad78f7b9e8f3.pdf
8640c49afe373f23702d761661d0481d
PDF Text
Text
Pathways
Fellowship
Reports
Summer 2021
Annapolis, Maryland
�Pathways Fellowship Reports, Summer 2021
Table of Contents
Page
Morgan Ballard-Wheeler ’20
3
James Dennis-Siranovich ’22
4
Daniel Han ’22
5
Qingqing Lei ’21
7
Juana Melendez ’22
8
Alexis Morrill ’21
9
Rei Osmani ’22
10
Lysithia Page ’23
11
Kabita Sen ’23
12
Wooseok Seo ’23
14
Misgana Sharew ’22
15
Caroline Tossens ’22
16
Pierre Monteux Music Festival and School, Hancock, ME (deferred from 2020)
Course: Orchestral Studies (in-person)
European-American Summer Music Institute, Musical Alliance, New York, NY
Course: Keyboard Harmony, Counterpoint, Analysis, Musicianship, and Conducting (online)
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
Course: Augustine: Life & Sermons (online)
University of North Dakota, Grand Rapids, ND
Courses: General Chemistry I & Lab; General Chemistry II & Lab (online)
Scuola Leonardo DaVinci, Rome, Italy
Course: Intensive Italian Program
Salem State University, Salem, MA
Course: Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2 (online)
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Course: Financial Accounting (online)
University of California, Berkeley, Classics Dept., Berkeley, CA
Course: Greek Workshop (online)
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA
Course: International Journalism (online)
Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
Course: Race & Law & Philosophy in East Asian Literature (online)
University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Course: Universe of Music (online)
Moscow State University Russian Language Center, Moscow, Russia (deferred from 2020)
Course: Intensive Russian (online)
1
�Tergel Tuvshinjargal ’22
18
Khoa Van ’22
19
Rediet Worku ’21
20
Tong “Cynthia” Wu ’23
21
Ivan Zembrusky ’22
22
University of California, Berkeley
Course: Linear Algebra & Differential Equations (online)
Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD
Courses: Calculus & Analytic Geometry2; Linear Algebra (online)
Cambridge Assessment, Dublin, Ireland
Course: CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) (online)
Johns Hopkins University Summer Program, Baltimore, MD
Course: Behavioral Endocrinology (online)
Catholic University, Washington, DC
Course: Intensive Intermediate Greek I & II (online)
2
�Morgan Ballard-Wheeler ‘20
The Pierre Monteux Music Festival and
School
Hancock, Maine (on-site)
Primary Instructor: Micael Jinbo
Duration: 6 weeks
Credits: Certificate of Completion
For six weeks during the summer of 2021, I attended
the Monteux Music Festival located in Hancock,
Maine. The music festival is a training ground for
symphonic conductors, which is my intended career
path. Over the six weeks I played viola in the 70person orchestra. Every day we would rehearse 3-6
hours with the master conductor Michael Jinbo
critiquing all the student conductors. Each week we
prepared a new full-length concert that was
performed every Sunday. Some highlights of pieces
we performed were Brahms’s Symphony No. 1, Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, and Copland’s
Appalachian Spring. I was privileged to sit as principal viola numerous weeks and played solos during
Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, and Gershwin’s An American in Paris.
Independently students also prepared chamber music offerings that were performed every Wednesday.
For these concerts I played multiple selections of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti, Dvorak’s Bass Quintet,
Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, and sang some arias. I also participated in masterclasses where I played for
members of the Louisville and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras.
In order to be admitted to the festival, I drew upon my skills as a violist from years of study and one year
of graduate school at the University of Hartford where I am currently based. As stated above, my ultimate
career ambition is to become a conductor, and I intend to apply to Monteux for summer ’22 to participate
as a conductor as well as instrumentalist. To become a good conductor one must have a deep appreciation
for the endeavors of human thought and aesthetics. Thus, while my education at St. John’s did not
directly apply to the skills required for this past summer, the extensive study of philosophy and musical
meaning in the sophomore music tutorial will prove invaluable to my ongoing strivings to become a
conductor. As I am still learning the basic skills of baton work and score analysis, my intent in attending
Monteux this past summer was to get my foot in the door and learn by watching the other conductors.
I may add that my time at St. John’s was indirectly beneficial to my experience during the festival as I had
a unique background and made friends through my specialized knowledge of literature. At the end of the
festival, every participant is given an award for something he or she contributed to the festival in their
own defining way. I had become known to everyone for my ability to recite Shakespeare by heart, and my
award came as a result after belting out the “Once more unto the breach” speech from Henry V at a party.
Attending Monteux was a life changing experience that solidified my desire to become a conductor. The
extensive repertoire I played over the six weeks was immensely beneficial to my skills as a violist and
musician. These skills have helped me become a better orchestral player for when I seek employment in
a professional orchestra. I highly recommend Monteux to any Johnnie who is an accomplished wind or
string player and wants to take a break from reading for six weeks, so a perfect opportunity for a
graduated senior like myself. The festival is located 30 minutes away from Acadia National Park, and on
my time off I went on many breathtaking hikes. The two components of playing beautiful music in a
beautiful place provided ample opportunities for introspection. After four fruitful years at St. John’s, I
felt Monteux was an extended exhale in which I thought much about life and the professional world into
which I’m entering. It is a world so different from the secluded garden of delights that is our school, but
it is thus a world in which we can share our fruit.
3
�James Dennis-Siranovich ‘22
European-American Musical Alliance (EAMA) Summer Academy
New York, NY (on-site)
Courses: Keyboard Harmony, Counterpoint, Analysis, Musicianship, and Conducting
Credits: Certificate of Completion
This summer, I fulfilled another dream of many
years—taking courses from the EAMA, under the
direction of Dr. Philip Lasser, a composer and
theorist from Juilliard. Dr. Lasser and his excellent
colleagues all either studied with Nadia Boulanger
(1887-1979), one of the great composition teachers
of the 20th century, or with her successor, Narcis
Bonet (1933-2019). I have admired Mademoiselle
Boulanger’s teaching for many years, and was happy
to finally get connected to the tradition through her
students.
Before I came to the College, I was (and remain) a
professional musician, so on the surface of it, you
might not think the College prepared me for the
Boulanger training, per se. The thing is, the way she
thought of music, the way she taught the elements of
music, is very “Johnnie”. Too often, especially in the
U.S., theory becomes, well, too theoretical, too
divorced from actual sound. And after all, what is music, if not sound? Seems self-evident, but you’d
be surprised. In propagating the great French tradition of ear-training, sight-singing, dictation
(writing down what is heard), keyboard harmony, counterpoint, analysis, conducting, improvisation,
and composition, as one integrated discipline, Boulanger viewed the elements of music the way we at
St. John’s view language, mathematics, music, Lab science, and our Great Books Seminars—as a
whole, a multi-faceted whole in which all the parts lead one back to the same inquiries, and the same
fundamental questions. (It has to do with the relationship between symbol, reality, and perception,
but I will save that for my Senior Essay!) So, there is tremendous continuity between the last three
years of work at St. John’s and the work I did this summer at EAMA.
My career goals remain the same, and they are twofold: to teach at the College, and to make music at
the highest possible level. Every day that I am here, this conviction is reinforced. I continue to take
auditions, and will take some in the Spring; these EAMA courses were definitely exactly what I
needed. After long training, I am able to look at an orchestral score and ‘hear’ it in my head without
recourse to a piano or to a recording. I had thought this faculty was fairly highly developed. The
EAMA courses showed me that while I may have been hearing ‘in color,’ I could still strive to hear
more deeply and completely, in more vivid inner colors. I hear and see the evidence of improvement,
of improved ‘inner color resolution,’ daily, and am eager to take more courses. It can always be
better. I recommend any courses EAMA offers to any musicians at the College who might want to
expand upon our excellent music tutorial. You will be in good hands.
4
�Daniel Han ‘22
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana (online)
Course: Augustine: Life & Sermons
Instructor: Hildegund Muller
Duration: June 14 – July 23
Credits: 3
The class was formatted in a similar way to the St. John’s
classroom. Most of our class sessions were spent
discussing our translations, while parts of it were lecture
based where a slideshow presentation would be given.
Having the Johnnie experience of being in a discussionbased setting gave me the confidence to speak, ask
questions, and participate in discussions. Also St. John’s
encourages their students to reach out and have
discussions with their tutors outside of the classroom.
This is something that I have done regularly with my
tutors. These experiences gave me the confidence to reach
out to the professor of my program and meet her outside
of class.
My academic goals and goals for the future have become
more solidified as a result of taking this class. Going into
the class, I had an interest in going to graduate school and
pursing theology. However, taking this class gave me
a clearer picture for what I want to pursue in the field of
theology for the future. Learning about Augustine has
given me the desire to learn more about him and the
history of the early church fathers. I also want to continue
my studies of Latin and Greek in order to read the works of the early church fathers in their original
languages. This course did not meet a requirement for a future graduate school program or job.
This course had a great deal of impact on my personal growth. While I had taken Latin in middle
school and high school, it was not a subject that I was particularly adept at. Also, I was out of
practice going into the class because I had not taken Latin since the end of high school. This was a
difficult class for me. Most of the nine people in the class had been taking Latin throughout college
and three of the students were being considered for the Latin teacher’s teaching assistance
position for the fall semester at Notre Dame. In short, I was surrounded by impressive Latin
students. For each class we were expected to translate anywhere from eighty to one hundred and
twenty lines which was far more than I had ever done. Not only that, but we had to sight translate. We
were not allowed to look at the translations that we had prepared beforehand.
I had the least amount of Latin experience in the class and struggled the most in the class with my
sight translations. At times this was a humiliating experience for me. However, I learned a great deal
from all of this. I reached out to my professor after the second week of the class, and we met on
Tuesdays and Fridays for an hour to sight translate and work on a few grammar concepts. By the end
of the class, I was more confident in my sight translations, and I was able to translate more in class
than I had been able to beforehand. The class awoke a passion in me to study Latin. Since class has
ended, I have been reading the gospel of John in Latin as well as the Aeneid and Thomas Aquinas.
I have much more to go in my growth and understanding of Latin, but this class gave me the desire
and tools to study Latin independently. Furthermore, my professor offered to meet with me
periodically throughout the school year to help me in my pursuit of Latin. I learned that with hard
work and determination, I can pursue something that I did not have a great deal of success with in the
5
�past. I learned that it is okay to be humbled and be the worst student in the classroom because that is
how you learn and grow the most. I also relearned that it always good to ask for help. Asking for my
professor’s help was the best decision that I made while taking the class. Learning from my professor
one on one gave me the confidence to go through the class and gave me the passion to continue
studying Latin.
I would recommend this program to other students as a valuable learning experience. While I am not
sure whether this exact program will be offered by Notre Dame next summer, similar kinds of
programs will be offered. This was a wonderful learning experience because it combined the St. John’s
discussion-based learning style with the focus on a particular topic and author. In the St. John’s
curriculum, I haven’t really had the opportunity to stay with a particular author or text for an
extended period of time, with the exception of precepts and the Kant seminars. What made this class
so great was that I was able to pursue a particular topic, Latin, and author, Augustine, for an extended
period of time and develop a knowledge and understanding of them in a way that I wasn’t able to in a
Johnnie classroom.
6
�Qingqing Lei ‘21
University of North Dakota
Grand Rapids, North Dakota
Course: General Chemistry I and Lab, General Chemistry II and Lab
Instructor: Michael Whitney
Duration: 4 months
Credits: 8
With the help of the Pathways Fellowship, I had the
opportunity to take General Chemistry I and Lab and General
Chemistry II and Lab through University of North Dakota’s
“Enroll Anytime Online Course” this summer. I recommend
these courses to all students who would enjoy a fulfilling
journey in the Chemistry world. These classes are self-paced
which gives students the freedom of attending the courses
whenever and wherever they want. This convenient learning
style allows students to easily access the course materials
without the burden of getting into the classroom, which is very
Covid-friendly.
I am very fortunate to be able to get into these courses.
Professor Whitney was of great help, patiently assisting me
throughout the four-months learning experience. He has
made all the online videos for all my classes and is very
generous with his time. Every time when I had a question
about the material or a question in the exams, I would email
him. He always got back to me within 24 hours with
comprehensive answers that were very easy to read and
understand. Despite my relative inexperience with Chemistry, my experience at St. John’s enabled me
to quickly extract the central ideas of the material. The critical thinking skills I developed at St. John’s
helped me to ask important questions in class and to spot flaws in the material’s logic. Prof. Whitney
confirms my ability and says that it is a pleasure to have me in the classes.
The schedule and the setup of the classes were ideal, as students can watch the pre-recorded videos
for both the lectures and labs when it suits their time. Although these courses are online, I did get my
hands-on experiments in labs. The labs provided detailed lab-kits and mailed them to the students, so
that they can conduct the experiments at home. About 18% of the final grade depended on my online
homework on ALEKS, a paid learning program. I have mixed feelings about ALEKS. It was helpful
because it analyzed my answers if I made mistakes. However, if I made more than three mistakes
continuously, it locks down that section, which can make completing the homework both timeconsuming and frustrating. This can cause anxiety when submitting answers afterwards. Despite
these flaws, ALEKS was very useful and accessible, alleviating the students’ burden of carrying a huge
General Chemistry book around.
The things I learned from these courses definitely helped me to understand the concept of Chemistry
better, because it explains more of the fundamental theory of the machines of Chemistry. This
understanding is especially helpful for me in my Organic Chemistry class now, as I can better explain
the reasoning behind my calculations. Taking these classes confirmed my determination to pursue
higher education in science. Additionally, these courses provided me with a firm foundation for
further study in natural sciences. It helped me see the world in a new light and gave me tools for a
deeper analysis of physical phenomena. Being able to analyze something deeply, rather than being
intimidated by its surface will benefit me a lot in all my future endeavors.
7
�Juana Melendez ‘22
Scuola Leonardo Da Vinci
Rome, Italy (online)
Course: Italian Language Intensive
Credits: Certificate of Completion
While trying to learn ancient Greek at the beginning of
school I noticed that something that helps me is to read
aloud a text I like and translate it with the aid of a dictionary.
Although I was not a good Greek student during freshman
year, the class was helpful because it gave me the tools to
keep learning throughout the years to come and find a way to
look at the things I find to be beautiful through thinking
about language. Since then I have been picking up Book XVI
of The Iliad during summer vacations. Encountering the
Divine Comedy during sophomore year led me to studying
Italian in a similar way and this time there was the advantage
of being able to hear it somewhat regularly through music
and podcasts and that of it being a language spoken by
thousands of living people. At the end of junior year I had
plans to go to Rome for an art and philosophy course where
we were to read Vita Nova and other texts but that ended up
not happening, as did most things. Instead, thanks to the
Pathways Fellowship I studied an intensive Italian language
course from my home in Brooklyn.
It was a very good experience. I would wake up every
morning from Monday to Friday, make a cup of coffee and meet on Zoom with seven other students
and our teacher, Chiara. After a couple of weeks we all started to have longer conversations in Italian,
talking about the process of making dinner the night before rather than describing what it was we had
for dinner. I learned a lot quicker than I would when doing it alone, it was good to speak to people and
exchange music recommendations, to talk about where we were and our plans. After class, hours were
spent on reading and re-reading Dante’s Divine Comedy as well as writing small essays. The course
was helpful in order to improve my grammar and vocabulary. Prior to taking this course I was looking
at career paths that included the study of languages and ancient literature. I am particularly
interested in the way in which ideas such as the hero, the problem of evil, and beauty have evolved
throughout the years. However, I didn’t think too much about where in the world to go which still
depends on factors quite external to me but I noticed that if there is a possibility I would like to
pursue a degree at University of Florence on classic literature and philology.
Sometimes, Chiara would describe what she saw through her window, she had a little apartment in
the center of Rome so during the summer of 2021 she saw small groups of people walking around, a
small bakery and dogs running. I suppose it is not surprising that now I want to spend some time
studying in Italy and to see Rome.
8
�Alexis C. Morrill ‘21
Salem State University
Salem, Massachusetts (online)
Course: Anatomy and Physiology 1
Instructor: Dr. Mercer
Credits: 4
After my first class of Anatomy and Physiology I thought,
“Dorothy you are definitely not in Kansas anymore!”
Anatomy and Physiology at Salem State was a completely
different approach to science than what I was used to at
St. John’s. I fell in love with science at St. John’s, all the
dissections and hands on experiments helped me to feel
in control of what I was learning, while also being super
fun. At Salem State, mostly due to the pandemic,
everything remained online and I was unable to do the
hands-on live dissections which made me fall in love with
the subject.
The class was set up with lectures, readings from a
textbook, and 3D simulated dissections on the computer;
all of these were things I hadn’t experienced since high
school. I became more than aware that I was used to the
St. John’s way of doing things. I struggled the entire way
through the class, from tests to following along with long
lectures. It was fascinating, but I felt like it was a constant
battle to understand anything.
This class taught me a lot, and not just about anatomy
and physiology. It taught me that there are a few things I
need to relearn before I am ready to go onto a grad program with textbooks and lectures. I need to
reacclimatize to how everyone but St. John’s teaches. Anatomy may be something I find amazing, but
physiology is something I believe I am going to have to pass on.
9
�Rei Osmani ‘22
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California (online)
Course: Financial Accounting
Instructor: Tiffany Rassmussen
Duration: 6 weeks
Credits: 3
The program's goal was to assist me in getting a more
technical education in the financial domain. My
experience during the summer not only accomplished
that but also helped guide me in a more realistic career
path. The class was composed of people from different
positions in life. Some were still in college and
exploring different directions, and some were already
in the workforce. I had a chance to meet with my
professor and other students and discuss their
experience in this domain. Their experiences seemed
to be different but could be characterized in mainly
two classes. The first group was involved in a more
technical environment, primarily working with
numbers and ensuring the details made sense. The
other group was concerned with the growth of the
company, which involved big-picture thinking. The
class was highly technical, and as much as I enjoyed
that, it seems that my preference was for a more
managerial-type position. This is quite helpful as it focuses on my job application and does not spread
me too thin.
The summer program was different from St. John's in that it focused mainly on textbook learning and
lecture-style classes. It was challenging for me to adapt in such a short time. Nonetheless, at St. John's,
we are encouraged to keep an open mind and analyze and systemize processes. Therefore, things
became much easier to comprehend later on.
I was interning for a real estate investment firm in Baltimore over the summer. The experience of
managing a full-time job and a summer program was challenging. However, it was a unique
opportunity as I was able to apply theoretical financial and statistical theories in real work scenarios.
This allowed more advancement, which led me to be in charge of significant projects in the company I
was interning.
This program or a similar class at another institution is beneficial for Johnnies trying to advance in
the business world or get a better perspective of how that environment will be. Looking back, I would
probably have done the program during my sophomore year, which would have helped me in my
internship search after junior year.
10
�Lysithia Page ‘23
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, California (online)
Course: Greek Workshop
Instructor: Christopher Jelen
Duration: 10 weeks
Credits: 10 (roughly two-and-a-half semesters of Greek courses)
My work at St. John’s College was instrumental in shaping
my experience of studying Attic Greek this past summer.
Navigating our textbook Mollin and Williamson during
freshman year and translating parts of the Meno and
Antigone provided me with a robust foundation for my
course—the Greek Workshop at University of California,
Berkeley. My familiarity with simple grammatical concepts
such as the definite article and basic case uses made a world
of difference; two years of language tutorials at St. John’s
made a challenging course slightly less formidable.
For ten weeks, Greek consumed my life. During the first
portion of the workshop, my peers and I—a motley crew of
undergraduates, graduate students, and just plain
aficionados—examined grammar. Never before had I
launched such a deep exploration into a single discipline.
During the academic year, we Johnnies cast our gazes upon a
wide swathe of discourses. I say it is the blessing of our
education to watch crumble the weak barricades between
specialized topics; we contemplate the groundswell from
which spring what are often regarded as disparate tributaries
of thought. The workshop, by contrast, provided me with the
refreshing opportunity to reckon solely with particulars; I watched an entire language unfold through
its granules of meaning.
I thought long and hard about what occurs when one learns a language. The process seems practically
mystical—one must begin with rote nutshell gists of words, and somewhere along the way in the
study, one develops an intuitive sense for the fluid, undulating disposition of the multitude. To think
that people long ago captured the world with these snippets of sound—how wondrous it is that I too
may utter these same names for things. After much grammatical meditation, I spent four weeks
translating selections from the Iliad and Lucian’s Dialogues of the Gods. Reading the original text
opens up a remarkable degree of richness, which is most certainly an obvious conclusion to reach.
Nevertheless, practical experience doing so left me awestruck by the sheer concentration of verve and
wit in each poetic line. For instance, there’s a moment in the very first scene of the Iliad in which
Homer recounts the priest of Apollo, Chryses, walking along the beach. The poet describes the
shoreline wake with the phrase πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης (“loud-roaring sea”), which, in the meter,
resembles the crashing sounds of sea-swells. Burnished by the intensity of the grammatical portion of
the course, I had been opened up to recognizing more readily the beauty of epic poetry.
Over the next year, as a Greek Assistant, I hope to share my passion for this language with my peers.
To the student who longs to deepen their understanding of the language spoken on the tongues of
philosophers, lawmakers, and mellifluous poets and players, I highly recommend this course. There’s
a saying in Greek that beautiful things are difficult (χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά). For my time with the Greek
Workshop, at least, there are no truer words.
11
�Kabita Sen ‘23
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts (online)
Course: International Journalism
Instructor: Razvan Sibii
Duration: July 6- August 14
Credits: 4
I felt these 13 weeks of my course were productive for my
pursuit of being a foreign correspondent. My online course
focused on three aspects: international relations, terrorism,
and war reporting. I explored the challenges and issues
facing journalists and foreign correspondents covering global
affairs and terrorism. I learned about intercultural
communication, overcoming biases in reporting, and using
social media as a platform for news reporting. I also
examined the work of foreign correspondents from a critical
perspective. Through a mixture of readings and news writing,
the course broadened my understanding of current affairs
and terrorism on the global stage.
The readings, assignments, and class discussions helped me
gain insights into the complex relationships between
individuals (e.g., the foreign correspondent, the stringer, the
editor, the policymaker, the reader), social institutions (e.g.,
news sources, government agencies, NGOs and think tanks),
and social phenomena (e.g., public opinion, "news," in-group
vs. out-group dynamics, the "national interest"). I learned
that a journalist's first job is to inform their audience of the
events taking place around them, the forces that make those events happen, their causes, and their
consequences. Journalists are not only news-bearers but also translators, fitting new events into
familiar frames of reference – an endeavor fraught with practical and ethical dilemmas. These
challenges are even starker for international journalists. They must explain the Other to their readers
through comprehensible, interesting stories without essentializing the Other and employing facile
clichés.
Thus, I concentrated on representing the 'Other' in news stories: When does one generalize in a news
story? (e.g., "The Germans think that…"). When does one include granular context in a news story?
What kind of context is appropriate (e.g., cultural, political, historical) for news stories? What is
"newsworthy" about a different country and why? Which countries are "newsworthy" and why? How
does one describe the complex power relationships between (foreign) individuals and the social
institutions they both bring to life and struggle with daily? The readings, class discussions, and
assignments asked me to familiarize myself with and analyze the structural and cultural forces that
shape or have shaped discrimination—including in terms of media coverage—based on factors such as
race, ethnicity, language, religion, class, ability, nationality, or gender.
For my final week of the class, I wrote a research paper on the overview and the current state of
journalism in Nepal. I researched books and papers on Nepal, interviewed Nepali journalists and
integrated the overview with the interviews to form my research paper. This paper gave me a better
understanding of the larger political and socioeconomic structures that are in play in Nepal's media
landscape. I learned the technical aspects of interviewing journalists, researching scholarly journals
and articles, and writing objective pieces.
More than anything, I learned a lot about this world. I learned how politicians, the military, people,
and businesses work and how journalists report. As a result, my dreamy ideas of how people should
12
�work remained dreams—what I was avoiding all the while was precisely how the world was operating.
Now, I think that philosophy, goodness, and guideposts are all behind the scenes. What is actually at
play are simply interests—economic and political interests. These interests are somehow intertwined
or made to intertwine with sociological and religious aspects of people.
So, at the end of my course, I realized if I don't think about all of these things, I don't read about these
things, and I don't discuss these things with others, I will stumble from one gaffe to another, from one
disaster to another, in my coverage of "the Others." If I engage in constant consideration of these
questions, I will certainly not be spared accusations of prejudice. But I will have a thought-out
justification to offer to my editors and to my readers. That is all that a journalist can do to build up
their credibility with the people they aim to inform.
I would highly recommend this course at UMass Amherst with my tutor Mr. Sibii for students who
want to explore matters of global interest-- matters that are so close yet so far away from our homes.
13
�Wooseok Seo ‘23
Yonsei University
Seoul, Korea (online)
Courses: Race and Law (instructor John S.W. Park),
Philosophy in East Asian Literature (instructor Jinbae Chung)
Duration: 6 weeks
Credits: 6 (3 credits each)
The experience of taking classes on East
Asian philosophy and Race and Law, which
was possible thanks to the Pathways
fellowship, granted me valuable
perspectives on a legal career in general. I
have always wished to better understand
and incorporate my East Asian background
into whatever future career I may choose,
and these two classes were informative for
my pursuit. I read texts from Taoist,
Confucian, and Buddhist schools of
philosophy that constitute the backbone of
many East Asian thoughts, and also sifted
through influential Supreme Court cases in
the US that concerned many groups of
racial minorities such as Brown v. Board of
Education, and Gong Lum v. Rice.
Although these classes are not explicitly
required by any institutions for me to
pursue a legal career, they served as tools to
widen my scope and to better determine my future direction. To get the scope of the legal field, I have
conversed with Professor John Park and received advice on matters of internships that are available
in the DC area and how to approach law school after graduation. And with the Race and Law class, I
got to understand better how minorities were institutionally marginalized by the U.S. judicial branch
and thus found serving as an immigrant lawyer a valuable goal to pursue.
My Pathways experience was ameliorated by the skills that I acquired from St. John’s College. With
the attitude of approaching the material seriously and carefully, I engaged in the classes with rigor,
asking questions that were crucial to understanding the subject at hand, through online-only classes
that unfortunately discouraged class participation. All in all, Pathways gave me a chance to prepare
for and to contemplate my prospective career, and I thank the committee for giving me the financial
support to go through it.
14
�Misgana Sharew ’22
University of Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts (online)
Course: Universe of Music
Instructor: David Patterson
Duration: June 1 - July 15
Credits: 3
My work at St. John’s helped me with
my coursework this summer because
in my time at St. John’s I have learned
that no question is too out there to
ask. I have learned to be curious about
how things came to be as we
understood them. I applied this line of
thought to Music, which has been a
passion of mine since a young age and
began to question the things that make
music the universal form of art that it
is. In addition to this, everything that I
learned in Sophomore Music provided
me with the appropriate introduction
and background that I needed to dig
deeper into the world of music. I was
able to use this knowledge of music to explore different constituent parts of music like melody,
harmony and rhythm.
This course gave me a window to see what it would be like to learn music in higher education. Even
though I have always been interested in and passionate about music I have never learned music in a
more formal setting. This course was the perfect introduction into the world of music. It has proven to
me that my calling lies within the arts and that I do want to pursue music in the future.
This course helped me really explore the role music has in different cultures and how it can be used as
an expression of a person or a people. It made me go back to my roots and reflect on how music plays
a role in Ethiopian culture and, more specifically, my life. Music is one of the reasons why I love my
culture so much, the unique style of music that I grew up listening to has impacted the way I listen to
and interact with music now. Taking this course in music taught me that music is an art form that
reflects its time in history, and that different styles of music are born in different eras. It also taught
me that music is made to address the socio-economic and political demands of its time. This
challenged me to confront the question of what social issues I want to address with the music I make.
I would definitely recommend this program to students who would like to learn more about music
and its relationship to different cultures in the world.
15
�Caroline Tossens ’22
Moscow State University
Moscow, Russia (online)
Course: Intensive Russian
Instructor: Nataliia Terekhova
Duration: 3 months
Credits: 3
This summer I took an intensive Russian course at
Moscow State University, a language that I was a
complete novice to. The reason I decided to apply and
take this course, is both a personal and professional
one. First on a personal note, I have always been
passionate about learning languages because speaking
another person’s language is the best way to
understand that person and the way they think and
respond to certain situations. We live in a world of
globalization in which it is almost impossible to go
through out lives without having to encounter someone
from another country, who speaks another language. In
order to contribute effectively in this world and to be
able to collaborate with others it is essential to be able
to understand their culture and language, or at least be
open-minded about discovering it.
The professional reason is closely related to the
personal one. After St. John’s I want to go to law
school, and work as a corporate lawyer. Now in
corporate law—just as in life in general—it is very
difficult to keep it entirely national. So, while I might
never work for a Russian company, or never even have
to speak Russian as a lawyer, learning languages does
more than teach you new words. In fact, St. John’s is a bit like learning a foreign language. I started at
St. John’s as a very timid individual, submerged by books that I did not really understand, and
concepts that I have never even thought existed. Now, throughout the years at SJC, we learn “codes.”
We learn ways in which the classroom can become a place where everyone can express themselves
equally without being scared of being judged or being wrong, but also ways to communicate ideas so
that, no matter the background of the people sitting across from us, we are able to understand their
opinions and have a purposeful conversation. All these codes that we learn at SJC are not written, it is
not like the law, where we can simply open a book and understand the rules, instead these codes can
only be learned through experience and experimentation.
It is easy and fair at some point in our education at SJC to question why it is necessary for us to be in
college to read these books, when we could essentially read the same books for free in the comfort of
our own home. I personally asked myself this question in the past as I started studying at SJC, but
also more recently when we were confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic and were suddenly in that
hypothetical situation of reading the books alone, isolated in our houses. Now, the reason we have to
be at SJC and the reason we chose to come here, is because the learning is not done from the books.
The books are only the foundation of a larger scheme, it gives us a base on which we build our
learning. We learn not by reading the books, but by confronting our ideas to other people’s opinions,
and this allows us to develop our arguments.
My point here is that there are many ways to learn Russian, and languages in general. I could have
signed up to learn Russian on Duolingo, and spent endless hours repeating the phrase “У моего
16
�двоюродного брата есть собака” (meaning “my cousin has a dog”), until it would be impossible to
forget it, or buy the “Russian for Dummies” book and spend the summer reading it, and maybe at the
end of the summer, if I put enough effort into it, I could understand a bit of Russian. But the truth is, I
could spend years learning Russian alone in my room, reading every book available, and one day go to
Russia and be completely unable to communicate, and that’s because a language, just like the Bible or
Aristotles’ “De Anima” is not a two-dimensional concept that can be learned simply by learning the
book.
What the Pathways Fellowship gave me through this course, is the opportunity to meet a Russian
teacher. Someone who is a representation of the Russian culture, not only a machine used to learn
words and grammar. Although it was online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for three months it felt
as if I was living part time in Russia, begin confronted with cultural differences and diverging
opinions. Learning a language is the best way to understand a culture, because the culture influences
the way people talk. So, when you have the amazing opportunity, like I had, to learn with a native
Russian speaker, who is able to explain why a certain expression exist, or why we pronounce a word a
certain way, the experience is invaluable.
So, to answer the questions, my experience at St. John’s was truly essential to the success of my
summer course. While it did not affect what I learned or facilitate the learning it allowed me to take
full advantage of this opportunity. It gave me a different view of what learning was, and the value of
learning, and feeding off someone else’s knowledge, such as my classmates at SJC or my Russian
instructor. While I can’t say that this experience has changed my career goals, it illuminated the idea
that, although the law is a universal concept that is applied to some extent almost everywhere in the
world, it can’t be applied and used in the same way towards every individual. Culture and language
affects the way that we communicate certain ideas and when communicating with other people it is
important to be aware of that in order to be successful, one needs to be able to adapt to this fact. This
course did contribute to my personal growth, as every language that I learn makes me a bit more
understanding and aware of the differences that arise from the different cultures, and I like to believe
that it makes me a bit more open-minded. So I would definitely recommend anyone wishing to do
something different over the summer, and who wants to learn something unexpected, to take this
course. If you think that languages are not “your thing” I strongly recommend to everyone to take the
opportunity that the Pathways Fellowship gives us to learn something that will help them
professionally, but also to allow themselves to be changed on a personal level by the course they took,
and the people who taught it.
17
�Tergel Tuvshinjargal ‘22
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California (online)
Course: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
Instructor: David Nadler
Duration: 8 weeks
Credits: 4
In junior year, I took the preceptorial on Dedekind’s essay on
“The Theory of Numbers.” As I read through his essay, I
understood that Dedekind was on the verge of establishing
fundamental theories about mathematics and accomplishes it
by the end. My mind was teeming with questions mostly left
unanswered and archived in my mind even though I took the
time to contemplate about them.
During the eight weeks of “Linear Algebra and Differential
Equations” my interest in those very questions, now
forgotten, resurfaced. It was quite fascinating to learn the
present end of the path which was first laid down by
Dedekind. Though the mode of instruction was different than
what I am used to at St. John’s, I was still able to pose the
same questions and trace them back to what I thought and
discussed at the seminar table.
Dedekind’s original conception of the “Theorem of complete
induction” was now being used everywhere possible in the
summer course to prove even more mathematical theorems.
It was the most fortunate coincidence that I took that
preceptorial and witnessed what I learned there in its present
state.
I am very happy that the Pathways Fellowship committee aided me to take this course during the
summer. It gave me valuable experience about what to expect if I decide to pursue mathematics in
graduate school. Personally, it showed me why I am interested in mathematics aside from the
theoretical discussion. The practical application of everything I learned seemed significant and
necessary for the world we live in today.
“Linear Algebra and Differential Equations” is a prerequisite course for graduate math programs, and I
am glad to have “put a checkmark” on it in case I take my studies in that direction.
I would highly recommend this course to anyone wanting to achieve the same.
18
�Khoa Van ‘22
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Maryland (online)
Courses: Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2 (Professor Edward Ennels) and
Linear Algebra (Professor Timothy Myers)
Duration: 05/24 - 07/26/2021
Credits: 8 (4 credits each)
Last summer, I took two courses, Calculus 2 and Linear
Algebra at Anne Arundel Community College, thanks to the
Pathways Fellowship. Both courses have Calculus 1 as a
prerequisite, which can be made up for by the mathematics
tutorial during junior year at St. John’s. Both courses were
very challenging for me, as they introduced concepts that I
had not encountered before such as operations on matrices in
Linear Algebra, or power series in Calculus 2. As a result, I
had to work hard on my own, as well as be active in classes
and talk to my professors about the material outside of
classes.
Upon completion of the program, I have gained a deeper
understanding in Calculus and Linear Algebra as well as their
application. This would be very helpful for anyone who wants
to study mathematics in graduate school or work in industry
because these are the necessary foundation for higher
mathematics. After taking the courses, my academic goal still
remains, but my overall vision has expanded. I still want to
study mathematics in graduate school, but I am now open to
many different career possibilities outside of academia. I
highly recommend this program to any student who wants to
study further in sciences or work in scientific and mathematical fields, since Calculus and Linear
Algebra are both foundational fields of mathematics. Furthermore, I had a positive learning
experience taking these courses at AACC. Even though classes are online, both of my professors were
very helpful as you can work with them outside of classes, and they were both open to questions in
classes. Overall, I really enjoyed my summer fellowship.
19
�Rediet Worku ‘21
The English Academy (The Exam Centre of Ireland Ltd)
Dublin, Ireland (online)
Course: Cambridge CELTA
Instructors: Cathy Geraghty, Angie Conti, and Gerald Bagge
Duration: 12 weeks
Credits: Certificate of Completion
From the week of May 18, 2021, until August 7, 2021, I was enrolled in
the CELTA program. I observed and graded, during those weeks, eight
teaching practices, wrote four assignments, and completed 30-unit
tasks—all amounting to over 120 hours. The hours spent on planning
a lesson along with its various stages, language analysis, and
collaborating with other teachers demonstrated the reality of a
teacher’s life, for me.
The course, in spite of its reputation for rigor, differed greatly from my experience at St. John’s
College. I saw the described rigor in the quantity of work, but it lacked the most important rigor, in
my eyes, and that is, challenging the mind. The delivery of the course was automated: there was no
explanation why this mode of teaching was better than another or why I had to use a certain textbook.
The independence of thought, which was advertised, was solely in my responsibility to complete the
required tasks; for when I asked why, in a manner similar to St. John’s, I was met with a confused
silence. I had also noticed, in my early teaching observations, that there was often a forced interaction
between the teacher and students. The teacher solely took the role of professing information. I used
the pauses during my CELTA lessons to study the expressions of the students—for instance, a student
who eagerly participated during the speaking task would become unnaturally quiet in a reading task. I
would nominate the student to help with the correction of speaking errors, and would pair them with
a more confident reader for reading tasks.
This restrictive nature, however, heightened my Johnnie-like-determination to continue asking,
though quietly, and to shape a personal approach that would eliminate the mundane limitations. Most
of the tasks I had to use, from the coursebooks, had a definitive mark scheme—something was either
right or wrong; and although I understood the importance of that, it made me, even more, hesitant to
offer feedback. I felt it difficult to assess a student’s learning based on that. Some students would
answer most of the questions right after memorizing grammar at home, but they were incapable of
fathoming functional language; while others would answer the questions wrong but seemed to be
making great strides in the general scope of the lesson. After the first three weeks (of the twelve
weeks), I read the textbooks used for instruction as I would with Montaigne or Augustine, looking for
patterns within the grammar or fill-in-the-blank questions that would make delivery of the lessons
more interesting. If I could find what the past perfect really was without the use of a repeated formula,
I thought, the lessons would be digested quicker—but I also knew that to do so would be to gamble
with my grades. With careful planning, those lessons became more enjoyable to the students and
myself.
I became closer to the English language throughout the course. Grammar, a structure that had always
been intuitive to me, grew branches, and I could, for the first time, use it consciously and alter it as I
pleased. The revered name of the course along with my background at St. John’s secured two teaching
jobs for me (one of which being at an international school); but the important success for me, was the
course’s affirmation of my admiration for the English language and the Great Books.
I now know, with evidence, that the teaching I long to do in life is associated with the guidance of
students to the nature of things. The course, in short, has emphasized my wariness of the global
educational system, and sharpened my ability to learn even from the mechanical and ungiving
instructions.
20
�Tong “Cynthia” Wu ‘23
Johns Hopkins University, Summer Program
Baltimore, Maryland
Course: Behavioral Endocrinology (200.344), 3 credits
Instructor: Dr. Kristen Bohn
Duration: 4 weeks
Credits: 3
The course I took was Behavioral Endocrinology from
Johns Hopkins University. It was an upper-level class
mostly focusing on the interactions of the hormones and
neurotransmitters, specifically how the endocrine system
influences behavior and vice versa across animal
kingdoms.
The course was challenging but exciting. After SJC, I wish
to pursue my further education in animal science, so I
found the course very interesting and it offered me a new
prospective field of study that I could explore further. I was
uncertain whether I should pursue a more theoretical
biology-related study or research program. After the class,
however, I believe I’m more inclined to choose the research
path, specifically in behavioral research in animal science.
The program also made me realize that I need to put more
effort into this specific area of study, and it requires more
than passion but also hard work. There are many more
materials I need to learn if I am determined to pursue this
career. And I really appreciate the chance that the
Pathways program offered me.
However, due to the nature of summer classes, class materials are usually dense and often come with
an intense schedule, the prospective applicants of the programs should be advised to be fully invested
in the classes. Even though I was prepared for the upper-level classes since I have some experience
and met the prerequisites for the course, I was still overwhelmed by the duration of the lectures and
the difficulty of the tests. I would recommend prospective applicants go over the course syllabus
thoroughly first, then determine whether the course is a good fit.
I highly recommend this program to other students especially those who are interested in sciences.
Since the SJC program does not offer a comprehensive study of the sciences, sometimes students
might not have a full understanding of how these classes are operated in other universities, and
therefore have a wrong career goal. I think Pathways offers a great opportunity for Johnnies to have a
glimpse of the world and become familiar with modern research technologies.
21
�Ivan Zembrusky ‘22
Catholic University of America
Washington, DC (online)
Courses: Intensive Intermediate Greek I, II
Instructors: Dr. Waters, Dr. Lao
Duration: 6 Weeks
Credits: 6
In answer to the question “How did your work at St. John’s
College help you in carrying out the requirements of the
program (if it did)?”, I’d say that the most obvious answer
is that I learned Greek at St. John’s, which was
instrumental in the course. The more subtle answer would
be that at St. John’s I have learned how to study and to
teach myself, rather than be taught. These attributes were
more necessary given the fact that the course was online.
The course being online made it easier to slack off and
cheat, as well as hindered the ability for professors to
identify and help students who were falling behind.
Fortunately, neither of these were a problem for me thanks
to my St. John’s College education.
I have not decided definitively on any particular career
goal, but going into the course I loved Greek, and I still do.
If fate is kind to me, I still hope to use Greek in whatever
position I ultimately enter. This course did not exactly
meet a requirement for a future grad school program, but
the intensive course itself may look good on a resume to
grad school, and a proficiency in Greek is certainly required
for any program I would consider.
If I consider my personal growth and what I learned about myself, I’d say that going into the course, I
had already realized that higher education is a scam, but now I realize definitively that higher
education merely requires one to pay exorbitant amounts of money to teach skills that one could just
as easily teach oneself. While it is still necessary to obtain degrees for many jobs, I have been entirely
disillusioned with any notion that a school will impart special knowledge of any kind. Smythe is a
better teacher than most professors, I imagine, and if I wish to improve my Greek, there are plenty of
resources available—the only thing necessary is willpower.
I would probably not recommend this course to others, given my thoughts above. If there were a
freshman who, having just learned Greek, wanted a bit of a challenge; or a student who lacked
willpower but thought that if they were only compelled by vanity or some other external force, they
might get over a hurdle, then perhaps this course would be for them. The course itself was not very
intense, and I do not think this course justified either the money spent or the time. There exist other
courses which would be more beneficial.
22
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Career Development Office—Annapolis
Description
An account of the resource
Career Development Office (Annapolis) publications including Hodson Internship Reports and Pathways Fellowship Reports.
Click on Items in the Career Development Office Collection to view and sort all items in the collection.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
23 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Pathways Fellowship reports, 2021
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of Pathways Fellowship reports from summer 2021.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Experiential learning
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PathwaysFellowshipReports_2021
Internships
Publication
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/991f3b5118090ddf7b9571e072c3eef3.pdf
ccb121c30c5d84171a3eedce6ed285da
PDF Text
Text
Pathways
Fellowship
Reports
Summer 2020
Annapolis, Maryland
�Pathways Fellowship Reports, Summer 2020
Table of Contents
Page
Sanju Baral (A20)
3
Jared Bassmann (A20)
4
Annie Brong (A20)*
6
Nishan Dhungel (A20)*
7
Andrew Hill (A21)*
8
Nancy Hilton (A20)
9
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Molecular and Cell Biology—Brain, Mind, Behavior
Goucher College, Baltimore, MD
Post-Baccalaureate, Premedical Program, Summer Semester
University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
Bridge courses in sciences in preparation for grad program
University of North Dakota (online)
Intro to Psychology; Abnormal Psychology; Intro to Statistics; Research Methods in Psychology
Ibn Haldun University TOMER Institute, Istanbul, Turkey
Academic Turkish (C1)
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Post-Baccalaureate, Premedical Program, Summer Semester
Willow Jackson (A22)
10
Rory Johnson (A22)
11
Levan Kiladze (A22)
12
Bao Le (A21)*
14
Jungeun Lee (A21)
15
University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
General Psychology
The Schuler School of Fine Arts, Baltimore, MD
Summer Session Exploration
University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Intro to International Relations
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
General Psychology
Berklee Online, Boston, MA
Orchestration I
1
�Louis Mainwaring-Foster (A20)
16
Anna Seban (A20)
17
Ece Nur Tuglu (A21)
19
Aidel Townsley (A22)
20
Khoa Van (A22)
21
Yu Yau “Alice” Wong (A22)
22
Screenwriters University (all online program)
Script writing; screenwriting; film and television writing; and additional self-paced courses
Corcoran School of Arts & Design (G.W. Univ.);
Otis College of Art & Design, Los Angeles, CA
Fundamentals of Graphic Design; Color Theory & Design
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
The Supreme Court & Public Policy
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA
Introduction to Psychology; Introduction to Statistical Reasoning
Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD
Calculus & Analytic Geometry I
Louisiana State University; University of North Dakota (online programs)
Linear Algebra; Discrete Math
*Five students who were awarded Hodson funding for summer 2020 were allowed to transfer their
funding to Pathways for summer 2021.
Please note: three additional students have deferred their 2020 Pathways award to summer 2021.
2
�Sanju Baral ‘20
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Course Name: Molecular and Cell Biology - Brain, Mind and Behavior
Instructor: Dr. David Presti
Duration: May 26 - July 2, 2020
Credits: 3
The summer course on ‘Brain,
Mind and Behavior’ at UC Berkeley was
my introductory course to Neuroscience.
The course offered me more than I had
imagined and expected. Coming from St.
John’s, I had expected that the courses at
other colleges would be very technical and
would involve little abstract or
philosophical thinking. I was pleasantly
surprised to find that this course made us
wonder about topics such as cyber-ethics,
human nature, consciousness, and the
moral implications of neurological advancement. Our instructor, Dr. Presti, would make us
discuss about these big questions without telling us the correct answer. I felt at home during
these discussions because of my experience at St. John’s. While the questions were similar, I
found that the way most students in the course approached these questions was mostly from a
practical point of view. We discussed the particulars more than the general. We searched for
evidence from real life, contemporary research, and journals to support our arguments. In
research, one of the important skills is to read. I felt quite comfortable with most materials in
research. Some of the papers we studied were already known to me from our St. John’s lab
readings or suggested readings for the science preceptorial. So, overall, the course did not feel
that rigorous to me in terms of critical thinking. It did, however, demand memorization of facts
and mechanisms, which felt tedious in the beginning. Eventually, I found ways to encourage
myself to memorize terms, facts, and dates given their importance in this study.
The course was originally offered online. So, the instructions, videos and discussion
platforms were clear and organized and there was no technical difficulty. At the beginning of the
course, I was not sure whether I was going to pursue research in neuroscience or therapy with
clinical psychology or social work. Regardless of these possible paths, the course was relevant,
interesting and academically meaningful to either of these professional studies in the future. By
the end of the course, my desire to explore the field of neuroscience was strengthened. The
course really showed me the creative and all-encompassing aspects of neuroscientific study. At
the same time, this also made me realize that I need to have solid experience in research in order
to get into graduate studies in neuroscience. Coming fresh out of St. John’s, I know that my road
to graduate school in neuroscience is not a straight path. In fact, it does not have to be. I have
decided to gather as much experience and practical wisdom on the way to my higher studies.
Currently, I am teaching mathematics in a Great Book school while learning to code on my own.
I will be applying for research work in neuroscience next year, which will likely be a steppingstone towards my graduate studies. Overall, I would highly recommend this course to any St.
John’s student—especially to a freshman or sophomore who is looking forward to studying
neuroscience. Given the course is introductory, it is not enough in itself to apply for graduate
school. However, if you’re looking for Neuroscience or Clinical Psychology 101, this course is
definitely the best starter. Lastly, I’m deeply grateful to Pathways Fellowship Committee for the
opportunity.
3
�Jared Bassmann ‘20
Goucher College
Baltimore, Maryland
Course: Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program
(General Chemistry 1 & 2)
Instructor: Pamela McCarville, Ph.D.
Length: May 28 – July 31, 2020
Credits: 8
Studying chemistry as a Johnnie
presented unexpected challenges. At St.
John’s I read texts that establish
modern chemistry, Lucretius to Bohr,
and this exposure provided me a sense
of familiarity when approaching
chemistry, generally. I was confident
that, even though I might not have
committed the facts of chemistry to
memory, I had discussed the principles
that determine these facts throughout
all three years of lab at St. John’s. This
comfort was pleasant but it did not
prepare me for the reality of lecture
classes and what it meant to be
“prepared” for such classes—especially classes that progressed rapidly to cover a full year of
material in two months.
From textbook readings to digital flashcards, to weekly exams, General Chemistry was a
far cry from the experience of drawing trees in the courtyard during Freshman Lab—although I
do miss drawing trees. This is not to say that my summer chemistry experience was bad in any
way, it is that it was different than the usual St. John’s tutorial; to compare the two against each
other would be unhelpful. What I gained from General Chemistry was a factual understanding of
material interactions on the smallest level for the sake of answering quantitative questions.
There were moments where geometrical or chemical intuitions I had developed at the College
helped make a dense lecture more manageable to study, like when memorizing the common
spatial-structures of chemical compounds, but this was not the norm. Most of the time,
understanding a lecture meant doing practice problems, making flashcards, asking questions in
office hours, and trying to teach the concept to others using my own words (peers, parents, pets,
or plants all worked well as pseudo-students).
Another challenge of the program was that it was all online, via Zoom. Attending
chemistry lectures over Zoom felt more manageable than attending tutorials over Zoom did. In
tutorials held on Zoom I always felt that the conversation suffered or moved differently, but
being on Zoom for a lecture did not change the material that was covered in the lecture—only
the means of delivery was different. In fairness, I do not have an experience of in-person lecture
attendance to which I could compare Zoom lectures. What has been strange is that I am just
now meeting some of the people who I was in two months of Zoom classes with and it is great to
be able to see them in three dimensions and talking—not through a screen—comes more easily
(all of these interactions have been outdoors while wearing masks and with adequate distance
between participants).
I initially struggled in chemistry. I did not have many transferable study skills from my
time at St. John’s and I do not think this is a shortcoming of the College—tutorials are different
from lectures, and for good reason. In the first three weeks of chemistry, I had to find out what
“being prepared” for lectures meant to me and how I would get there. What I found was most
4
�helpful for my own learning was: getting a full night’s sleep, making flashcards after every
lecture (on a spaced-repetition program called Anki), reviewing flashcards every day, going to
office hours, doing too many practice problems, and continuing to run outdoors.
When I say that I found all of these things to help my learning, I mean that they yielded
the best marks of my weekly exams. Doing well on exams in itself motivated me to continue
working diligently and learning material. My time at the St. John’s prepared me to pick myself
up after not doing so well on an exam here and there—I think of the struggles that were the postThanksgiving break Aquinas seminars—and to know that it is only by having moments where
one feels that they have not done what they could that one can do better.
At the end of these two months, I am still pursuing the rest of my post-baccalaureate
studies at Goucher College, with the ultimate goal of applying to medical school and earning a
degree in medicine. This chemistry course has helped me to have more realistic expectations of
what this road will look like and what skills will help me on my way to helping others. I would
recommend Goucher College’s Post Baccalaureate program to other Johnnies interested in
pursuing medicine after their graduations, and I would recommend Post Baccalaureate
programs in general to Johnnies interested in medicine. The advising that is available to
students in such programs and the support of a cohort have been instrumental to my success,
and are not wholly unique to Goucher. What I understand to be unique to Goucher is the great
care that I felt from my chemistry professor, my teaching assistant, and the program advisors as
we navigate learning this difficult and important material.
I am incredibly grateful to the Pathways Fellowship and those who fund it for affording
me this final opportunity with the College.
5
�Annie Brong ‘20
University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus
Baltimore, Maryland
Course: Graduate Program in Life Sciences Summer Bridge Course
Instructors: Dr. Wilson and Dr. Matteson
Length: July 6 – 31, 2020
Credits: 0
Funded by a grant from Dr. Stephen Forman
Throughout the month of July, I participated in a
Summer Bridge Course in preparation for my Master’s
Program in Molecular Biology at the University of Maryland
Baltimore. This course was not required, but an optional
program for students who wanted to get “a leg up.” Though
we took a brief look at somewhat-modern biology during the
second semester of Senior year, the last textbook biology
class I took was in high school.
The course covered Molecular Biology, Protein
Chemistry, Action Potentials, and Cell Signaling. Unlike
most of the students in my program, I had to grapple with
these concepts for the first time. There was a lot of content
covered in a very short period of time. The lure of the
program, however, is that after learning the major processes,
enzymes, and elements of molecular biology, we must
become scientists. Side by side with content, we learned the
methodology used to probe the cell, primarily the DNA and proteins that determine who/what
we are. Underlying material and method was the overarching message: we must learn how to
ask specific, unanswered questions; draft reasonable hypotheses; and construct unbiased
experiments to prove them. Special emphasis was placed on experimental controls, without
testing for potential false positives and false negatives, our inquiries are meaningless, even
circular. In this sense, St. John’s prepared me. It instilled in me a love of testing nature, the
beauty of finding and hitting upon her “pressure points,” observing her response. Further, it
taught me to heed the words of our older, greater minds without assuming they struck truth; to
modify not glorify their hand-me-downs, to pivot and find their “pressure points” and so on, ad
infinitum. Yet, I cannot recall an author in the lab curriculum who attempted to address his own
biases. Often, later authors had to shine the needed light, albeit adding their own prejudicial
shadow. I find this the most promising facet of modern science, the preoccupation with
disproving one’s own premise.
This was my first brief look at the universe inside the cell. I’m only starting to see the
therapeutic and academic applications of exploring its intricacies. My dream remains the same,
though now the distance between me and it is concrete, I want to be a scientist.
6
�Nishan Dhungel ‘20
University of North Dakota (online)
Courses: Introduction to Psychology; Abnormal Psychology;
Introduction to Statistics; Research Methods in Psychology
Length: Self-paced
Credits earned: 14
Funded by a grant from Dr. Stephen Forman
The summer of 2020 has probably been the hardest
summer I have faced. First, the uncertainty of a job in the
United States was already looming from the beginning of
March for a fresh graduate. And then the pandemic
happened. Thankfully, I was able to secure the Pathways
Fellowship to study psychology courses. My aim was to enter
graduate school in the fall of 2021. I took four courses, worth
14 credits from the University of North Dakota (UND). The
four courses are: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 101),
Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 270), Introduction to Statistics
(PSYC 241) and Research Methods in Psychology (PSYC
303). I could not convince them to not require the
introductory courses. I knew that four courses would
probably be too hectic, but I knew I had to do it in order to
get into graduate school—and I am grateful too—I think there
are a lot of gaps in my understanding that the introductory
courses have helped me to overcome.
When I entered St. John’s four years ago, I would have never imagined going into
psychology. Now I think that this field is the right fit for me, and I am still exploring how to
make my career more specialized. Specifically, child psychology fascinates me. I want to explore
how our education sector can benefit by the research in psychology. Ensuring a child’s
emotional and intellectual development is probably the biggest challenge in today’s education—
even then, most of our schools do not focus on the emotional development of the child. As I fulfil
the duties of a teacher myself, I see these concerns on a daily basis. The classroom serves as an
experiment for me—the kids are teaching me a lot.
I was in Annapolis when I was taking this one whole semester’s worth of courses. Then in
the beginning of June, I moved to Phoenix for my teaching job at Great Hearts. I had already
completed one third of the course materials in the first month. I did not expect the teaching job
to be challenging. But it surprised me. I spend almost all of my day at the school. Because half of
the kids are online and half of the kids are at school, the teaching load has doubled. All this is to
say that I have not been able to complete the course on time. Thankfully, UND gives you 3-9
months of time to complete the Self-Paced courses. So, I will be able to complete the courses by
December.
The professors at UND have been very helpful. Although all of the course materials are
pre-recorded, it does not give a sense of separation from the professors. The professors are
willing to help in any way possible. I have also found that the administration and registering
process at UND is very efficient. I would recommend to all Johnnies to consider the UND SelfPaced online courses for their summer enrichment.
7
�Andrew Hill ‘21
Ibn Haldun University TOMER
Istanbul, Turkey
Course: C1 Academic Turkish
Instructors: Rümeysa Şişman, Zehra Öztürk, Harun Aksu, Merdiye Mansur
Length: 6 weeks
Credits earned: Completion Certificate
Funded by a grant from Dr. Stephen Forman
After a great deal of shuffling following the
cancelation of my dream internship in the U.S. Embassy,
Oman, I enrolled in a remote C1-C2 level Academic
Turkish course from Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul.
My intention with this course was to acquire the academic
Turkish skills necessary to pursue a Master’s in Turkish
History. However, the research I did in pursuit of stronger
Turkish skills ended up changing my post-graduate plans
altogether.
Taking place between 1-5 a.m., five days a week,
over Zoom, the small, discussion-based class resembled a
St. John’s classroom. Each day, we came to class prepared
to discuss, in Turkish, an academic paper, radio clip, or
video on a topic ranging from the Ottoman ‘vakif’ system,
to public opinion on euthanasia. My classmates—calling in
from Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, and Turkey—and I would
then surmount myriad linguistic, cultural, and
technological difficulties to make sense of these texts,
before writing a short essay on them, then breaking into groups for a teamwork exercise.
Without learning how to forge through challenging material in a group at St. John’s, I would’ve
gotten caught up in the course’s linguistic hurdles, and entirely missed the important cultural
lessons necessary for fluency.
Outside of class, we were required to research and write, entirely in Turkish, a paper in
the academic register. I chose to write mine on how Turkey used its cultures and identities in its
Soft Power. Through researching this, I realized that soft power offers an intersection for my
career choice of international politics, and my lifelong interest in culture and society. Previously,
I was hoping to bridge these two areas by pursuing a Master’s in the latter, then working in the
former.
Looking back, I am tremendously grateful to the Pathways Fellowship for providing the
opportunity to dive so deeply into a culture and language I love, while clarifying what sort of
direction I would like to take once I am done with school. I would highly recommend this
program to any others who desire to learn Turkish, and especially to those who, like me, have
maxed out U.S. options for Turkish learning.
8
�Nancy Hilton ‘20
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Course: Post- Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program
Instructors: Jillian Golasewski & Susan Salko
Length: June 10 – August 3, 2020
Credits earned: 6
The Pre-medical post-baccalaureate program here
at UVA attempts to complete in one year what most
undergraduates undertake in 4-5 years. I used my Pathways
grant (and continue to use) for the two semesters of general
chemistry which are completed during eight weeks over the
summer. My classes were originally meant to all be in
person and there is one time in the week when we can get
together to have class in person for two hours.
This year the program has become quite unusual
due to Covid-19. All of my classes are online, which means I have had to rapidly adjust from the
ways of St. John’s to the ways of learning at a large institution in addition to online learning. It
was not an easy transition, especially under the accelerated format. Under the conditions of
eight months of chemistry fit into two months online during a pandemic, there honestly was not
much room for enjoyment or adjustment.
As I progress further into the program, I feel that I have become in some ways a different
person because of this new way of learning and being. I have had to learn new ways of absorbing
information, preparing for tests, and taking notes. If I can do it, I promise anyone else worried
about how they will transition into a STEM field can too.
There were larger extenuating circumstances beyond the pandemic which greatly
affected me but, I have to say I did not find myself well suited to General Chemistry this
summer. The best way St. John’s prepared me for what was to lie ahead was being accustomed
to reading and thinking all day, but it was still exhausting!
I do not mean to scare any future post-bac students who may read this, I hope the
pandemic will have abided by that time. You (the prospective Pathways recipient) may find that
at whatever school you go to, the summer or any accelerated courses you have to take will be the
most challenging part of the experience. I found that the only thing that can be done is to simply
go through it and try to become a more tenacious and humbler student. I have come to the
awesome realization that I can do hard things and in the face of adversity and impossibility I can
overcome and achieve.
In spite of some of these downsides, I am grateful for many more things than I feel
discontent with, everyone has been very understanding and shown a great resilience towards the
struggles we all face. Most of my professors seem to be able to carry on class like normal, so
things do not feel so completely different after a brief time. The technological and personal
learning curves have been huge!
I am grateful to spend more time in proximity to loved ones and stay safe in my home. I
am grateful to have this incredible opportunity at UVA which has been greatly aided in receiving
a Pathways Fellowship. It is more than simply buying lab equipment, textbooks, and paying
application fees. All of these things add up to create a new threshold for me to step into. Even
though post-baccalaureate pre-medical programs, online classes, and in-person classes for that
matter are difficult, I truly cannot recommend programs like UVA highly enough.
9
�Willow Jackson ‘22
University of California Davis
Davis, California
Course: General Psychology
Instructor: Evan Antzoulatos
Length: June 22 -July 23, 2020
Credits earned: 4
This summer, with the help of the
Pathways Fellowship, I took a general
introductory course to psychology at the
University of California Davis. I was interested in
this course because I have an interest in the
social sciences, and wanted to see if this would
spark further interest as something I wanted to
pursue after completing the undergraduate
program at St. John’s.
Originally this course was to be held in
person on campus, but due to COVID-19 it was
switched to remote learning with live lectures
over Zoom. At first I was disappointed by this
shift, because I was hoping for a return to some normalcy after the remainder of the St. John’s
school year had been put online, but adapting to an online class was not difficult. Unlike classes
at St. John’s, this class was lecture style which was quite easy to do remotely.
The background of philosophy that St. John’s has given me was more applicable to the
study of psychology than I had anticipated initially. Both study human behavior, just in different
ways. While I found the information being taught very engaging, it did not take long for me to
realize this field was not going to be something that I wanted to pursue further. What I enjoy
about philosophy, and social sciences in general, is the broader systematic categorization of
what goes on in the world. Psychology as it was being taught in this course was much more
zoomed in on understanding the specifics of human behavior.
While I don’t have a whole lot of zeal to dive deeper into psychology, I did gain a lot of
helpful insight of what I do like and do want to pursue. With this opportunity I was able to have
a conversation with my professor who had useful information on how to find passion in
academic topics, and discussions about different aspects of social science.
I would recommend this program to any other students who have the opportunity to take
advantage of it. It helped me gain some direction for researching what I would like to study after
college by letting me find out what I didn’t like. As an added bonus I also got to speak to a
professor who had a plethora of useful information from his own experiences.
10
�Rory Quinn Johnson ‘22
The Schuler School of Fine Arts
Baltimore, Maryland
Course: Summer Program
Instructors: Francesca Schuler & David Good
Length: 6 weeks
Credits earned: Certificate of completion
St. John’s prepared me for Schuler
by engraining within my learning process
the value of starting at the beginning.
Whether it is starting with Theophrastus
or Euclid, we gain a sense of rebuilding
our academic knowledge from the
foundation. At Schuler, they teach the old
master’s way of approaching art which
involves traditional techniques and the
intersection of many different mediums.
Alike to the St. John’s education, Schuler
is equally intersectional. We studied
figure drawing, oil painting, water color,
and sculpture. You cannot study one
without the others. My program was
mostly in person doing plein air classes,
and sculpture in the studio. Figure drawing and oil painting were online. The online aspect of
figure drawing and oil painting was limiting but given the current situation, I am grateful for the
opportunity and safety I was afforded.
Before the summer program, I was unsure if I could make a career out of sculpture as I
had only done the art classes at St. John’s. Perry Carsley, who teaches the art classes, is an alum
of Schuler, and a fantastic mentor. Having completed the summer program and learning from
Mr. Carlsey, I am inspired to pursue a deeper relationship to art. Studying art through the old
masters is incredibly hard. There is nothing easy about it. You must retrain your eye, the
relationship between your mind and hand, and your mentality. I learned to be okay with starting
from the beginning even if the others in the class were miles ahead. I even had to learn how to
hold all the tools. I slowly developed an ability to balance my natural talent with the technical
side of art allowing the piece to come together more fluidly. I learned that I love to sculpt, and
that it is what I want to study for as long as I am able. The most important thing I was told
during the course was that we (the students) do not come here to leave with one shiny finished
product. We come here to leave with hundreds of attempts, and a wealth of knowledge to apply
from now on. Every great artist is sitting on a pile of thousands of failures. After hearing these
things, I was excited to fail and take risks with the goal of learning. I would recommend Schuler
to anyone interested in learning art the Old Master’s way. It has changed the way I approach my
visual world.
11
�Levan Kiladze ‘22
University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Course: Introduction to International Relations
Instructor: Daria (Dasha) Saprykina
Length: 5 weeks, June 22 – July 24, 2020
Credits earned: 5
This summer, I took an online
course called Introduction to International
Relations at UC Santa Cruz. Although I was
unable to spend my free time on the sunny
California beaches, I could still enjoy a
beautiful view from my room in Tbilisi,
Georgia. Taking a course in IR theory is a
sort of travel, as one is required to explore
many current and historical international
events simultaneously. It is a travel both in
space and time, just like any education
should be.
Before the course started, I read the syllabus very closely in order to know what to
expect. The course syllabus promised to introduce students to the study of IR as a discipline and
a way of thinking and knowing about the world. I found out that there would be four main
components of the course: readings, lectures, writing assignments, and discussions. The course
would be divided into five modules, each consisting of two parts. For each part of a module my
professor updated readings, lectures, and writing assignments online. Although we are supposed
to start with the readings, I listen to the lectures first, as they help provide a general outlook of a
topic. I read the articles and listened to particular talks after going over the questions in the
writing assignments, which are due each Sunday.
In the beginning of the course, we examined three major theories of international
relations: Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism. After going through the key concepts that
are relevant to the study of international relations, we examined the main assumptions of each
theory. In our discussions we asked the following questions concerning the individual theories:
What does Realism tell us about war and conflict? Is cooperation a solution to all problems in
international politics? How is our understanding of international politics constructed? In our
reading and writing assignments, we conducted case studies for each theory on the War in Syria,
Brexit, and the Rohingya Refugee Crisis, respectively.
One of the fundamental questions one has to ask before studying IR is: Why do we need
theories of international relations? The course has helped me to understand some current,
recent, and historical political events better through the logic of different IR theoretical
perspectives. It is indeed rewarding to know that political events are not random, and to
recognize some patterns behind them that could help to predict the future.
Our participation in the course was mainly measured though writing. In addition to
short writing assignments that followed specific articles, lectures, or talks, throughout the
course, I submitted two readings responses, one midterm exam, and one final essay. In my first
reading response I compared Realism and Liberalism and their main assumptions based on
course readings and lectures. I also argued that Liberalism is a more convincing IR theory than
Realism. In my feedback, I received some helpful advice regarding my use of grammar, style,
and organization; our teaching assistant also pointed out appealing and strong parts of my
discussion. This feedback helped me improve my future writing assignments.
12
�In my second reading response, I compared how Economic Structuralism and Critical
Theory view power. I first defined power from the perspective of both theories, and discussed
who has it and how it manifests in international relations. I then explained why the Critical
Theory approach to conceptualizing power is more convincing for me. These short
argumentative essays helped me formulate opinions that guided me in our online discussions.
I successfully completed the midterm exam, in which I was asked to define five terms
from the course and write a short essay on one of the provided prompts. I chose to write on
globalization challenges caused by the pandemic. Although I was under pressure to complete the
exam in time, as I haven’t written exams since I got to St. John’s, I enjoyed writing about a
subject that is relevant today.
My final essay was on the future of the nation-state and considered the main challenges
that the nation-state faces today. I was asked to discuss how different theories of international
relations—such as Economic Structuralism, Critical Theory, Feminism, Green Theory, and
Normative Theory—will approach and explain the changing importance of the nation-state. I
then hypothesized whether the nation-state will persevere as the main actor on the international
stage or if it will be replaced by something else.
In addition to improving my writing, communication, reading, and listening skills and
making me more politically aware, this course has changed the way I feel about the field as a
whole. Before this course, power, security, globalization, international law, and climate change
were issues I always cared about but never thought I had enough information or experience to
talk about seriously. In addition to reading and writing assignments, discussions and office
hours have helped me gain more confidence discussing politics. As my professor was
researching Putin’s rule, public opinion, and media in Russia, she was well informed about
events in Georgia, which I found especially useful in our conversations. In order to get the most
out of the course, I tried to participate in all of its parts equally and consistently. Even though
the discussions were optional, I considered them a fundamental part of the course. They
provided an important opportunity to apply different IR theories to the real world.
Studying different IR theories gave me an opportunity to question many political
opinions—such as capitalism, state security, and climate change—that I have taken for granted
before. It is challenging to analyze political events and approach concepts of war and peace from
more than one perspective, but it can be much more rewarding to question the ways in which
dominant IR theories view these concepts.
This course showed me that the development in IR theories is not arbitrary, but rather
that the newest theories meet the demand of modern society more closely. Critical Theory has
revealed to me how unexpected reality can be if studied thoroughly. Thus, Critical Theories
should be taken more seriously, as they can actually help us in reshaping the world by offering
more efficient ways of dealing with global problems. The ongoing debate within the field of
International Relations between positivism and post-positivism has challenged me to explore
the reality from multiple perspectives and thus find some middle ground.
Before taking Introduction to International Relations, my interests in politics were not
solid. Intellectually I have always been stuck between two extremes. I found mathematics
attractive for being precise, and I appreciated art, poetry, and literature for their more abstract
beauty. But politics for me remained a place full of opinions that I always avoided defending.
During this Pathways Fellowship, I learned that the space between precise and abstract arts
taken by social sciences is very complex and multisided. Although it might sound
counterintuitive, there is no universal good and bad in politics. Thus, political events and
decisions as well as the international system itself should be examined from many different
perspectives.
13
�Bao Le ‘21
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Course: General Psychology
Instructor: Christopher Gade, Ph.D.
Length: June 22 – August 14, 2020
Credits earned: 3
Funded by a grant from Dr. Stephen Forman
I originally planned to take part in an in-person
neuroscience internship this summer with a Hodson award,
yet as circumstances befell me and many others, I found
myself in Annapolis without said internship, living with about
nine other international students in Gilliam. Thankfully,
Career Services offered me the choice of converting the
Hodson award to a Pathways Fellowship, and I looked to UC
Berkeley’s online summer courses once again, this time their
psychology course. Along with the neurobiology course I took
last summer, the course would provide me with a
comprehensive view on the neuroscience field.
The course itself is normally a semester long, but
compacted down to a month and a half for the summer. It
offers Johnnies a rare glimpse into the conventional mode of
education: lectures, homework, discussions that ARE
supposed to conclude, and finally, exams. Regardless, the
course was immensely informative on the methods of
research in the psychology field, and the questions that the field is currently trying to answer.
The workload can get heavy at times due to the compact nature of the course, but there were
regular office hours present to help.
My summer thus consisted of this psychology course, surviving the pandemic, and
working in IT at St. John’s throughout the pandemic. Like my last summer, it was an exercise in
independent living (now more difficult), preparing for the coming school year (now an online
one), and preparing for a career after St. John’s (now also more difficult). More than ever, it
required of me the ability to adapt to every changing situation, and to make the best of my time.
14
�Jungeun Lee ‘21
Berklee Online, College of Music
Course: Orchestration 1
Instructor: Ben Newhouse
Length: June 29 – September 20, 2020
Credits earned: 3
I spent 12 weeks taking an Orchestration 1
class at Berklee Online in Boston, MA, which is
relatively longer than other summer courses. The
class is one of the required courses for a Bachelor's
degree in Film Scoring. The course was originally
online. Berklee College of Music has a good
reputation for having a strong online class
curriculum, and it is part of why I decided to take
the class at Berklee.
The final goal of the course is to compose a
2-3 minute & minimum of four pages of a full
score orchestral piece. I had to hand it in as both a
PDF score and a MP3 file. To be able to compose
proper orchestral music for the final project, the class learns about characteristics of each
orchestral instrument like the range of the instrument and specific playing techniques. Every
week has a composing/arranging assignment for certain instruments to see if the class can apply
what they learned for the week to their music.
The class also analyzes some classical and film music. In most of the cases, arranging
orchestral music begins with copying great composers’ style. Thanks to our Sophomore music
tutorial, reading the full scores and analyzing them in class was somewhat familiar to me.
Prerequisites for this course are knowledge of software (1. sequencing software e.g. Logic
Pro, Cubase 2. Notation program e.g. Finale, Dorico 3. Orchestral sample library e.g. Vienna
Symphonic Library, Eastwest) and some music theory. Our Sophomore music tutorial is enough
for the latter requirement; however, the class will be challenging if you are not familiar with
using a sequencing software.
After taking the course, I have more understanding about what my career goal looks like.
Weekly assignments/exercises and some big projects for the semester allowed me to experience
a preview of working in a music editing and composition field. For instance, every week, I got
used to working on the assignment by keeping a deadline of a project in mind. It is the common
environment of the field that customers often expect the music to be made in a short period of
time rather than of good quality.
I would highly recommend Orchestration 1 as a 101 class to the students who are
interested in working in a music editing or composing field, especially in film, TV and game
music. If one is interested in composing yet not good with using MIDI, I also recommend the
class as a challenge. I do not recommend it to students who are not interested in orchestral
music or only interested in studying music theory. One minor thing—the class also requires you
to take a final exam with the final project.
15
�Louis Mainwaring Foster ‘20
Screenwriter’s University/ Master Class
Offered online only
Course: Script Reading Certification
Instructors: David Trottier, Brian O’Malley, Aaron Sorkin
Length: June 11 – August 30, 2020
Credits earned: Script Reading Certificate
During my time at St. John’s College, I
realized my passion for the conveying of ideas
and stories. I became interested in pursuing a
career in screenwriting. I decided to use the
Pathways funding that I received this summer to
take a variety of courses to help me prepare for
this field.
There are a couple elements to
screenwriting that I needed to familiarize myself
with. These being the formatting of writing a
script, how to write scripts, the ability to channel
ideas and how to target my script. This required a
lot of reading and memorizing rules. Fortunately, my time at St. John’s College prepared me for
large amounts of reading and writing as well as giving me the capability to process large
amounts of data.
The Masterclasses that I took were led by famous screenwriters and writers who spoke
about and gave advice about the writing process and workshopping to bring ideas to light. I
found it extremely helpful because in such a vague field having somewhere to start and project
goals is very helpful. The script reading class with Mr. O’Malley was an essential element to my
career path since most screenwriters break into the industry by working for a studio as an
analyzer rather than a writer of scripts. This certificate class also helped me begin to understand
how studios might view ideas and potential scripts that I will write in the future.
Overall, the various courses were a perfect combination to give me a firm foundation for
my career in screenwriting and all the instructors were very helpful. The instructors gave
extensive feedback on written assignments and pointers for the future that helped me develop as
a writer and prevent the onset of bad habits. Also, many of my preconceived notions of the field
were removed during the classes. The instructors provided lots of extra readings and for future
research such as Aristotle’s Poetics and some of
Aristophanes, works that I am already familiar
with, as the building blocks and inspiration of
much of modern screenwriting. I would
recommend this program for anyone interested
in screenwriting because it provides a solid
foundation and allows you sets goals and
projects for yourself.
16
�Anna Seban ‘20
Corcoran College of Arts and Design & Otis College of Arts and Design
Courses: 1010 Fundamentals of Graphic Design; Color Theory & Design XGRD 1101-004
Instructors: Jim Mole, Lisa Oxley
Length: 5 weeks / 9 weeks
Credits earned: Certificate programs
Through Pathways funding this summer I was able
to take online introduction to graphic and design and color
theory courses through the Corcoran College at George
Washington University and the Otis College of Arts and
Design, respectively. Despite the setback of the Coronavirus
pushing the courses to online, I had a wonderful experience
and am extremely grateful for the opportunity the Pathways
grant afforded me.
I have been passionate about art and design for
years, and although I was able to pursue this in small ways
in my time at St. John’s, through my job as Fine Art
Assistant and on the Energeia staff, I wasn’t able to
actualize these passions through academic work.
Fortunately, this never stopped me from creating art and
spending my own time studying design. But, through these
courses I was able to lay the groundwork and foundations
for a more successful future in the field of art and design.
In my graphic design class, we discussed the basics of the field using the Adobe Creative
Suite (primarily Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator). This course was particularly helpful
because we covered the practical aspects of art and design such as marketing tools such as logo
design, resources for marketing and branding, and of course, technical skills for mastering these
skills. Although I do not have a career plan quite yet, I am certain that the knowledge and skills I
have gained in this course will be incredibly helpful, whether this be in the form of the knowledge
of desirable marketing and branding techniques, the necessary skills for digital art production,
the hexadecimal value system and color process for digital-to-print work, and much more.
Though I thoroughly enjoyed my graphic design course and I am excited to see where the
skills I learned there will lead me, the true highlight of my summer was my color theory and
design course through Otis. Prior to this class, I had a basic understanding of color through art
classes in high school, my personal experience with color as an artist, and tidbits I had read in
texts on art theory; but I quickly learned that this was only scratching the surface of color
theory. The course culminated in the creation of a 16-page “color book” consisting of hand
painted gouache swatches expressing various color harmonies and basics of color theory. We
worked through various standardized color systems (Munsell, Pantone, Itten), essential
terminology (all color is defined through hue, value, and chroma), and the cultural impact of
color worldwide.
Color is an essential aspect of our life and experience, and as an artist, this course allowed
me to broaden my creative horizons in so many ways. Every week we would hand mix a new set
of swatches for our “color books”; value, monochromatic tint, tone, shade, warm/cool harmonies,
complementary harmonies, and split complement, triad, tetrad harmonies. We had almost
complete freedom to mix our colors, meaning that more often than not, I ended up with
completely unique and personalized colors, which really added to the charm and excitement of
learning about color theory. In addition to our swatches, we constructed free form compositions
in an attempt to portray the organic expressions formed through the abovementioned harmonies.
17
�Along with our practical and hands-on approach to color theory, in this course we also
explored various artists who employ color theory specifically in their work such as Stanley
Whitney and Odili Donald Odita. We also read through important texts in the history of color
theory, focusing on Josef Albers Interaction of Color (1963), which utilizes about 150 color
studies created by himself and students in order to study and understand the science and
psychology of color. One of Albers greatest additions to color theory are his ideas on the illusion
and trickery that color can play on the eye, which really makes one consider color in a new light.
I would certainly recommend this course to anyone—artist or not—interested in
understanding color or our perception of color in art and society. It was an incredible
introduction to the vast world of art and color theory, and I am eager to continue not only my
study of art and color theory, but also to see how my new knowledge will influence my life and
art.
18
�Ece Nur Tuglu ‘21
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Course: The Supreme Court and Public Policy
Instructor: Brittany Arsiniega
Length: 6 weeks
Credits earned: 4
Any student would say that the summer of 2020 was
not like any other summer. For me, it was no exception. My
class was set to take place in July, however, it was announced
that my class too would be online-only. To my surprise, the
experience of taking this class online has proven to be a
fruitful experience. Being able to re-watch lectures after they
were recorded, accessing the course materials for free provided by the course instructor and
connecting with other students from the comfort of home has not only taught me how to use my
time wisely, but also helped me fully immerse myself in the course. One thing I’ve learned about
myself as a result of online-only education is that I really enjoy going over every detail, and that
I can work individually in a way that proves to be productive.
Our class consisted of 25 students, of which 24 were UC Berkeley students. I was the only
non-Berkeley student, let alone one who was a liberal arts major. I definitely stood out, as all my
classmates were legal studies or pre-law majors who already knew each other, the professor and
the teaching assistant. I noticed that I quickly blended in with them. I showed up to all the
virtual office hours and made sure I stayed connected with my professor. I believe my eagerness
to learn, participate and build personal connections with my professor and TA is the result of my
time at SJC, where we are encouraged to intensively engage with the Program and our tutors. In
addition, most of the texts we were required to read were texts we had already studied at the
College- e.g. The Federalist Papers. Having a prior understanding of the fundamental texts and
their history definitely helped my learning of the U.S. Constitution and my analysis of certain
case studies. I’ve also learned how to apply these fundamental principles of law into practice.
I’ve ended up writing two papers on two different Supreme Court cases—my midterm paper on
Roe v. Wade 410 U.S 113 and how the Supreme Court behaves with regards to reproductive law,
and my final paper on affirmative action in U.S. public schools and the Supreme Court’s role in
it, specifically on the Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1,
551 U.S. 701 case.
After completing the course, I had a better idea of what pursuing a legal career looked
like, and whether I was a good candidate for it. I even talked to my instructor after the course
ended, and her guidance along with the papers I had to write for the successful completion of
the class has shown me that I am indeed a good fit for it, and
that I enjoy this line of work more than I enjoyed previous
experiences working on different topics. My academic goals
haven't changed, as my intention in taking this class was to
have a foundation for law school. I now have a better idea of
what that plan looks like in the future and a more concrete
understanding of how to pursue those goals. I would definitely
encourage any Johnnie who is interested in the legal field to
apply to this course, as I have learned things about both
myself and the career I would like to pursue.
Ece began her coursework in the U.S. and finished at home in
Turkey.
19
�Aidel Townsley ‘22
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Los Angeles, California
Courses: Introductory Psychology & Introduction to Statistical Reasoning
Instructors: Maureen Gray & Dr. Miles Chen
Length: 6 weeks
Credits earned: 9
One of the most important ways St. John’s helped
me with the requirements of the courses I took was through
attendance. At St. John’s attendance in class is of primary
importance. One of my professors gave 10 percent of our
grade to quizzes that he gave the answers to during class, in
order to incentivize students to go to lecture. I would have
gone to lecture regardless because of my experience at SJC.
It made doing well in the class a lot easier. Of course the
reading skills I learned through SJC were helpful as well.
My course was meant to be in person but then
became online. One of the classes was run asynchronously
because of this which definitely changed how I felt about
the class, it made it less personal. I also felt that tests were
easier because they were open notes due to them being
online. Overall, because I am not interested in switching to
a different college, I did not mind “missing” the campus
experience.
My academic and career goals have not changed drastically though I was reminded how
mindless and boring I find classes to be at “normal” school. The material was wonderful but
because grades are the primary motivator, the classes become routine and it is hard to be
invested in learning.
I learned that I value education that requires me to be individualistic, which is
something I thought was true about myself, but I truly learned this summer. I also learned that
there will always be someone who is willing to have a deeper conversation about the material
you are learning. Those Johnnie skills of openness and conversation only improve my quality of
life, wherever I am. I also remembered how important and interesting I find psychology, and I
learned a lot about how to interpret statistics which should be useful when reading the news.
I would definitely recommend people apply for Pathways if they are interested in
learning more about a subject. I definitely enjoyed learning about psychology and statistics, and
thoroughly enjoyed the readings I did for those classes. If you have a specific goal for graduate
school this is a really simple way to boost your chances of being accepted and it is a lot of fun to
learn in a new way, even if it is not as preferable as the St. John’s way for me. I am very grateful
that St. John’s offers us the opportunity to further ourselves and our careers in this way.
20
�Khoa Van ‘22
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Maryland
Course: Calculus and Analytic Geometry I
Instructor: Professor Tracy Sorrells
Duration: June 15 – August 8, 2020
Credits earned: 4
The Calculus I course was originally
intended to be an in-person course, but it
was switched to an online course in the
summer. The course format, however, is
different from other online courses at the
school. The instructor uploaded materials
to the Canvas platform, which was the only
means of communication. Classes were
held in the morning: instead of simply
attending an online lecture or presentation,
we attended a live class in which the
professor shared her screen and lectured on
the materials. The discussion was lively:
frequent responses, done through the class
chat, were required to satisfy the
attendance policy.
The professor was also very patient and supportive. She was willing to elaborate upon
everything, and her email responses were timely. She encouraged students to have questions,
even simple ones. My classmates were very engaged. Their active participation motivated me to
study hard. They also got in touch with each other outside of class for group-studying.
Having taken this course, I am even more motivated to pursue my goal, which is studying
mathematics at the graduate level. However, I realize that I have a very long way in front of me
before I can achieve what I want to do. Mathematics is so vast and difficult, and this course only
covers a minimal portion of it.
Studying at another school gave me a first taste of the academic experience outside of St.
John’s College. I learned to focus on my grade and organize a working schedule to study outside
of class. I also came to understand that constant practice with the class materials helps not only
with exams, but also in mastering the subject overall. I am also more confident in reaching out
to other people for help, which is very important for success.
I would strongly recommend this program to any student who wants to have an
experience in learning at other schools, as well as those who want to pursue graduate studies. It
is a shame that this course was not available in-person, because given the satisfactory experience
I had, it would have been much better if I had known the professor and my classmates in
person.
21
�Yu Yau “Alice” Wong ‘21
Louisiana State University and University of North Dakota
Online programs
Courses: Linear Algebra and Discrete Mathematics
Instructors: Stacey Vessel and Jeremiah Bratz
Length: 12 weeks
Credits earned: 6
The two credited courses that I took were
Linear Algebra and Discrete Mathematics. They
were both online and self-paced courses. In the
linear algebra course, I learned about systems of
linear equations, vector spaces, linear
transformations, matrices and determinants. The
course provided concepts that are crucial to many
areas of computer science, including graphics,
machine learning and optimization. In the discrete
mathematics course, it covered a wide range of
topics that are particularly important to the areas
of computer science and mathematics. Unlike
college algebra, learning about the concepts and
point of view of discrete mathematics is at least as
important as mastering various computational
techniques. The demand for mathematical
proficiency has grown exponentially in a number of
careers. These courses provided me with great enlightenment and the necessary mathematical
tools to approach the theory and practice of computation.
I have greatly benefited from these courses, and they have confirmed my interest in
computer science. This learning experience definitely opened up more opportunities for me in
further studies and in potential career paths.
I highly recommend both programs to students who are interested in mathematics and
related subjects.
22
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Career Development Office—Annapolis
Description
An account of the resource
Career Development Office (Annapolis) publications including Hodson Internship Reports and Pathways Fellowship Reports.
Click on Items in the Career Development Office Collection to view and sort all items in the collection.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
23 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Pathways Fellowship reports, 2020
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of Pathways Fellowship reports from summer 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Experiential learning
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PathwaysFellowshipReports_2020
Internships
Publication
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/3eba5c5b4def8c4e5b9306e8dcb45691.pdf
bfd07edf0ef320b4af89b437bcf4eff4
PDF Text
Text
Hodson
Internship
Reports
Summer 2021
Annapolis, Maryland
0
�Hodson Internship Reports
Summer 2021
Table of Contents
Page
Overview of Hodson Internship Projects
4
Kasparas Adomaitis ‘23
10
LRT (Lithuanian Radio & Television), Investigative Journalism Div., Vilnius, Lithuania
Sidney Eleanor Ammons ‘21
11
Mentoring Kids Works NM, Santa Fe, NM
Rosalie Anderson ‘22
12
Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Annapolis, MD
Sydney Antonoff-Wertheimer ‘22
14
Veritas Literary Agency, San Francisco, CA
Samuel Berrettini ‘21
15
Point Park University, Dept. of Psychology, Pittsburgh, PA
Cora Clark ‘21
16
Duckhorn Portfolio, St. Helena, CA
Clarece Collins ‘22
17
Steven Raga for District 26, New York, NY
Joseph Cunningham ‘23
18
ANSER (Analytic Services Inc.), Falls Church, VA
Genevieve DeMajistre ‘22
20
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), Edgewater, MD
Samantha Duckworth ‘23
22
Touchstones Discussion Project, Stevensville, MD
Conor Flynn ‘22
23
International Rescue Committee (IRC), Baltimore, MD
Alexander Fodor ‘23
25
Profil Redaktion GmbH, London Office, London, UK
Nortaute Grintalis ‘21
26
Public Governance Institute, KU, Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
1
�Noah Hale ‘23
28
New Bay Books, Tracy’s Landing, MD
Ella Harel-Kirschner ‘23
29
The Cato Institute, Washington, DC
Masako Ito ‘22
30
Meltwater, Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Willow Jackson ‘22
32
UMBC, School of Public Policy, Baltimore, MD
Anton Kalmysh ’20
33
MZ Wallace, Inc., New York, NY
Kate Kennedy ‘24
35
Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
Isabella Kiedrowski ‘23
36
Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
Levan Kiladze ‘22
37
International Organization for Migration (IOM), Tbilisi, Georgia
Bao Le ‘21
39
Worthy Lab, Department of Psychology, Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX
Ava Lehrman ‘23
40
Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
Jameson Marshall ’20
42
Office of the Federal Public Def. Service for the Dist. Of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Ray Matsumoto ‘22
43
Pacific Atrocities Education, San Francisco, CA
Gabriel Mendez ‘22
44
Duckhorn Portfolio, St. Helena, CA
Monica Molina ‘22
45
Davidson Galleries, Seattle, WA
Katherine Quinn ‘22
46
Univ. of Buffalo, Dept. of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biology, Buffalo, NY
Alayna Raymond ‘23
47
Univ. of California, The Language & Cognitive Dev. Research Lab, Berkeley, CA
2
�Raphael Rose ‘22
49
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Gravitational Astrophysics Lab, Greenbelt, MD
Arpan Sapkota ‘21
50
Himalaya School/College, Kathmandu, Nepal
Apurva Sharma ‘23
51
Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Kathmandu, Nepal
Nathalie Smallidge ‘22
53
SHE-CAN (Supporting Her Education Changes a Nation), Mill Valley, CA
Honor Stanton ‘23
55
Anne Arundel County State’s Attorneys’ Office, Annapolis, MD
Abigail Stuart ‘20
56
Kay Lab, Institute for Mind & Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Jaeri Suh ‘21
58
Enuma, Berkeley, CA
Ece Nur Tuglu ‘21
60
Aksoy Law, Izmir, Turkey
Heliotrope Vaughn ‘22
62
Reserve Capital Partners, Dallas, TX
Jordan West-Guzman ‘22
64
Maryland Office of the Public Defender-Annapolis, Annapolis, MD
Tessa Wild ‘23
65
Maryland Off. of Public Defense, Dist. Court of the Off. of Public Defense, Annapolis, MD
Ersin Yucel ‘24
66
Torku, Konya Seker Factory, Konya, Turkey
Mana Yumi ‘22
68
Beyond Global, Singapore
3
�Overview of the 2021 Hodson Internship Awards
Kasparas Adomaitis ’23, LRT (Lithuanian Radio & Television), Investigative Journalism
Division, Vilnius, Lithuania
Work with a team of five professional journalists with expertise in a wide range of practice and different
media genres, helping with research on domestic political issues, national security issues,
the influence of China and Russia in Lithuania, and the region.
Sidney Eleanor Ammons ’21, Mentoring Kids Works NM, Santa Fe, NM **
Recipient of the Bryan Samuel Award
Assist board members, executive director, coordinators, mentors, on-site supervisory teachers, and
participant children in program and organizational development; includes work in fields of education
policy, fundraising, and grant writing.
Rosalie Anderson ’22, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Annapolis Office
Annapolis, MD
Work closely with an Assistant Public Defender in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court; attend court to
observe Anne Arundel County Adult Circuit Court Drug Court, and all proceedings involving felony
criminal cases in Circuit Court, such as status conferences, motions, hearings, and trials. Join in visits to
jails to observe legal meetings with clients. Review discovery and brief the PD on the allegations in a case
as well as become involved in issue spotting, drafting potential pre-trial and post-trial motions, legal
research, and general file organization.
Sydney Antonoff-Wertheimer ’22, Veritas Literary Agency, San Francisco, CA
Read submissions, practice writing short treatments listing the strengths and deficits of a work; scout for
projects, and edit, all while learning industry practices.
Samuel Berrettini ’21, Point Park Univ., Dept. of Psychology, Pittsburgh, PA **
Participate in all phases of a research project, including literature review, development of an IRB
proposal, collection and analysis of data, and writing a research report; trained to conduct qualitative
interviews and assist with interviews of participants on their experience of dignity.
*Cora Clark ’21, Duckhorn Portfolio, St. Helena, CA
Learn general viticulture support, focusing in the areas of scouting for common vineyard pests and
disease; assist with data collection and input phenology tracking data; provide grower support as needed
including crop estimation (counts and weights) and scouting.
Clarece Collins ’22, Steven Raga for District 26, New York, NY
Gain valuable insight on the inner workings of a field office of a grassroots campaign by professionally
representing the campaign online, by phone, and in person; train and supervise volunteers; monitor
print and social media, identify, summarize, and report on relevant news and trends; participate in
creative meetings for the design and implementation of campaign marketing strategies; prepare for
and assist in events such as house parties, speeches, and debates.
Joseph Cunningham ’23, ANSER (Analytic Service, Inc.), Falls Church, VA **
Examine the various treaties governing the ability of commercial firms to profit from lunar resources, and
how these treaties and laws will impact the push to exploit these resources.
4
�Genevieve DeMajistre ’22, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center,
Biogeochemistry Lab, Edgewater, MD
Focus on understanding the controls on tidal wetland methane emissions using a new experiment in
SERC’s Global Change Research Wetland; conduct a literature review, formulate hypothesis, and collect
and analyze automated datasets of methane fluxes and tidal cycles of this site. When in-person will collect
and analyze water samples and measure plant biomass.
*Samantha Duckworth ’23, Touchstones Discussion Group, Stevensville, MD
Engage in project management related to core programs in schools and colleges and with executives,
older adults, veterans, and the incarcerated; projects typically include research components, data
collection and interpretation; and writing.
Conor Flynn ’22, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Baltimore, MD
Track, file and mail relevant documents, applications and notices of action; maintain immigration
databases; assist with special research or other projects. Under the guidance of IRC immigration staff,
meet with clients to assist with specific applications and forms.
Alexander Fodor ’23, Profil Redaktion GmbH, London Office, London, UK
Assist a foreign correspondent at an Austrian weekly news magazine (published in German) who
specializes in UK, US, Russian, and Middle Eastern politics, as well as UK & EU relations; gain insight
into the intricacies of journalism and the responsibilities, values, and methods; assist in conducting
research on current political events; plan, prepare, and participate in interviews.
*Nortaute Grintalis ’21, Public Governance Institute, KU, Leuven University, Leuven,
Belgium **
Formulate new project under mentor guidance concerning diaspora trends within Belarus, Ukraine,
Russia, and the Baltic Region and other neighboring countries and the responsive policy formulation
concerning both national security and migration; analyze comparative laws and policy formulation with
members of the European Union regarding territorial expansion and external boundaries; monitor
current and ongoing issues; access regional databases; copy-edit current research projects and
presentations.
Noah Hale ’23, New Bay Books, Tracy’s Landing, MD
Assist in every aspect of book publishing, especially poetry, from evaluating and editing manuscripts,
preparing them for publication (including proofreading, proofreading, proofreading), promotion, and
record keeping.
Ella Harel-Kirschner ’23, The Cato Institute, Washington, DC
Assist a policy analyst with a paper about how jawboning, or informal demands by government officials,
shapes the policies of social media firms; conduct daily policy research; help draft public comments and
testimony; assist in the organization of a debate with another think tank; and attend various educational
and professional development seminars with her cohort.
Masako Ito ’22, Meltwater, Japan, Tokyo, Japan **
Assist senior team members by conducting research on news, media, and social media platforms; provide
data cleaning including adjusting sentiment of news, themes of news, and count the engagement; develop
visualizations in Excel and PowerPoint to illustrate clients brand data; work extensively with the Client
Insight team to assist in on-boarding training, customers' needs analysis and enhancing customer
satisfaction; track market trends and stay abreast in the digital market arena.
5
�Willow Jackson ’22, UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore), School of Public Policy,
Baltimore, MD
Join a team of researchers involved in examining the impact of civil society mobilization on policy change
in the areas of policing and criminal justice; collect data on the local organizational presence of the Black
Lives Matter movement in the U.S.
Anton Kalmysh ’20, MZ Wallace, Inc., New York, NY **
Work with the Ecommerce Coordinator and digital team to support and execute MZ Wallace’s ecommerce and customer experience strategies; help create a brand experience that engages consumers,
solidifies communication, and drives conversion and sales.
Kate Kennedy ’24, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
Conduct research with primary sources to determine the extent and patterns of enslavement by
Maryland's governors.
Isabella Kiedrowski ’23, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
Conduct research with primary sources to determine the extent and patterns of enslavement by
Maryland's governors.
Levan Kiladze ’22, International Org. for Migration (IOM), Tbilisi, Georgia **
Participate in research and public surveys concerning public attitudes, the role of media and various
aspects of migrants’ rights; participate in designing creative multimedia public campaigns with different
NGOs to highlight migrants’ rights; assist in managing and organizing meetings, expert exchanges, and
trainings for government counterpart on topics relevant to protection of migrants’ rights.
Bao Le ’21, Worthy Lab, Dept. of Psychology, Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX
Compare human behavior in tasks where people must learn to classify stimuli into different categories
based on their perceptual features, to predictions made by both machine learning, and theoretical models
of classification-learning; conduct analyses with machine learning models; gain insight on the predictions
made by theoretical models versus data-driven machine-learning models, and how predictions from both
models compare to human data.
Ava Lehrman ’23, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
Work under the supervision of conservators and archivists learning how to manage, protect, and catalog
historic materials for permanents archives; work in conservation lab and processing rooms on a variety
of preservation projects.
Jameson Marshall ’20, Office of the Federal Public Defender Service for the District of
Maryland, Baltimore, MD **
Provide defense services for federal criminal cases and related matters in the federal court in order to
provide quality, legal representation to indigent defendants; work with legal counsel investigating
allegations of suspected violations of Federal criminal statues in the District of Maryland, including
death eligible cases; plan and conduct complete criminal investigations; research and collect records to
obtain facts; and write detailed reports of interviews: data enters running records of case activity and
keeps accurate records of all phases of the investigation.
Ray Matsumoto ’22, Pacific Atrocities Education, San Francisco, CA
Help compile and research information on the Pacific Asian War as the History Research Intern; write
about the history of World War II.
6
�*Gabriel Mendez ’22, Duckhorn Portfolio, St. Helena, CA
Support the overall Duckhorn Portfolio marketing efforts through a series of projects spanning Trade
Marketing, Social Media, Content Creation, Environmental Sustainability, Legal Trademark Use, and
Photography/Artwork organization.
Monica Molina ’22, Davidson Galleries, Seattle, WA
Focus on inventory management of print and paper artwork of nearly 20 thousand original pieces; gain
experience in art handling and installation, community outreach, research, social media marketing,
photography, graphic design, and website maintenance.
*Katherine Quinn ’22, Univ. of Buffalo, Dept. of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine
& Biology, Buffalo, NY
Focus on why populations that have experienced social marginalization and historical trauma seem to
have such high burdens of diseases such as coronary artery disease, autoimmune diseases, etc.; review
the literature; learn the basic concepts of epigenetics and the role of the non-coding genome in
regulating basic cellular and metabolic functions; have “hands-on” experience in genetic analysis by
examining a data set that consists of genetic risk loci for systemic lupus in African American women;
learn how to use genetic and epigenetic information as a means of understanding how and where the
environment exerts effects on basic genomic functions.
Alayna Raymond ’23, Univ. of California, The Language & Cognitive Development
Research Lab, Berkeley, CA
Work on at least 1-2 studies with graduate student mentors transcribing audio, analyzing data, recruiting
participants, and running studies on participants; attend weekly lab meetings; meet with mentors and
attend literature review circles with their cohort.
Raphael Rose ’22, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Gravitational Astrophysics Lab,
Greenbelt, MD
Work with researcher who focuses on the simulation of black-hole mergers—in empty space or in a
plasma-rich environment—on supercomputers; take data produced by numerical relativity simulations
of single black holes and black-hole binaries, and synthesize these data into simplified “snapshots” of
the metric, which can then be used as the basis for more accurate post-merger radiation transport and
ray-tracing.
Arpan Sapkota ’21, Himalaya School/College, Kathmandu, Nepal
Teach students from higher secondary (grade equivalent to 11-12) Mathematics and Science; research
and assist other teachers with their classes.
Apurva Sharma ’23, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Kathmandu, Nepal
Complete various assigned tasks and projects including, but not limited to, shadowing and assisting
surgeon during OPDs, daily rounds, witnessing some surgeries, making the EMRs and distributing
discharge summaries of patients; choosing and presenting a research project to the department.
Nathalie Smallidge ’22, SHE-CAN, Mill Valley, CA
Support the Program and Community teams, focusing on outreach projects, virtual event and workshop
preparation, logistical support for scholars, and other support; projects may include assisting with
outreach and recruitment for application launch in Guatemala; checking in with incoming freshmen
scholars to ensure they have all documentation required for travel; and assisting with online workshops
to onboard new community members.
7
�Honor Stanton ’23, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorneys’ Office, Annapolis, MD
Read, organize, and scan old felony cases—a major project for an upcoming relocation; observe court
cases and meet with attorneys from each trial team.
*Abigail Stuart ’20, Univ. of Chicago, Kay Lab, Inst. for Mind & Biology, Chicago, IL **
Learn olfactory system neuroscience and rodent cognitive behavior and data analysis; train rats to do
odor discrimination tasks and work closely with graduate students and a postdoctoral scholar on projects
related to understanding how olfactory circuits support odor-guided behavior; receive training in each
part of the job and adhere strictly to animal use guidelines; participate in weekly lab meetings, read
papers, learn neuroscience, and discuss research with other members of the laboratory.
Jaeri Suh ’21, Enuma, Berkeley, CA
Work with a company who creates applications designed to help children learn and gain confidence in
early literacy and math through playing mobile games; assist with designing class materials and curricula
by using Photoshop and Illustrator; collect feedback from Todo Live users and submit weekly report;
develop marketing content as needed, and interact with the Design and Business Team.
Ece Nur Tuglu ’21, Aksoy Law, Izmir, Turkey
Work with a law practice that specializes in real estate, family, labor, corporate, criminal, trade,
inheritance, and compensation law; conduct legal research, assist with communications, review and
write briefs on developing cases, manage the client databases, assist the firm with case organization,
and help with administrative duties.
Heliotrope Vaughn ’22, Reserve Capital Partners, Dallas, TX
Plan tenant appreciation events; assist property manager (PM) in processing vendor payments and rent
and tenant billings; act as intermediary between tenant and PM team to solve tenant issues.
Jordan West-Guzman ’22, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Annapolis Office,
Annapolis, MD
Work closely with an Assistant Public Defender in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court; attend
court to observe Anne Arundel County Adult Circuit Court Drug Court, and all proceedings involving
felony criminal cases in Circuit Court, such as status conferences, motions, hearings, and trials. Join in
visits to jails to observe legal meetings with clients; review discovery and brief the PD on the case;
become involved in issue spotting, drafting potential pre-trial and post-trial motions, legal research,
and general file organization.
Tessa Wild ’23, Maryland Office of Public Defense, District Court of the Office of Public
Defense, Annapolis, MD
Assist in investigating cases, which might include going into the field to photograph crime scenes or
interview witnesses; assist with file preparations, which might include downloading discovery and MVA
records and digesting discovery; help interview or be a witness to the interviewing of clients and
witnesses; watch trials and take notes of what the witnesses said; set up jail visits or go with the
attorneys to interview clients; use edefender program (an OPD database system; review body camera
evidence that the state discloses to the defense and report what you observed.
Ersin Yucel ’24, Torku, Konya Seker Factory, Konya, Turkey
Gain experience in economics and business by working in production planning, financial planning,
marketing, management, human resources management, and financial and administrative affairs; learn
the structure and vision of a highly successful firm.
8
�Mana Yumi ’22, Beyond Global, Singapore
Work within a high performing team while collaborating closely with other parts of the division; work
alongside experienced consultants to provide HR support for companies to achieve business objectives;
develop and establish new HR Systems catered to the clients; prepare reports and material writing based
on client's needs; compile data, understanding data structure, analyzing and deriving useful
information/trends; gain an understanding of general HR topics across various industries; research hot
HR topics in the USA and share with team members.
*Hosted or funded by a SJC alumnus/a
**Deferred from 2020 due to Covid restrictions
9
�Kasparas Adomaitis ‘23
LRT (Lithuanian National Radio & Television),
Investigative Journalism Division, Vilnius, Lithuania
This summer I interned at the national broadcaster of Lithuania,
Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), where I was their
very first intern to be enrolled as part of the “LRT Investigates”
division. I chose this division because of my interest in investigative
journalism and concern for press freedom and political
transparency in my country. My mentors were welcoming, helpful
and genuinely interested in my undertakings at the broadcaster. I
worked within a team of five and helped conduct, write and present
multiple investigations. My responsibilities were ever changing and
I was allowed to work with confidential information, databases and
to gather information myself.
One of the investigations involved me going to the state archives
and looking through different newspapers from the 90s to find
useful information on how certain state property was privatized in Lithuania after the fall of the Soviet
Union. I also helped determine the history of legislation regarding commercial forestry and how it
influences current politics around state forests and private enterprise. In addition, I translated texts of
ongoing investigations into English to share them with foreign media outlets which helped assist with
the work. I had the chance to interview a foreign affairs expert who brought insight into the effects of
the investigation in question. My most memorable project was investigating the migration networks of
people from the Middle East through Belarus into Lithuania. I interviewed Kurdish migrants who had
crossed the Lithuanian border in detention centers. I also took part in a day-long stakeout where our
team disguised as locals investigated the means of crossing the Lithuanian border to Poland. This
entailed car chases and police involvement who we contacted to inform about an illegal migration
network. We gathered relevant footage which we used to broadcast the investigation via television and
radio.
I have learned a lot through the internship and I am very grateful to have been a part of a heroic team
which mentored me over the two months. Having always found it difficult to find a career path that
would genuinely interest me, this internship showed me my strengths, weaknesses and gave me a
sense of belonging. It made me realize that I could pursue journalism as a career and be good at it. I
learned that I am conscientious and diligent with my work and that I value attentiveness and kindness
in a workplace. I am polite but also persistent which are two important qualities to have while working
in the field of journalism. I also discovered that I have what was described to me as an innate passion
for transparency, fairness and the truth, which are important traits for serious investigative work. I
gained analytic skills which helped me find faults, patterns and important details in documents and
interviews during the internship, and I also learned that in journalism one should be responsible for
every word they use. I believe this principle is particularly important to follow during tutorials and
seminars at St. John’s. All these traits and skills that I discovered I had throughout the course of my
internship started to develop during my time at St. John’s as they are key for learning.
In conclusion, my time at LRT helped me see that a liberal arts education is very useful when pursuing
a career in journalism as it teaches open-mindedness and passion for seeking the truth which are both
beneficial for succeeding in this field. My mentors expressed care and compassion but were strict
where necessary. They taught me that quality journalism is about dedication, honest work and does
not wholly depend on having a degree in journalism. I am very grateful for the connections and
friendships that I made during my time at LRT and most importantly, I believe this internship helped
me clarify and solidify my future career plans.
10
�Sidney Eleanor Ammons ‘21
Mentoring Kids Works New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Mentoring Kids Works NM (MKWNM) is a non-profit that, in short,
works to improve children’s literacy in New Mexico. But in reality, so
much more goes into this non-profit’s work than simply supplying
books, and reading to children. For, to address children’s literacy issues,
one must also address issues of accessibility, of food security, children’s
safety, legislation surrounding children’s education, and be culturally,
socially, and economically aware of what life is truly like for the children
of New Mexico.
I had the immense pleasure this summer to be a part of MKWNM as it
went through an unprecedented expansion. With the pandemic only
showcasing gaps in our public school systems further, MKWNM’s work
was in high demand and they really stepped up to the challenge. A huge part of my work related to this
expansion was creating a new ‘Four Year Plan’ for the organization. In this process I had to learn about
the organization's past, all the intricacies presently happening internally, and meet with my mentor with
personal research and evidence to discuss where the organization should go in the future. This really
stretched all of my professional abilities, and expanded my skill set. I learned through this process how to
budget finances and brainstorm new paths of revenue, technical writing skills, and especially how to
research in the nonprofit sector to really creatively target and benefit the areas an organization is aiming
for.
In writing this document I worked collaboratively with other interns! I never felt alone in this process and
it was great to always have a support system to bounce off ideas and questions. Even though I worked
remotely, I still felt I was making big strides every day. Communication was wonderful during this
internship and some of my highlights during the summer was because of this. Not only did I meet with
people internal to the organization but I also had several meetings a week with other leaders in nonprofit
around New Mexico. I was invited to meetings with the Rotary Club, REEL Fathers, New Mexican
Publishing, and my personal favorite with NM State Auditor Brian Colon. With my meeting with Brian
Colon I learned about some of the local politics and responsibilities our state officials stand for. Hearing
Colon’s story, a New Mexico native himself, moved me immensely. He grew up in a family of immigrants,
below the poverty line, and from a different tongue, and so much of his story resonated with my own. It
was inspiring to see such like-minded people and truly kind people still believe in making a difference in
their community. I carried this inspiration greatly into the work I did this summer.
In writing the ‘Four Year Plan’ and meeting such amazing people, I wanted to be more active in this
plan I was writing for MKWNM. I applied for grants from the Kellogg's Foundation and Witter Bynner
Foundation for Poetry on behalf of our organization to get funding and classes for student and parent
support. Additionally, I became involved with event and fundraising planning, which led me to work as
well in our social media and community outreach. This month we’re celebrating Children’s Literacy
Day with the community and now hosting a silent auction in November! Mostly because my mentor
supported my ideas on how truly wonderful it could be to host events for the community. Most
excitingly, we are working this coming April with Chevel Sheppard (winner of The Voice) at the Lensic
to raise money for MKWNM too! During the school year I’ve been invited to help bring these events to
complete fruition and I am excited to be involved when I can, whether that be writing newsletters
advertising our events, or giving speeches on behalf of MKWNM and children advocacy in person. I
don’t feel like my work with MKWNM will end after this summer and I am excited to see how much
further I can be involved.
I am very grateful to my mentor and the Hodson committee for giving me this opportunity. I feel it has
solidified my desire to enter the non-profit sector with more confidence and passion. Thank you.
11
�Rosalie Anderson ‘22
Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Annapolis, Maryland
Funded by Bryan Samuel, AGI04, in honor of
Jodie Lee Adams
This summer I interned at the Maryland Public Defender’s
Office (OPD) in Anne Arundel County. The job was quite
unlike anything I had experienced before. I started out
being given smaller tasks, like filling out minor motions and
accompanying my mentor to court just for the purpose of
observing. As the summer went on and I began to
understand more and more of the local courts system, my
assigned tasks increased in complexity. I read hundreds of
pages of evidence, watched police interviews and tracked
down pertinent witnesses for cases. I also accompanied my
mentor to the county jail to talk to clients and called a few
on my own if I needed further information when drawing up a motion. Although my mentor ended up
not having a trial go ahead this summer, we came awfully close more than once and I was able to
participate in the trial prep and the construction of opening arguments.
I am an ardent believer in the applicability of a liberal education to anything one might go on to do in
life, and, in many ways, this experience solidified my belief. There are, of course, the technical
advantages: coming from a school that highly values writing but resists teaching it formulaically gave
me a good start at writing well, documents of a kind I’d never encountered before. The sheer amount of
reading I do for school alone has taught me many a lesson in the importance of not losing sight of the
small details buried amidst dense documents. One word alone can make all the difference in how a
case is approached, and although this word is not always so easy to catch, I found myself readily
prepared for the challenge.
That said, there were many things about the job which are antithetical to the St. John’s education. For
all of one’s immersion in the justice system, there is very little to be answered regarding the question
“What is Justice?” Doubt has no place in the job of a defense attorney; you fight for your client
regardless of the facts because you know the State will fight to convict them regardless of the facts.
These caveats, while an understandable affect, tend to maintain an imperfect status quo.
I also found it very disquieting to see a judge tell one of our clients that it was due to the nature of his
actions that he was going to be separated from his children as opposed to her actions; her hands were
tied and she just had to sentence him to however many years more than the minimum. But when I hear
incarcerated people testify to the fact that prisons are rife with gangs preparing for an imminent war
and that crimes, even murders, often go unprosecuted, it begins to dawn on me that it is a widely
known yet unspoken fact that the DOC is not so much concerned with rehabilitation as they are with
presupposed recidivism. There is something painfully elementary about prison, this idea that if you do
something deemed bad by others, you pay your debts by being removed from your family and your
community and everything that is familiar. Would it have mattered to “justice being served” if the
client was sentenced to five years above or below the minimum? This is not really a question for me to
answer, but perhaps one which I wished more people had asked.
But then again, I was not interning for the justice system as a whole, I was interning for the Office of
the Public Defender and I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor or experience. My mentor, along
with all the other PDs, was smart, dedicated and wildly enthusiastic about the job. The work
environment was lively and warm, along with the presence of that slightly hard edge that comes from
12
�understanding what is at stake if you do not do your job well. I really liked that the work consisted of
mostly individual responsibilities, but that the environment was still very collaborative, with attorneys
constantly turning to each other to discuss their cases and ask for advice. I also liked that the tasks
were ever changing, with each new case needing to be treated as per the facts of that case, and that I
got to see my mentor, after fourteen years of doing her job, still doing things for the first time.
There were many aspects of the job that I gravitated toward, and I don’t believe I could have asked for
a better experience than the one I had over this past summer, but I do not think my future lies in the
practice of law. I enjoyed the legal research I did, and I was endlessly impressed by the people I met,
but I experienced many moral qualms over the practice of law. I have only the greatest respect for
Public Defenders and going forward this year, I will continue to clerk for my mentor because I believe
in the importance of the work that she does. But I do not wish to renounce any of my feelings of
discomfort when it comes to the practices of the court; it is this discomfort, after all, which keeps me
thinking critically.
13
�Sydney Antonoff-Wertheimer ‘22
Veritas Literary Agency
San Francisco, California
Most of what I did this summer as an intern at
the Veritas Literary Agency was read, review,
and report on manuscripts sent to the agents. I
also occasionally looked for suitable editors for
manuscripts that had already been accepted by
the agency and were entering the next step of
the publishing process. I sifted through and
responded directly to many queries from
authors, sometimes rejecting them, sometimes
asking for the full manuscript to take a closer
look. I corresponded with the authors on behalf
of the agency, which was definitely one of the
most exciting things I did. Through this work, I
learned a lot about the publishing industry and the agent’s role in it. Due to the nature of the job, most
of the work is done remotely all the time, not just during the pandemic. Manuscripts are sent by email
to the agents. Most of the communication I did with my mentor was through email, though we did also
meet in person once and over Zoom on occasion. Working remotely allowed for a lot of flexibility,
especially since a lot of my job was to read long manuscripts.
St. John’s has really improved my critical thinking and reading abilities, which were in constant use
during this internship. Because agents receive so many queries, they have to be very discerning when
deciding which to represent. My experience writing and reading at St. John’s helped me to write
critical, detailed summaries and reviews of the manuscripts I read. My interest in reading and books is
what drew me to St. John’s in the first place.
While I don’t know if agenting is the right area of the publishing industry for me, I am definitely
interested in pursuing other work in the field, and now know some of the other options there are, as
well as having contacts in the field through my internship. My mentor also works as a freelance editor,
and through our conversations, I learned that that might be a path I’m interested in exploring further.
Because this was a remote internship and the agency is so small, there weren’t a lot of coworkers I was
in contact with. However, I did communicate a lot with the two agents, both of whom were very
friendly and supportive. I loved how direct and casual the environment was, and how often I got
feedback. Because of the size of the agency, I received a lot of personal attention and the agents were
quick to respond to any questions I had. There was always enough work for me to do, but I was never
overwhelmed, and if I needed more work, the agents were quick to respond with another assignment.
The agents worked independently of each other on projects, and because their jobs are remote, they
work flexible hours and are able to live wherever they want and travel, both of which appeal to me.
Since the agency is so small, it is unlikely that I would work there in the future, but the agents I worked
with were very friendly and asked me to reach out to them for help entering the field in the future,
whether that be as an agent or in another role. What I really did like about agenting work was the
freedom, from picking projects to work on to deciding your own schedule.
14
�Samuel Berrettini ‘21
Point Park University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
For my last Hodson summer, I knew I wanted to intern as
a research assistant in psychology. I had already interned
at the Social Learning Lab at Boston University two years
earlier, and I had spent my previous summer taking online
college-level courses in psychology. One of my father’s
friends, having heard about my interest in the field, put me
in touch with Dr. Brent Robbins, the chair of the
psychology department at Point Park University in
Pittsburgh. When I told Dr. Robbins about the Hodson and
my previous experience, he was happy to take me on as a
research assistant. In my previous internship, I had been
just one research assistant in a large lab, but this time,
since I was working with Dr. Robbins one-on-one, I had
greater responsibility in overseeing his studies from start
to finish.
During my internship as a research assistant, I worked
remotely full-time. Dr. Robbins started me off by assigning
a pile of readings to get better acquainted with the subject matter of his studies. Although I already had
some experience with psychology, Dr. Robbins’s work was more clinical than what I’d done at the
Social Learning Lab, so I had some catching up to do, especially regarding methods. Thankfully, the
material was similar enough to what I’d been exposed to before that I was able to tackle most of it
myself, and I talked through any remaining questions I had with Dr. Robbins.
Once I’d been brought up to speed on his projects, I had two main responsibilities: conducting
interviews for an ongoing phenomenological study on virtuous masculinity, and writing up an IRB
proposal for a planned study on joy, alexithymia, experiential avoidance, and chronic pain. Although I
enjoyed interviewing, as it allowed me to use my Johnnie listening and questioning skills, scheduling
difficulties with our subjects made it so that I was only able to complete a small number of interviews.
Still, I advanced the progress of that study, and got to dip my toe into gathering my own data for the
first time.
Drafting the study proposal went much more smoothly, and forced me to muster not only the
knowledge I’d gained through Dr. Robbins’s curriculum, but also the writing that St. John’s had given
me a chance to hone. While an IRB proposal is very different stylistically from a senior essay, many of
the skills I had developed over my years of annual essays transferred well, especially the ability to
ensure that every section of a large paper adhered to a central είδος. Dr. Robbins ended up being
thrilled with my draft of the proposal, and since I had had such a hand in the conception of this study,
he put me down as a co-author! It will likely be quite a while before the study is complete, let alone
published, but he said that he would let me know when it was nearing completion so we could find a
journal that would advance my career to be included in.
Eventually, as summers do, this summer ended. Although I had hoped to continue immediately into a
graduate program in psychology, I decided instead to accept the position of Client Solutions Associate
at GLG, the market-leading expert network firm. I still intend to return to psychology at some point,
and this internship was helpful to me to both restate my interest in the field and prepare myself for
eventual further study in it. Until then, I will still be applying the skills I learned; the ability to do selfdirected, data-driven work remotely has already been invaluable to me at GLG. Wherever, whenever I
go, I have gained much from this experience.
15
�Cora Clark ‘21
Duckhorn Portfolio
St. Helena, California
Hosted by alumnus Zach Rasmuson (A95)
This summer, I was a Hodson Trust intern with the
Duckhorn Portfolio, a fine wine company in Napa
Valley, California. With this internship I hoped to take
my interest in agriculture and discover the bigger
picture of it as a career. I wanted to oversee the
transformation process of a produce into a product,
and to understand all the elements that go into
farming as an industry. For the most part, I had the experience I’d hoped to have. I was able to clarify
my career goals and set myself on a more determined path for my future.
My internship at Duckhorn was in the viticulture department. My job was to act as a bridge between
the planting and agriculture side of the vineyard and the winemakers. I travelled independently
between Duckhorn’s vineyards all over Napa Valley, collecting data and assessing the state of the vines.
My data included the health of the vineyards, the number of missing and/or sick vines for determining
seed ordering, grape cluster counts for determining crop estimation, disease and pest tracking, and
sugar levels for determining the right time to harvest. The data I collected was then sent to the wineries
so they could plan for harvest and for replanting.
Everything I did was with “ear and eye,” without the use of aerial technology or big industry
machinery. This was because of the fineness of the product and the attention to detail in its
production; Napa Valley wineries believe that big machinery and technological short-cuts ruin the
delicacy of the grapes and cut corners on the precision and care that should go into making fine wine.
As a result, I witnessed firsthand the important place that hands-on work and observation plays in the
agricultural process of a fine product. However, this also impressed upon me the frustrating
subjectivity involved in this kind of work: at one point, several of my coworkers and I could not agree
on what a “sick vine” was, and so our calculations of sick vines throughout the vineyards were likely
very inconsistent. We see the same problems come up in Laboratory at St. John’s: human-collected
data on the one hand is the most direct, but on the other hand is subjective and so potentially
inaccurate or disruptive.
The Duckhorn Portfolio was a wonderful place to work. My coworkers were kind and informative. I
was trusted with a huge amount of independence. Any mistakes I made while out in the field on my
own were met with understanding. However, I decided that I don’t want to pursue this kind of work in
the future. I did not get a sense for the full scope of the winemaking process with this internship due to
the sheer size and prestige of the Duckhorn Portfolio. Because it is such a large company, all of its
departments are very independent. The viticulturalists, the viticulture management, the winemakers,
and the marketing team all had their own separate offices, so it was difficult to see the web that
connected them. This “division of labor” at Duckhorn prevented me from beholding the purpose of the
work I was doing. However, it was invaluable for me to learn that my interest in agriculture is on a
small-scale level, and that my career goals will take a different path. While at Duckhorn, I solidified my
plans to attend graduate school in the Fall of 2022.
I recommend this internship to future St. John’s students if they are interested in the unique
combination of big industry and a detail-oriented product. Nowhere else but in the wine capitals of the
world does one find field work that can be done only by human beings; nowhere else can you walk
through vast farm fields and see no tractor smoke and hear no silos. It is also very interesting to see
how a finicky and delicate thing such as a wine can be delivered on a large scale into the hands of the
masses. I recommend this internship for anyone who is interested in exploring the big industry
agriculture of a poetic product like wine.
16
�Clare Collins ‘22
Steven Raga for District 26
New York, New York
This summer, I worked full time as an intern on Steven Raga’s
campaign for New York City Council in Queens, New York. I
worked closely with the campaign manager, Victoria Leahy, who
acted as my mentor for the internship.
The majority of my daily work consisted in door-to-door
canvassing. Each day I would knock on from 100-200 doors with
other members of the field team. When someone answered their
door, I would let them know about the election, encourage them to
vote, and ask them what concerns they would like the city council
candidates to be aware of. I recorded all of this data into a
database that our team would later use. The conversation skills I
developed through my classes at St. John’s helped immensely with this portion of the outreach work.
Furthermore, a large portion of the constituents I spoke to did not speak English, so I used my
knowledge of Spanish to translate for my team. The academic translation skills I developed through
the St. John’s language tutorial prepared me considerably for this type of translating that required a
very specific set of language skills.
I continued to gain more responsibilities as the internship went on. I took and edited photos and
videos for TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, making me one of the leads on our social media team. I
trained and coordinated volunteers, organized and led rallies, fundraisers, and other events, and
helped out with budgeting and other financial tasks. I wrote newsletters, open letters, Facebook posts,
Instagram captions, and more. The writing skills I developed through my three years at St. John’s had
me eager to help out with whatever writing needed to be done.
My favorite thing about this internship was the creative freedom that my bosses allowed me. All of my
ideas were welcomed and encouraged, as long as I could coordinate their execution. This environment
allowed me to take the lead in many situations throughout the campaign, allowing me to use all of my
strengths to their full potential. In my next employer, I will look for the same type of trust that Steven
and Victoria placed in my abilities to perform.
This internship was my first experience working in politics. What I enjoyed the most about politics took
place on the local level. I got the most out of the hands-on outreach work such as food distribution,
translation, voter outreach, and working with local nonprofits. Some of my most enjoyable experiences
on this internship took place within the communities of public housing projects. The least enjoyable
aspect of this campaign was the financial aspect. The campaign was completely grassroots, and all of the
donations we received needed to be processed into a database with a hefty amount of paperwork. I found
this paperwork to be tedious and difficult. I know for sure that in my next job I want to steer clear from
any type of financial administrative responsibilities.
When the election results were finally in and my internship started to come to an end, Steven did not end
up taking home a win. He now instead works as the executive director of Woodside on The Move, a local
nonprofit in one of the neighborhoods of Queens where our campaign took place. He told me that he
would gladly have me do another Hodson internship with him, this time with a focus on community
outreach. Seeing that I found my strengths and interests to be more in line with this type of work, I will be
applying to do a Hodson internship with Woodside on the Move this coming summer.
Overall, this internship was a memorable experience that helped me learn and grow in many ways. The
Hodson Trust gave me the means to live in New York City for the first time and provided me with
valuable skills and connections that I gained along the way. I now feel confident and secure in my
abilities to be a leader and have a clearer view of my goals for my upcoming career.
17
�Joseph Cunningham ‘23
ANSER (Analytic Services, Inc.)
Falls Church, Virginia
This summer I worked on a research project which looked
into the US- led Artemis Accords and their impact on
future lunar mining efforts. The Accords are a series of
political agreements that set out the principles by which
NASA and partner agencies will co-operate on the Artemis
Program, a series of missions which will return people to
the moon with the intention of establishing a permanent
presence there. The barometer for the success of this vision
is the degree to which astronauts can live off the resources
present on the Moon. Can they find the resources they
need to enable a long-term lunar presence? Perhaps not if
it’s illegal to do so. Existing international law governing
space is firmly against its appropriation, and it’s not
entirely clear as to who can use lunar resources and for
what purposes they can use them. The Accords represent
an agreement of the nations involved that private
companies should be able to use those resources to support
future space missions and make a profit. The research
question I pursued for the duration of my internship was
how far this agreement will advance the utilization of lunar resources by private actors.
I pursued this question by interviewing a range of actors who were involved with the creation of the
Accords, as well as policy experts and entrepreneurs. I set up and conducted these interviews remotely
and used what I learned from them to direct further research. Over this period I refined my thesis and
gathered evidence for a report on the topic. My internship culminated in a presentation of my thesis to
some stakeholders in the field and members of the organization in which my internship was based. I
combined these conversations with my own readings into the topic area which I collated into a directory
of resources on the confluence of the Artemis Accords and Lunar Resources. I feel this work could
definitely provide a basis for future projects on either of these topics or in the general area of space policy.
In a St. John’s classroom we come to grips with different types of texts and new languages. We also learn
how texts talk to each other over time. In examining the legal background of existing space law I had to
come to grips with the idiom of the relevant international treaties. I had to understand them in their own
terms and in terms of how they speak to one another. I couldn’t know what they’d say, and I had to
confront the degree to which what they say has yet to be fully ascertained by anyone. As we learn at St.
John’s, there is no textbook with all the answers, but a lot of competing opinions as to what the answers
might be. The St. John’s classroom experience helped me to listen to and weigh conflicting points of view
during my internship. Most importantly, it gave me the skills to make my own interpretation of the
primary sources in my field of study and fostered within me the confidence needed to share those views
with others.
As a result of this experience I am seriously considering graduate school, which I was not interested in
pursuing prior to finding this specialist area of interest in Space Policy. This is a big shift in my thinking.
The Hodson Internship Program gave me an insight into the kind of work I could be doing five or even
ten years from now. The long-term value of the St. John’s program to students like me can be seen in the
degree to which it encourages this kind of long-term decision making. Before this internship I saw my
academic work just as an end within itself, but after participating in the Hodson Program I can see how it
could directly link to my future career path.
18
�Having a mentor was the best part of the program. It makes me wonder how I can learn to build and
maintain that kind of relationship for myself and duplicate the benefits of mentorship in my future
employment. Working remotely was the hardest part of the internship process and I doubt I could have
forged as strong a relationship with my mentor outside of the framework of contacts provided by the
Hodson Program. Luckily, the invaluable first step was made possible under that framework, and
whatever subsequent moves I make in the area will have a firm foundation because of it. I do see the
internship site as a possible place for employment in the future and this is due to the formula for success
which the structure of the Hodson Program put in place during my time there.
19
�Genevieve DeMajistre ‘22
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
(SERC)
Edgewater, Maryland
My internship with the Smithsonian Environmental
Research Center (SERC) took place at the Global
Change Research Wetland (GCREW); the
internship was partially remote and partially in
person. Since I was doing data analysis for my
project, being somewhat remote was not a large
disadvantage and it was very convenient to attend
the mandatory seminars and optional coding
workshop from home; but if my internship had
been fully remote it would have turned out to be a
very different and much less fulfilling experience. I
do think a remote internship would have been
rewarding as well, but there were several
opportunities that I would have missed out on if I
was not on site. While physically present, I had the
opportunity to assist with other projects as well as
my own. Since I was doing data analysis for a
project that has automated data collection, I did not
collect the data that I analyzed. I did however get to
participate in the phenology of other projects at
GCREW. This involved measuring the heights and
widths of a specific plant species so that their
biomass could be calculated throughout the
growing season under varying conditions. I also got
to contribute to the construction of other projects with such tasks as potting plants and securing heat
sensors in tubes. At SERC, many of the official employees also take on tasks that are not explicitly part
of their projects. From constructing walkways to collecting data for other experiments, the available
tasks are very diverse in nature for both interns and employees alike. Personally, I found this to be one
of the great benefits of working at SERC as do many of the permanent staff.
The professional environment at SERC is incredibly supportive and friendly. This seems to be fostered
by the fact that people do not confine themselves to their own work, but seek out help from other staff
and volunteer what time they have to other projects in need of extra hands. My mentor was very
accessible both through email and through the communication application Slack where the whole of
the biogeochemistry and GCREW staff could be contacted. I was very much encouraged to seek out
help from anyone in the group if I was having any trouble, and I was also walked through setting up a
GitHub so that my mentor could review my code at any point to help me fix the bugs in my code and
figure out the next steps in the analysis process. All of the support was greatly appreciated since the
learning curve was very steep.
Coming into this internship, I did not know any of the biogeochemistry pertaining to my project. I had
to read several research papers in order to even determine the specific question I wanted to investigate
as well as what the best courses of action would be when analyzing my data. In addition to this, I had
never used R Studio which is the standard tool and language for data analysis in ecology. Thankfully
SERC provided a fairly comprehensive and very interactive workshop for both interns and staff which
provided enough information for me to complete my project. In terms of the science, my mentor was
very diligent about making sure that I was not stuck on anything, that my project was going smoothly,
and that I had enough time to complete it between volunteering for other projects. So even though the
learning curve was very steep, all the support and resources I was given made it very possible. I think it
20
�should be said that despite this, if I had been engaged in any work outside of this internship, I do not
think I would have had the time to both complete my project and experience SERC to its full potential.
I was worried about my lack of experience when I started, but much of the internship did not feel much
different than the work I was already doing at St. John’s. Comprehending the research papers was
much like reading the documents from lab; after so much critical reading it was easier to identify what
was important, what I needed to be able to define, the consequences of what was being said, and so on.
Learning program languages is not too different from learning regular languages, so it was fairly easy
to pick apart the grammar of R Studio. Overall, I was teaching myself through reading and practice
while being offered assistance at every turn.
I had originally thought that I wanted to pursue data analysis specifically, but this internship has
definitely broadened my horizons. I now find myself more heavily focused on the active aspects of
environmental science such as data collection and the set-up of experiments as well as the construction
of their sites. I am also interested in how scientific observations can be used more generally in areas
such as ecological gardening, wildlife conservation, and the rebuilding of ecosystems in ways that help
combat climate change.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I am not surprised that many of the staff I met were former
interns; I got to experience a completely new work environment, I learned a lot about methane
emissions in marshes, I can use a new programming language, and I have a better understanding of
what I would like to do in the future.
21
�Samantha Duckworth ‘23
Touchstones Discussion Project
Stevensville, Maryland
Hosted by alumna Stef Takacs (A89)
My internship at Touchstones allowed me to take
on a number of responsibilities of all different
kinds. I was able to gain experience in education
and to learn about discussion-based education
and how it can be facilitated effectively. I also
was able to help design and write some
educational programs, which helped me further
with experience in education and helped me to
improve my writing skills. In addition to the
pedagogical experience I gained, I also learned
about how non-profits function, and how
marketing and strategic planning can be used in
an organization. I also gained experience using
common business tools, like SalesForce,
Constant Contact, Quickbooks, and Microsoft
Excel. This internship also helped me develop my
own interests for my career. I have found that my
interest in education has deepened during my
time at Touchstones. I have also discovered an
interest in business that I did not realize I had, which has led me to considering new opportunities and
paths for myself that I probably would not have considered before.
What I liked most about the internship was the workplace dynamics and expectations. The environment
was very oriented towards growth and development. A couple examples of this are the collaborative work
that was very common in the projects I worked on, and willingness to receive and give constructive
criticism and feedback. I appreciated how my supervisor and coworkers were honest yet supportive, and
were willing to help me to reach my goals. This environment has helped me greatly improve my public
speaking skills and the comfort I have expressing my opinions or thoughts in a meeting. Both of these
were things I struggled with at the beginning of my internship, since public speaking is something I have
always struggled with, but because the environment was so honest and constructive, I felt like I could
learn to practice speaking confidently and expressing myself clearly. The internship site is certainly a
place I could imagine for my possible future employment, since I had such a positive experience there.
After the internship concluded, I was hired as a part-time staff member to continue doing some of the
work I had done during my internship.
I thought that my work at St. John’s College helped to prepare me for the internship in a few different
ways. The first is that the analytical abilities that I have developed during my time here helped me in
situations where analytical reasoning was helpful, for instance, in dealing with data or other information.
The most significant preparation I received was in relation to my interpersonal skills and writing skills.
Because of the nature of classes at St. John’s, I had already practiced active listening and constructive
speaking, which were both helpful to me during meetings. I also did a lot of writing during my
internship, and my essay writing at St. John’s significantly helped prepare me for that.
22
�Conor Flynn ‘22
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Baltimore, Maryland
This summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to work
remotely as an intern for the International Rescue
Committee’s Immigration Legal Services Program, based
in Baltimore, Maryland. My duties involved attending
daily staff meetings, learning about the larger refugee
resettlement apparatus in the United States, and
collecting, filing, and organizing documents both from
refugee clients and from the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services agency pertaining to green card,
citizenship, and family reunification applications and
petitions for IRC clients.
The primary emphasis of my work, however, revolved
around working with the IRC’s DOJ-accredited legal
representatives to conduct meetings with refugees and
their families to prepare their applications for U.S.
citizenship. Over this internship, I had the privilege to
meet and work with clients and families from Syria,
Thailand, Myanmar, Ethiopia, and Sudan—all of whom
initially came to the United States as refugees—as I
prepared their applications for citizenship. Additionally, I was able to meet and work with a high
schooler originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through the IRC’s Youth Mentor
Program where, with our virtual setting internet connection permitting, we worked on English
speaking and reading skills and talked about what they would like to do later in life.
Even as a remote intern, the internship with the IRC was structured in order to include the intern
cohort in the workings of the ILS team as we attended the daily meetings where each member, staff
and intern alike, would update the whole team on what their day ahead looked like, what clients were
scheduled, and how we were doing with the various cases we were working on. Moreover, the
technological platforms (Microsoft Teams, Box, Outlook, Google Voice, etc.) we used made
communication with staff members and fellow interns nearly seamless and, even while I and fellow
interns were working from several different regions of the U.S., we felt like a close-knit cohort that
shared in one another’s work and helped each other when we could. I will also add that the availability
of all my colleagues, and their willingness to hear questions and help in any way possible, was my
favorite aspect of the work environment—an environment which was intentionally fostered through
daily meetings over virtual platforms, group communications, and deliberate efforts to include
everyone at the table.
Something that I especially appreciated was how adaptable I proved myself to be even as a Johnnie
doing non-St. John’s work. It was in meeting other people, and certainly doing so in the capacity of
social work, that I fell back on my experiences of listening to others, and listening with the
compassionate, kind, and humanizing sentiments to be found in the St. John’s program and especially
in the interpersonal and interindividual practice of it. For instance, I had the occasion to reflect on the
work of my internship, and of the IRC at large, in this light as I attended a network-wide staff meeting
that featured a section on adult education which, understandably, is important for the business of
resettling forcibly displaced people. In remarking how adult education differs from that of children, it
was noted that the best manner of working with adult clients in an educational setting is that of “coparticipation,” or a non-hierarchical expounding or “teaching” of information. This is remarkably
similar to the style of our own learning at St. John’s, and, combined with some of the things I
happened to be reading at the time—like the writings of an Orthodox nun who gave her life serving the
23
�poor, the marginalized, and the displaced in occupied Paris during the Second World War and the
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas—I was able to appreciate in a new way not only the richness
of what we do at St. John’s, but also that of social work and the humanitarian sector as well. It is as if,
in practicing compassion and a dedicated love for one’s neighbor, we discover ourselves as “coparticipants” in learning what it is to live like human beings. I found that in working and meeting with
refugees and their families, this sentiment of co-participation, which when practiced implies humility,
compassion, and the sensitivity of active listening, to be utterly and absolutely true. I would also add
that the ability to appreciate and think about the work of the internship in this way assisted me all the
more in the tasks of meeting with refugees and processing their applications.
Regarding how I performed logistically, I found that my experience as a Johnnie gave me a boldness to
ask questions that needed to be asked, and the skills and imagination to critically inquire as to how one
should handle either a complicated case and how to interact with clients concerning sensitive areas of
their lives.
In reflecting on the internship as a whole and how it has affected me, I can certainly say that my career
and academic goals have changed, or sharpened. I have realized that pursuing a role in the
humanitarian sector is a viable option for me. It is, in fact, a sector at the very intersection of the things
that inspired me to apply for the Hodson Internship Program in the first place, and now I have my foot
in the door. If I can, I would like to continue with the IRC in the future, and I have been advised by the
staff members I worked with that the IRC is looking to fill positions that had been lost since the
humanitarian sector, at least in the U.S., was dealt funding cuts and blows over the past number of
years, as those cuts are being remedied at present. I am very optimistic about where I am headed and
will continue to search out opportunities within the humanitarian aid sector to see if I can contribute
to a kinder world.
24
�Alexander Fodor ‘23
Profil Redaktion GmbH, London Office
London, UK
Between mid-June and mid-August, I worked as a
part time intern for the Austrian News Magazine Profil. I
worked closely with my mentor Tessa Szyszkowitz who
introduced me to all the aspects of journalistic work. With
no prior experience, I began before the internship was to
start by reading into the work that my mentor had done
previously, as well as trending topics that related to her
work. As the internship started, my mentor had me
subscribe to several newsletters and tasked me with
spending around two to three hours every morning just
reading the news from specific sources. Additionally, since
the beginning of my internship was just around the 5th
anniversary of the Brexit referendum (a topic my mentor
specializes in), I was tasked with doing research into the
issues that Brexit was still causing, e.g., the sausage war.
So, I spent the first couple of weeks mainly reading and
doing research for articles my mentor was writing, which is
where, I think, I was most helpful to her. It was here, also,
where my St. John’s experience was very helpful to me—I
normally wouldn’t have a lot of time to gather a large
amount of information on certain questions and would
very quickly have to filter out the essential and important
information to compile and pass on.
Another way in which my experience at St. John’s came to
my assistance during my internship was during the asking of difficult question and having conversations
about complex topics. While my mentor and I worked on several “smaller” articles in which I mainly
played the part of a research assistant. We agreed also to write a more extensive article on a difficult topic.
This was where I was allowed to have more independence in my work and where I played a bigger part.
During this part of my internship, I saw and assisted in the production of an article from the very start to
the very finish. I was tasked with researching the topic, finding people to interview, reaching out to them,
preparing for and conducting the interviews, and compiling the information and quotes from the
interviews into the basis of the article.
Due to the pandemic, my internship was entirely online, so I worked mainly from home or from a
coffeeshop, since I mostly just needed my computer, my notebook, and an internet connection. My mentor
and I kept in close contact via email, text message, and video calls. While I think that I would have been
happier to work in the office, being virtual actually allowed me to more easily sit in on meetings and
interviews. So, I believe that I got to see more that way than if the internship hadn’t been virtual. Another
aspect of this line of work that I particularly enjoyed was the freedom with which I saw it to be conducted.
It required a lot of flexibility, sometimes working early in the morning and sometimes late at night, but did
not, therefore, lack excitement.
Journalism is a line of work that I could see myself in for several reasons. Not only did I particularly like
the way in which the different parts of the job were done—critical reading/research, conducting interviews,
compiling information, writing, etc.—but I was also very moved by the sense I got of the importance of the
work, that it was greater than I expected to be. I found during this internship that working as a journalist
requires being in touch with reality and what is going on in the world that gave me the sense of doing
something good and important that transcended my day-to-day life. Overall, I can say that I both found
great enjoyment in the work and learned a great deal.
25
�Nortaute Grintalis ‘21
Public Governance Institute, KU, Leuven University
Leuven, Belgium
Hosted by alumnus Patrick Schaefer (A00)
For the summer of 2021, I was able to work with a St. John’s
alumnus, Patrick Schaefer, who is a Research Fellow at KU
Leuven in Belgium. This was not the first time working with Mr.
Schaefer, since I began working with him in 2018 until 2020
(both remotely and later in-person due to a previous Hodson
scholarship) at the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness in
El Paso, Texas, where he was the executive director at the time.
As continuation of my previous work at the Hunt Institute
concerning research and analysis of regional and international
relations and their economic and political structures, I was
fortunate to continue such work now within the context of
Europe, since I intend to pursue a further career in law within
Lithuanian and Europe.
My primary work in this internship was an independently managed research project concerning
Lithuania’s developing policy towards Ukraine and Belarus. This research was paired with weekly
verbal and written briefings to Mr. Schaefer throughout those six weeks, during which we discussed
both the material and methods of the research. Originally, this internship was expected to be a sixweek remote internship, with Mr. Schaefer and I communicating through WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams,
and other video conferencing platforms. Fortunately, by the luck of changing COVID restrictions in
both the European Union and Belgium, I was able to travel to Brussels to conduct this internship inperson. This change did not alter the structure of the internship but was instead greatly enriched
through my experiences in Brussels and Leuven.
Outside of my research and briefings with Mr. Schaefer, I was able to explore and learn about Belgium
and the functions of the European Union within the country’s capital. Through the experiences
encountering the European Parliament and Commission, as well as networking with individuals from
the Lithuanian community in Brussels (many of which either work within EU institutions or those
peripheral to these institutions), I was able to gain further insight into the actuality of these
institution’s functioning. These experiences in Brussels were the practicum to the theoretical work I
was engaged in, and which constantly informed me on the nuanced technicalities, character, and
reality of both Lithuania’s and the European Union’s conduct in both the 2014 Ukraine crisis and
ongoing contentions with Belarus.
Furthermore, since I have been long intending to return to Europe for my further studies and career in
law and foreign relations, this internship was an opportunity to investigate possible graduate programs
in Belgium when I had the time. It seems as of right now that there is a great chance that I will be
returning to Belgium for my graduate studies in the next fall cycle, but it is still too early to say
definitively.
During this internship, my St. John’s education was vital for both the individual research and for
communicating my analysis and understanding to others. Since the various sources for my work
necessarily came from several countries and institutions, my analysis did not only have to consider and
properly incorporate the differentiating legal jargon of each country into the context of the whole, but
also account for the inherent differences within each countries’ perspective of the events in question.
As the already complex geopolitical dynamics between the US, the EU, and Eastern bloc is now further
convoluted by the migrant crisis in Lithuania induced by Lukashenko, the understanding of political
actions in the region necessarily stemmed from their historically, politically, and economically
26
�informed perspectives. Determining the voices and perspective has always been a cornerstone of the
St. John’s method when approaching a new author. This practice was furthered in the verbal briefings
with Mr. Schaefer, where considerations of voice and perspective when communicating an analysis to
an unknowledgeable party was the forefront of our discussions.
The question of communication was frequently reflected upon during my internship. Especially so in
the beginning, difficulties arose in miscommunications and some misfortune. Universities and
libraries were only open to a certain capacity due to both the season and Covid restrictions, and
consequently my resources for my research were limited to those discoverable online. I had also hoped
Mr. Schaefer would be able to connect me to further resources via KU Leuven and other online library
sources available to research fellows and students at the university due to the limitation of libraries,
but this did not manage to happen. Nevertheless, it was encouraging to be working with a mentor with
whom I could discuss questions of professional project management and figuring out such
miscommunication professionally, which aided my further output and communication. Also, the
structure of this internship had flexibility and self-determination because of the individuality of this
research, that challenged me to produce and evaluate the methods and habits of my analyses and work.
All in all, this internship gave me many professional experiences which I intend to replicate in a future
work environment.
27
�Noah Hale ‘23
New Bay Books
Tracy’s Landing, Maryland
My time as the assistant editor for New Bay Books this
summer was more than gratifying. Although I was
proofreading two different types of books--two books of
poetry and one memoir--the work I did was mostly the
same for each. I was responsible for providing detailed
commentary on these manuscripts that were going to be
published. Of course, this included general editorial
duties like checking for grammatical errors or clarifying
a sentence, but it also involved a great deal of speaking to
the author alongside the editor-in-chief about their work.
My brilliant mentor, Sandra, also made sure to show me
the work that happened off paper: I learned how she
marketed her books online with certain tools; I was given
a bookbinding kit to better understand how a physical
book is made; and I learned about all the different people
who are necessary parts in the publishing process.
Triumphantly, I will also be publishing a book of my own
poems through the press, and I learned (and am still
learning) about how to be a better writer.
I would not have been as appreciative of all of this had it
not been for my experience at St. John’s. Because of it, I
am used to participating in small group discussions. I
was able to effectively communicate with the authors and my mentor/editor about their thoughts on
things from as broad as the whole book to things as minute as a sentence. Each time that I met with an
author, I felt like I was doing a practicum in the laboratory: we were studying poetry in the lab, so to
speak, cutting into it and trying to explain it. Since we all shared a passion for good writing, being able
to have a place in this sort of discussion was my favorite part of the internship because it felt so similar
to the things I do for class.
Although this internship was done almost entirely online, I do not think I missed any opportunities.
My mentor was an excellent teacher. I think I learned so much because of how engaging our meetings
were. Every day, I was learning something new about how to run a small literary press, and I was
excited every time I spoke to an author or to my mentor because I felt like I had an important role to
play in this undertaking—I am even credited as being an editor on these manuscripts.
This internship reaffirmed my interest in publishing. I am thankful for being able to work for a small
press before a big one because of how dearly intimate the experience was for me. We had to work as a
group with a common goal. I am now considering a career in publishing and am nonetheless a better
writer, editor, and speaker, and I am eager to exercise the skills that I have learned in class during the
rest of my time here at St. John’s.
28
�Ella Harel-Kirschner ‘23
The Cato Institute, Washington, DC
This summer, I was an intern at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think
tank in Washington, DC. Although I am not a libertarian myself, I was
immediately drawn to the intellectual seriousness and dedication of all
of the Cato staff members. They were extremely welcoming, and
although very intense about their work, I found them quite friendly and
relaxed.
I worked with William Duffield, a Policy Analyst at Cato who specializes
in issues related to the First Amendment. Our work over the summer
focused on free expression online. As the internet becomes the place for
so many of us to socialize, hear the news, learn, shop and much more,
many interesting issues about free speech arise. The principle of free
expression is foundational to our country, but how it ought to function
online—especially on large social media sites—is as of yet unclear. For
example, is Facebook responsible for violent riots planned on its
platform? Should you be allowed to make videos promoting neo-Nazism, or radical leftism on YouTube?
At my internship, we explored possible answers to these kinds of questions.
Much of the work I did was technical and detail oriented. For example, I would often read through
transcripts of Congressional hearings—which were sometimes hundreds of pages long—to see how
current lawmakers were thinking about these issues. In particular, I worked on a long-term project
looking at cases where politicians made direct requests to platforms to take down speech they found
objectionable that would otherwise be protected by the First Amendment. After reading through literally
thousands of pages of hearings, and painstaking data-table entry, what I found was that politicians on
both sides were making these kinds of requests. It became clear that Democrats and Republicans alike
had changing attitudes about free speech. Much like preparing for a tutorial, this more technical work
often felt very meticulous, but knowing it was in service of a deeper inquiry kept me motivated.
Unfortunately, my internship, which would normally be in the heart of DC at Cato’s incredible building,
and include frequent visits to the Hill, had to be moved online. It was certainly disappointing at first. But
although the prospect of even more hours and hours spent on Zoom was very daunting initially, I
became pleasantly surprised as the internship progressed. Although it certainly would’ve been more fun
to be in-person, I was very impressed with everything Cato did to make sure that the internship was still
stimulating and engaging, even in an online format. Over Zoom, we had bi-weekly seminars with Cato
scholars, Q+A periods, career advice sessions, and a weekly Friday happy hour. Additionally, my boss
was extremely responsive whenever I sent him a message, and always clearly communicated to me what
had to be done each day. I hope future online experiences I have, whether for school or with a future
employer, are just as enriching. Since my experience at Cato, even over Zoom, was so positive, I can’t
help but wonder how much better it would’ve been in more normal times. But I found the program
online impressively enriching and enjoyable.
Throughout my time at Cato, I felt extremely aided by my studies and habits formed at St. John’s.
Many of the other interns struggled with the daily long readings we had to do, and sometimes had
difficulty with our seminar-style discussions. But, as a student at St. John’s, the long texts, open
discussions, and critical reading felt very natural to me. No matter what text I was looking at, I felt like
St. John’s trained me to read, think and speak with care and curiosity. At a think tank, these skills
proved invaluable.
Many Cato interns go on to become full-time employees at Cato. In the future, I certainly may be
interested in this path. Regardless, I now feel certain that pursuing a career related to free speech
issues, and law in general, could be a wonderful possibility for the future. I am grateful for the Hodson
Program for making this wonderful internship possible.
29
�Masako Ito ‘22
Meltwater, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
This summer, I was fortunate enough to
work as a digital analyst intern for
Meltwater as a part of the Client Insight
team in Tokyo, Japan. Meltwater is a
software as a service company known for
its media monitoring and social listening
platform. As a digital analyst intern, I
assisted my team in developing reports
such as competitor landscape analyses,
consumer insight reports, campaign
performance reports, and tracking media
exposure and volume by using Meltwater's
software. Some of the more technical
responsibilities included core tasks such as
handling data from data extracting and data cleansing to using visualization tools. Having my internship
mainly remote was admittedly overwhelming since some tasks took me twice as long to complete due to
the lack of accessibility and ability to reach out to my coworkers. I imagine an in-person internship would
have increased my efficiency in completing tasks. However, I quickly adjusted to the circumstances—a big
thank you to my incredible teammates and mentor who have given me the tremendous support necessary
to get me used to the remote working environment.
I was involved in 12 projects from clients in the private and public sectors. One of the most memorable
projects I worked on was a competitive benchmarking project for a major cosmetic and beauty company.
The task was to make a hypothetical analysis on why their competitor’s products are more in demand,
and as such, growing their revenue. It was my first project during which I was able to dip my toes into
tech consulting. I quickly realized my passion for this project as I was fascinated by the process—listening
to the client’s goal, understanding the problem, finding the core cause of their problem by researching
and testing my hypothesis, and finally creating a solution. To do that, I extracted raw data from
Meltwater software to investigate what the consumers were saying on SNS and to understand consumer
behavior, and analyze what lead to customer purchases. I then came up with my own hypothesis and
testing its plausibility by accumulating sample data from the software.
My St. John’s education especially helped me with projects that involved applying my critical thinking
and analytical skills, gained from reading the program books, which require you to engage with the text
and to dwell on the difficult passages and subjects. I believe that because of these skills, I was able to
deliberately evaluate a situation and the data presented to me to identify and solve problems in an
efficient way. In the hypothetical analysis, I focused on applying ‘apple to apple’ comparisons to
understand the client and their competitor’s sales tactics. For instance, to understand each company’s
target demographic area and their overall game plan, I strictly focused on investigating their marketing
strategies. By doing so, I discovered that our client implemented influencer marketing whereas their
competitor had customer testimonies on their website and social media. It seemed to me that our client’s
competitor wanted to promote and legitimize their customer’s authentic and genuine reviews of the
product instead of hiring an influencer to advertise their product. From there, I conducted an in-depth
analysis on why their marketing strategies led to their success and growth in revenue. I learned from this
task that strategic content on websites can persuade a customer to buy a product, and this is when the
decision-making process, which ultimately leads to business success, happens. Applying my critical
thinking skills made me realize that, by aligning perspectives, it was easier to conduct a detailed analysis
to examine clues on why one company attracts more customers than the other.
30
�Even though I was completely new to the field and the role, I had a successful and unforgettable
internship experience at Meltwater. Because I’ve challenged myself with studying materials that I did not
feel confident with at St. John’s, I was able to do the same in this new environment and absorbed more
about the field than I initially expected. My goal has always been to work at a global company with a work
culture that aligns with my values. Even though I’m still unsure of my ultimate desired career field, I
would like to pursue a beginning to my career in a similar field, or if given the opportunity, to return to
Meltwater. I appreciate my mentor and coworkers who have given me nothing but kindness, patience,
and guidance to give me the great summer internship experience that I’ve had. And I am grateful to St.
John’s for allowing me to have this experience that has helped me grow as a professional and as a person.
31
�Willow Jackson ‘22
UMBC, School of Public Policy
Baltimore, Maryland
This summer I had the opportunity to intern for the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, working
directly with a graduate student and a professor of
political science. My internship was carried out remotely,
but that was due to the nature of the work, not the
circumstances of COVID-19.
My internship consisted of research about different Black
Lives Matter and ally organizations. I worked to identify
the organizational presence of these organizations across
the county, mostly through local news resources and social
media analysis. Once an organizational presence was
identified, I collected the data used in identification and
utilized different spreadsheets that documented that data
for further use later down the line in this project.
Examples of that data would be how many social media
platforms they had accounts on, and how active they were
on these accounts. In addition to my individual work I also
met weekly on Zoom with the graduate student for a
check-in, and to go over any questions I had about the
project.
The type of work at St. John’s, and the type of work at this
internship did not share many similarities. However, the communication skills taught at the college were
useful for this experience. Being able to confidently discuss with the graduate student about any of my
confusion, as well as to share ideas on what could be improved helped everything run more smoothly.
Completing this internship furthered my interest in policy and sociology. Going into this experience I
knew that I wanted to explore these fields after St. John’s, either in the form of a job opportunity or
continuing my education at a graduate program. Being hands on in this research and data collection
assured me that I would be happy to devote my time to further exploring these fields after completing
my undergraduate degree.
Not only did I enjoy the content of the research I was doing, but working in an environment where I have
a clear list of goals to complete each day, and a set pattern for how to find the information needed is a
great fit for me. I enjoyed mostly working by myself, but also knowing that there were people just an
email away that could help me in any way I needed if I ran into any confusion. I would hope to be able to
find a work environment similar to this in the future.
Moving forward from this internship, I would enjoy helping out on this project some more given my
availability with school and work. I learned a lot of valuable lessons here, and enjoyed the coworkers
around me.
32
�Anton Kalmysh ’20
MZ Wallace, Inc.
New York, New York
This fall I interned in the eCommerce department at an
accessories brand MZ Wallace.
In this role, I worked with an eCommerce Coordinator and the
digital team to support and
execute MZ Wallace’s ecommerce and customer
experience strategies. I helped to
create a brand experience that
engages consumers, solidifies
communication, and drives
conversion and sales. This role
required both a creative and an
analytical mindset, a keen visual
eye, strict attention to detail, and
a passion for data and how it
relates to a broader
understanding of the consumer. Some of the tasks that I performed include, but are not limited, to the
following:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Assisted with the translation of MZ Wallace’s international sites, ensuring cohesive
communication throughout.
Conducted website QC’s, continuously testing different sites to ensure translations are correct
and running smoothly.
Created and built landing pages and homepages using MZ Wallace’s templates in Page Designer.
Supported e-Commerce Coordinator in ensuring all collection landing pages are merchandised
appropriately for an optimized consumer experience.
Researched and provided reporting on current topics in UX, including but not limited to risks
and opportunities, the competitive landscape, and e-Commerce trends.
Played an integral role in launching MZ Wallace’s Holiday content, including Sale, Gift Guide,
and special promotions.
Lead aggregation and organization of assets to support wholesale business initiatives.
Conducted regular inventory reporting to communicate low stock, as well as find and spotlight
potential opportunities to appropriate stakeholders.
Conducted regular sales reporting and analysis.
My internship was completely remote, and I worked and collaborated with everyone over Slack and
Zoom. Although online platforms can often create more occasions for miscommunication or
misunderstanding, all of my co-workers were very patient and friendly and were willing to answer all
of my questions without frustration. However, since I was often one of the only people in a meeting on
Zoom, it was very difficult to participate in the conversation, make comments or suggestions, and
ultimately, made it more difficult to build relationships and network.
Since I could not demonstrate my enthusiasm for my work in person, I did it by showing greater
initiative in the work that I did and found the time to take initiative and go a step further. For instance,
I reached out to review service sales representatives directly to collect more detailed information for
my syndicated review research, and to inquire about their competitive advantages. When I received
access to Fullstory, I immediately started to use click and scroll maps to make more subtle and
strategic merchandising decisions on web and mobile. Moreover, in my spare time, I used Trailhead to
33
�learn new Salesforce tools and techniques that I then applied to my work at MZ Wallace. All in all, I
never stop learning, I am not afraid to ask questions, and I never take anything that I already know for
granted, so that I can continually refine my performance.
The biggest takeaway from my St. John’s education was, of course, soft skills, which are much harder
to define and measure than a specific store of practical knowledge and information, but which have a
very high value in the economy of the fourth industrial revolution. Ability to communicate and write
clearly and effectively, to approach new and difficult problems with confidence, to never take what I
already know for granted, and to know how to ask the right question that will ultimately show the way
to the best available solution—all of these skills were integral to my day-to-day work at MZ Wallace.
Without them, I would not be able to adapt to a new environment, would not be able to learn how to
perform tasks on the spot, and would not be able to leave a positive impression. I'd even go as far as to
say that these soft skills comprised the core of the work that mattered the most.
This experience persuaded me that I want to continue carving out my career path in UX and eCommerce, because I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from my supervisors, and I have confidence
that I would be very good at it. I am hoping to have my internship at MZ Wallace extended for the next
few months since I believe that they could use my help in the upcoming busy holiday season. However,
in the meantime, I am looking for other internships and jobs in the fields of marketing and eCommerce that would harness the skills and experience that I gained while working for MZ Wallace.
34
�Kate Kennedy ‘24
Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland
I was lucky enough to receive a Hodson Trust Scholarship to fund my
internship at the Maryland State Archives this past summer. Archival
work interests me because it blends research, history, work with
manuscripts and old texts, and the chance to retell and share stories
that have not yet been told. The Maryland State Archives have a long
running history of working with St. John’s students, which was one
thing that drove me in their direction. When I applied, I did not
specify an area of work that interested me more than any other—
everything seemed appealing. I was placed on the Governor’s
Research project, which was completely virtual.
Our team investigated Maryland State Governors between 1777 and
1864 to see how many enslaved people they held, in order to find out
what said enslaved people’s fates were both during and after
enslavement. This was accomplished by analyzing wills, inventories, property records, Federal Censuses,
slave statistics, chattel records, runaway ads, etc. This project was emotionally difficult, but it was
important work and remains so. I am glad that I could play a role in bringing this information to light.
William Paca was one of the Maryland Governors I was assigned. Two remnants of his legacy in
downtown Annapolis are the William Paca House and the Paca-Carrol dorm building here at St. John’s
College. Paca at one point in his life owned 92 people, and yet in all of his records only about eight
people are named. That is such a tremendous loss of history. Such a loss is incredibly dehumanizing to
the people that were held and to their descendants.
Surprisingly, runaway ads were a good source of personal information. They were incredibly detailed—
giving both an accurate physical description, including height, skin tone, and distinguishing features
like scars, and most importantly, the enslaved person’s real name. Every other type of document listed
the enslaved person by the name given to them by their owner, as opposed to what they called
themselves.
At this internship program, a different department would present and explain what they were doing
and how they got into the field each week. It was a great way for all of us interns to learn more about
different opportunities at the same institution. This internship was completely virtual, so much of my
work was done in my bedroom, at local coffee shops, or at the public library. Our supervisor was Owen
Lourie, who was assigned three interns: Kate Kennedy, St John’s College, Isa Kiedrowski, St. John’s
College, and Erica Quinones, Washington College. The three of us got along fabulously and also
worked well together, despite our internship program being online. We had weekly meetings to go over
content, but we also took the time to know each other better.
The skills we learn at St. John’s are learning how to read and understand dense texts and learning to
ask good questions. The material I was working with was not the easiest to read, as it was written by
hand anywhere from 200-300 years ago. Clearly, the ability to read translations of Ancient Greek
prose came in handy. Better yet, I was able to ask questions relevant to this project.
This project helped me clarify my academic and career goals, since I am now considering a Masters in
Library and Information Sciences. Despite the emotional toll that such a field of research caused, I
enjoyed the process of archival work and contributing to such a significant project. I want to constantly
be learning and one way of doing this would be researching and sharing things that were previously
untold. I am not sure what job fits that description, but if it happens to be archival work, I’m glad to
have had this experience. The right job for me could also be found in a library, research positions,
academia, or in the literary field. I know that no matter which one of these fields I end up in, my
experience at the Maryland State Archives this past summer will have better prepared me.
35
�Isabella Kiedrowski ‘23
Maryland State Archives
Annapolis, Maryland
I don’t remember how many internships I applied
to, but I do remember that I really wanted the one
with the Maryland State Archives. It was, in my
mind, perfect in every way: larger than the archives
I’d worked for in the past, located in Annapolis,
where I had family I could stay with, and it was fulltime. I would have been grateful and relieved to get
any internship at all, but this was my gold
standard.
And then I got the email from Owen Lourie that I’d
been selected for the Governors’ Slavery Project. It
was designed to be entirely remote, with any and all
resources I might need available on-line. I began my
internship after a quick orientation of the main databases we would be using: FamilySearch (run by the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), Ancestry.com, and the Archives’ own internal database.
I loved looking through the pages of documents, scanned though they might be, looking for records of
sales, purchases, inventories and wills that might give a more detailed image of the persons owned by the
state’s early governors. Any record, no matter how small, would be logged into a corresponding
spreadsheet.
At first, my internship was remote, as only essential workers were being allowed into the Archives’
building. But starting July 1, I had the opportunity to work on-site. My duties didn’t change, but it became
so much easier to find the records I needed. Computers may have made a lot of things easier, but they still
can’t replace a historian with a library cart. I’m forever grateful that I had the chance to work on-site,
because the remote work, while satisfying, would have left me with a wholly inaccurate view of what a
“real” job like this might entail. I also wouldn’t have been able to meet the Archive staff in person—there’s
only so much you can get out of a half an hour meeting on Google. It’s far more useful to spend half an
hour together in a basement, waiting for a tornado to pass (yes, there was a tornado), or in a parking lot,
waiting for the fire department to turn off the alarm (I’m told there wasn’t a fire—just an overly sensitive
alarm system).
After a summer paging through about a century’s worth of records, I think I can safely say I’m not tired of
history—if anything, I’m even more enamored of it than I was. Could I see myself working there in the
future? If they’ll have me! I do know that a good many people there started out as interns—including two
of my supervisors. I certainly haven’t ruled it out, and I would be delighted to spend more time working
there.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the subject matter of my internship. I admit I don’t think about
slavery as often as I should. As someone whose family emigrated from Poland a little over ten years before
I was born, American history wasn’t exactly a common topic at the dinner table. It wasn’t until I moved to
Maryland to start at St. John’s that the implications of slavery began to make themselves known. That
building over there? Probably built by enslaved persons. That street? Almost certainly. Campus buildings?
Some of them. I never worked on anything directly related to St. John’s, but I do know there is an ongoing
project to look into its history. Directly studying the people who were enslaved by the founding fathers—
men whom we think of as embodying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, actively taking it away
from tens, sometimes hundreds of people—gave me a lot to think about. Even though I left with my
portion of the project completed, it opened a window into an area of history I’d like to study further on my
own. There is so much we don’t know—and will never know—about these people, but we can try to uncover
as much as we can, so that this part of the nation’s history is never forgotten.
36
�Levan Kiladze ‘22
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Tbilisi, Georgia
As an intern at the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) Georgia, I worked in two main directions:
with the Media & Communications Officer and with the
team of EMERGE, a project funded by the Ministry of
Foreign affairs of Norway to highlight migrants' rights and
fight xenophobia.
In the first week of my internship, my mentor—the project
manager of EMERGE—and I conducted interviews with
the members of each department of IOM. I learned about
their most recent projects in the fields of border
management, prevention and fight against human
trafficking and smuggling, migrant protection and
assistance, migrant health, labor migration, and human
development. These meetings also introduced me to
migration issues relevant to Georgia and the qualifications
necessary for the projects of IOM as well as of other
international organizations.
With EMERGE I helped present to our partner
organizations research and public surveys concerning
public attitudes, the role of media, and various aspects of
migrants’ rights in Georgia and Armenia. As part of the project, I assisted in managing meetings with
experts and organizing trainings on topics relevant to the protection of migrants’ rights.
Assisting the communications team with a full update of the IOM Georgia web page was my first task as
an intern. I updated the pages of individual departments on the official website using my interviews with
each department. I was faced with many challenges: translating and editing content, creating and sorting
visual media, and restructuring the website according to each department’s needs.
My next major projects were designing a new layout for the second issue of IOM’s biannual newsletter
and supporting its dissemination all while preparing, analyzing, and archiving training materials. As the
number of my ongoing tasks increased, by prioritizing, I came to practice faster and more efficient
decision-making. Within the few weeks of my internship, I had already participated in public relations,
media & communications activities of the mission, assisted with the production of information and
awareness-raising material, as well as with planned activities to mark the World Anti-Trafficking Day.
By producing a Georgian brochure for IOM’s newly developed Migration Translation App (MiTA) and
troubleshooting a Georgian version of MigApp—a multi-lingual global online platform, which serves to
provide useful information to migrants about countries they plan to visit or reside in—I got used to the
terminology of the field and became more comfortable in drafting press releases. Later this helped me to
write talking points for my colleague’s interview with a Georgian television channel on the topic of
foreigners' rights in Georgia.
Under the migrants' rights protection project, I assisted with the review of NGO partner activity reports
and assisted with the preparation of the information and awareness-raising materials produced by
partner NGOs, such as featured stories aimed at countering xenophobia. These stories helped me see the
struggles of migrants in Georgia and made me more aware of their concerns. My last project which was
for the department of Labor Mobility and Human Development involved creating a contact base of
Georgian migrants who work in different fields all around the world.
37
�The internship challenged me to take a proactive approach and seek additional work after completing my
tasks to develop my skills further. During our weekly meetings, I would reach out to other IOM team
members to take advantage of my time at IOM by getting to know other teams’ work as well. The
internship has allowed me to learn more about different types of work involved in the field of migration
and to become a member of a wonderful team. Participating in various administrative aspects of IOM’s
projects has given me a good sense of how international organizations work with the government, NGOs,
media, and the public. The enthusiasm of IOM’s staff members has helped me to have a fulfilling
internship experience.
In the future, I would like to be more actively involved in making social research rather than editing,
distributing, or administering resources for research. This, however, would require more experience and
knowledge in a particular field of research. After my experience of working at IOM, I am more confident
that after getting a master’s degree either in international relations, humanitarian action, or social
sciences, I would like to work with an international organization either as a consultant, a researcher, or a
project manager to benefit from an intimate work environment and contribute to the development of my
community.
38
�Bao Le ‘21
Worthy Lab, Department of Psychology,
Texas A & M University
College Station, Texas
I interned at the Worthy Lab in the Department of
Psychology at Texas A&M University this past summer,
with Dr. Darrell Worthy as my mentor. I became
acquainted with Dr. Worthy while looking to pursue a
post-graduate education after St. John’s, as the
Psychology post-graduate program at A&M’s College of
Liberal Arts is a good fit for my interest in neuroscience
and psychology. Dr. Worthy’s lab focuses on Cognition
& Cognitive Neuroscience, more specifically exploring
the learning and decision-making processes through
mathematical models.
This internship marks the first time I participated in an
on-site psychology/neuroscience research, as my past
experiences in the field include summer courses taken
online, along with limited psychology readings that are
part of the St. John’s curriculum. Though I was familiar
with the overall concepts and goals of the studies
carried out during the internship, I was generally
unfamiliar with the techniques employed, such as the
usage of the R programming language, the
development of mathematical behavior modeling, and
the statistical analysis of experimental data. I overcame
these obstacles within a short time, however, thanks to
the experience of analyzing and acquainting myself with new and challenging concepts during laboratory
tutorials at St. John’s.
Though I was on-site at the lab for the internship, most of the work was done digitally, with
communications done over email. Regardless, I had the valuable opportunity to converse with other
graduate students and undergrads in the lab and around the University. Dr. Worthy provided me with
multiple possible projects at the beginning of the internship, out of which I chose to go over previously
collected datasets to analyze using a few different mathematical models. The goal of the study is to
decide the method by which humans make decisions under pressure when given the choice of either a) a
higher immediate reward which decreases overall reward in the long run, or b) a lower immediate
reward which raises the overall value later on. I was instructed by Dr. Worthy to program a hybrid model
which tracks the expectancy for both the long-term and short-term results for each choice, to see if a
preference for either result can be attributed to the effects of aging. After finding which models are the
best fit for the collected data, I performed non-linear multivariate regressions to determine the
relationship between the expectancy for reward and the aforementioned decision-making.
Overall, the internship was tremendously helpful in introducing me to modern scientific research and
provided me with the new skillset of statistical analysis and computing. Dr. Worthy was very
communicative and instructive throughout the entire internship, and the graduate students in the lab
were willing to answer any questions I had. My experience at the lab is an encouraging step towards
pursuing further studies and research in cognitive neuroscience and its related fields.
39
�Ava Lehrman ‘23
Maryland State Archives
Annapolis, Maryland
From June to August 2021, I
interned at the Special
Collections and
Conservation Laboratory of
the Maryland State Archives.
I was lucky enough to
conduct this internship in
person, at the Edward C.
Papenfuse State Archives
Building in Annapolis, and
gain valuable hands-on
skills. Since all of the people
I worked with were able to
work in person, I had an
internship experience that
would not have been
drastically different during a normal year.
I worked on several projects, handling documents dating from the 18th century up to present day, as well
as maps, letters, books, lithograph prints, glass-plate negatives, and historical flags. Some memorable
collections I worked with include the Mumford collection of Civil War letters; the Sluby Collection of
genealogical research in Baltimore, MD and Washington, D.C.; the Bready postcard collection; and the
Scharff collection of Maryland-issued legal documents. The Mumford and Sluby collections required me
to examine and describe each document, while the Bready collection involved adjusting the numbering
system used to catalogue each postcard. By contrast, the Scharff collection was concerned with the
cleaning, restoration, and repair of 18th-19th century documents. In addition, I got the opportunity to
write an article for their quarterly newsletter about a letter from a Union soldier that described the
campus of St. John’s College in 1861 (linked below).
My supervisor, Maria Day, was the director of the Special Collections and Conservation Laboratory
departments, which allowed me to do work in both departments. The Special Collections department
differs from the main work of the Archives in that it handles documents not issued by the Maryland
government. When collections arrive at the Archives, they must be numbered, catalogued, described,
and moved to a permanent location within the Archives building. Due to the unusual nature of the
collections seen by Special Collections, it works closely with the Conservation Laboratory, which
addresses conservation concerns throughout the Archives. For example, the Special Collections
department often receives books that are historically relevant but are covered in mold, which they then
take to the Conservation Lab to see how they can best be preserved.
In a practical sense, I had to rely on my high school experience to handle the many spreadsheets
involved in cataloguing and categorizing the materials with which I worked. From a more intellectual
point of view, however, the Program at St. John’s College certainly fosters a love for history and primary
sources in its students that I was able to put to good use while at the Archives. While reading at St.
John’s College, I have often wondered what the original manuscripts of the texts we study might look
like. Primary sources are central to the work we do at St. John’s, but we face the reality that we do not
have the time to learn the original language of every book we study. In other words, someone has already
made some kind of determination as to how each sentence should be rendered into English. This is not
so for the documents I studied at the Archives, which contained the past in a splendidly unadulterated
form. Although my studies at St. John’s have encouraged a healthy reverence towards primary sources,
40
�my work at the Archives may have brought me closer to them. These thoughts led me to treat each
collection with a curiosity and care instilled in me from St. John’s College.
While I enjoyed the experience of working at the Archives, I found that the working environment could
become a bit monotonous at times. Each person worked on their own project in their own area, and
projects can take months or even years to process. On the other hand, I recognize that if I were to pursue
a career in a larger Archives, it is likely that I would be one of many archivists or conservators working
on a huge project, and that I would be encouraged to specialize in a specific medium with few
opportunities to branch out. The welcoming and helpful attitude of my mentors, Camille DiMarco and
Jen Cruikshank, made up for the monotony, however. They were not only friendly to me, but also made a
concerted effort to educate me on many types of archival work, particularly conservation. Even though I
only looked at a small fraction of the types of conservation needed on the documents that pass through
the Archives, Camille and Jen made sure that I would have a passing familiarity with many others. Maria
Day and her deputy director, Megan Craynon, did the same with regards to Special Collections.
While I am not sure that I am temperamentally suited to the working environment of archives, I would
certainly like to continue to have mentors as encouraging as the ones I had at the Archives. I am open to
considering an archival-adjacent career, such as curatorship or courier work. I still love history, I have
just discovered that I need to do more active work. Despite this, I would be happy to work at the Archives
in a part-time or temporary capacity, and have tentatively been offered a volunteer opportunity
whenever I would like to return. I enjoyed my work at the Maryland State Archives immensely, and I am
very thankful for the opportunity to learn so much about archival work and to experience a full-time
working environment.
41
�Jameson Marshall ‘20
Office of the Federal Public Defender Service for the District of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
Interning at The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the
District of Maryland has helped me learn more about the inner
workings of the Justice System and motivated me to continue
into a career at a Public Defenders Office.
The Office of the Federal Public Defender represents people
accused of federal crimes who can’t afford to hire a lawyer. There
cases can go all the way from District Court to the Court of
Appeals, and even the Supreme Court. The Federal Public
Defender also handles capital cases, meaning that the
defendants could be sentenced to the death penalty if found
guilty. People’s lives are on the line.
Over the course of the internship, I learned about the history of
Public Defenders Offices and their place in our justice system
today. Until 1963, poor defendants could go to court without
even having a lawyer. It wasn’t until Gideon v. Wainwright
(1963) that the Supreme Court ruled that people have a right to
legal representation in both federal and state cases, regardless of
their ability to pay. Thus, Public Defenders offices were born.
However, even now that people accused of crimes have access to a
legal defense regardless of their ability to pay, they are still at a
disadvantage. Public Defenders are at both a monetary and
procedural disadvantage to prosecutors. The prosecution has more
money and resources to try people accused of crimes, more
opportunities to make their case in court, and often more
credibility in the eyes of judges. The perfect metaphor for this advantage is that in court the prosecution
sits nearer to the jury because the prosecution is meant to represent “The people”. But people are
innocent until proven guilty, and people accused of crimes should have access to quality legal defense.
The inequality that people accused of crimes face is what drew me to apply for an internship at The
Office of the Federal Public Defender, and it’s the reason that now, after my internship, I’m applying
for jobs at public defenders’ offices, so that I can make more of an impact.
During the internship, my role was to support the investigators and attorneys who were preparing to
try cases. That usually involved either finding, requesting, or analyzing records to save the attorney’s
time. A single legal case involves an unbelievable amount of paperwork. Throughout the internship, I
learned that most of the work involved in legal defense isn’t glamorous. It isn’t all about a lawyer
yelling “objection!” in court. You won’t find it in many TV shows or movies, but it is important.
People’s lives are at stake, and The Public Defenders Office is responsible for giving people a good
defense.
Now that my internship has finished, I’m applying for investigator and paralegal positions at Public
Defenders Offices and similar non-profit legal organizations so that I can play a greater role in
defending people accused of crimes. I would recommend that other Johnnies who are interested in law
apply for internships at The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland or other
Public Defenders Departments. Public Defenders Offices need all the help they can get and interning at
one provides a good look at the inner workings of our criminal justice system.
42
�Ray Matsumoto ‘22
Pacific Atrocities Education
San Francisco, California
This summer, I co-authored a publication titled, A Clash of Empires
at Pearl Harbor: How Nanshin-ron, Japanese Nationalism and
Militarism Exacerbated the Imperialization of Asia. It focused on
the lead-up to the Pearl Harbor Attack and the “Southern Advance
Doctrine” or nanshin-ron in Japanese. I began by researching the
history of modern Japan, from the expedition of Commodore
Matthew Perry in 1853 to the end of the Pacific War in 1945. I read
dozens of secondary sources, primarily academic publications and
primary sources such as official documents, policies, and
transcripts. I wrote summaries and notes for each text, which
became the building blocks of the final draft. I was also responsible
for citing these resources and editing my work to avoid plagiarism.
Being entirely remote allowed me to work efficiently in the comfort of my own home. Maintaining a
convenient workspace, especially with many books, enabled me to stay productive throughout the
internship. It also benefited me financially, as I avoided transportation and housing costs. However,
working remotely with a partner in a different time zone was a challenge. Not only was scheduling an
issue, but we could not communicate our ideas as effectively over emails and calls. It limited the
cohesiveness of our work. I also did not get the opportunity to interact with my supervisor. I would have
learned more from her with frequent in-person conversations. Instead, they were mostly limited to
emails and short calls. However, I still had the opportunity of regularly meeting with their historian.
She taught us countless things, from researching and noting to writing and formatting. Being remote
was a barrier in some ways, but it did not prevent me from gaining valuable experience and knowledge
on researching history.
I treated each text similarly to how I would for a class at St. John's. Questions concerning cause and
effect were most central in the process. Many of these eventually became the thread of my narrative.
These questions were also critical. In other words, I would wait to read different texts to form a solid
view of a historical event or figure. This caution and skepticism allowed me to accomplish effective
research and writing. It was unfortunate that I did not have the time to read the whole of each book. I
had to focus on specifics, as opposed to understanding the complete narrative of each academic.
My interest in Japanese history stems from my high school education. WWII is a topic that is absent in
most Japanese curriculums. I only learned about it because I attended an International School. I was
aware that most Japanese people avoided the issue because of the atrocities committed in the AsiaticPacific Theater. It made me curious about the thoughts of these soldiers, who were primarily civilians
from middle-class families. I wanted to learn the specifics of these atrocities, so I visited war museums
in Japan and Korea before the pandemic. I also have personal motivations, as opposed to purely
academic. Being born and raised in Japan by Japanese parents, with a former Korean grandfather,
makes the matter more emotional. I cannot help imagine what it would be like if I were in the same
position. Hence, I felt more dedicated and involved in the research because there was something very
personal. This internship was a helpful test to see whether I would enjoy this path as a career
opportunity. I am confident, now, that researching and educating people on modern Japanese history
is a path I want to pursue following my graduation.
I plan to intern at Pacific Atrocities Education again to write a better publication. Being more experienced
will allow me to take an active role and guide other interns through the process that I experienced. I am
considering becoming a more established member of the organization, but I also want to branch out and
explore my options. Eventually, I want to teach these events of WWII to students and maybe work to
transform education policy and curriculum.
43
�Gabriel Mendez ‘22
Duckhorn Portfolio
St. Helena, California
Hosted by alumnus Zach Rasmuson (A95)
Gabe is pictured third from
the left.
This summer I interned at Duckhorn Vineyards in St. Helena, CA. The Duckhorn Portfolio is an
expansive luxury fine-wine retailer that sells a variety of vintages and wines. As an intern for the
marketing department, I was able to learn more about wine, the wine business, and the company itself.
I was responsible for a few projects, all of which were primarily unsupervised, in consumer education,
sustainability, and general marketing awareness. These were informative projects that taught me
consumer awareness, advertising, and branding. The idea for the sustainability project was to explore
the agricultural practices of every wine in the Duckhorn Portfolio and use information to better handle
customer inquiries. The information was also used to educate shareholders who are looking to invest
in sustainably-friendly companies.
These projects were educational for me insofar as they taught me the importance of understanding
your customers, shareholders, and general business ethics. My experience at St. John's was important
because it taught me the rules of diplomacy and listening. Working for a company with a lot of
structure requires that you're attentive and cordial. Learning how to speak and when to speak is
important and knowing how to contribute is also an important skill. Discussion based classes at St.
John's taught me this valuable lesson, and it was useful for my time at Duckhorn. However, I don't
think that this was the right environment for me personally. I enjoyed the structure and I enjoyed the
wine business but working for a publicly-traded company can be a tough environment for some people.
I would recommend finding younger and smaller companies to work for in the field that you're
interested in and learning the industry from there. However, there are perks to working for a larger
company insofar as you can see how a larger business operates. Everyone I met at Duckhorn was very
kind and respectful, but I felt like there were moments where my position was unclear to them, and
likewise I felt sometimes that I wasn't clear about my position. I don't think that Duckhorn takes in
many college interns, so I think this contributes to the problem. If someone else were to intern here, I
would say go for it just be aware of your goals and expectations.
44
�Monica Molina ‘22
Davidson Galleries
Seattle, Washington
This summer I had the amazing opportunity to intern at
Davidson Galleries in downtown Seattle. Davidson
Galleries is a small commercial gallery located in
Pioneer Square. The gallery focuses on print and paper
artwork and has an inventory of nearly 20,000 original
pieces. I was fortunate enough to be able to do this
internship in-person. Prior to this, I was considered for
a few remote internships but given the nature of the field
I am really grateful I was able to do my internship in
person. My activities and responsibilities as an intern
ranged throughout the course of the summer. At the
start of my internship I was first shown the basics of
proper art-handling and matting, this allowed me to
spend the first few days of my internship getting
comfortable with holding and handling the artwork on
my own. Thereafter, my supervisor progressively
implemented different aspects of working in a gallery.
This included inventory management, art handling and installation, community outreach, and
research.
Inventory management was my favorite responsibility. It consisted of organizing and taking record of
what artwork and pieces were kept in the various drawers so as to keep the gallery up to date on
inventory. This allowed me to spend several hours with various artist’s works and guage the variety of
artwork contained within the gallery. It was also a very introspective task as I found myself developing
tastes and opinions on what types of art I connected with personally and even what types of art I
disliked. This prompted me to further research and learn what philosophies, themes, and experiences
inspired the work and inventory I was managing. In addition to inventory management,
I greatly enjoyed prepping the gallery for showings and exhibitions. I learned how to frame, install, and
label artwork properly for showings and exhibitions. This process was hard work and time-consuming
but the result was always more than satisfactory.
The environment of the gallery was unlike anything I had been around before. Prior to my internship I
had been accustomed to fast-paced and loud work environments. The gallery on the other hand was
quiet, diligent, and slow. In addition, the gallery is run by four employees, including the owner. This
communal, slow-paced work environment was very encouraging as I felt comfortable asking for
guidance and instruction with any and all tasks. While my supervisor was who I spent the most time
learning from, she was not the only person who educated me while I interned, it felt like a group effort
of Davidson Galleries. My only real complaint of the work environment would be the quiet that I was
so unaccustomed too. Regardless, I hope to be able to find and duplicate that communal intimacy of
small work environments in the future.
My desire to intern at an art gallery originally stemmed from wanting to pursue art law as a career; I
wanted to explore the art field which was most accessible to me as an undergrad student. Thus, I found
Davidson Galleries and got to experience the inner workings of an art gallery firsthand. This influenced
my plans for post-graduation. I originally intended to apply and to attend law school next fall, but I
currently find myself researching various fine art and art history graduate school programs. This shift
is inspired by my internship at Davidson Galleries. I believe this decision will better prepare me for art
law and which fields I intend to pursue in it. I have spent this summer surrounded by art and
knowledge and it has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my undergrad career. I hope to be
able to experience an internship like this again.
45
�Katherine Quinn ‘22
University of Buffalo, Dept. of Pediatrics
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biology
Buffalo, New York
Hosted by alumnus Dr. Jim Jarvis (A75)
This summer I worked with Dr. James Jarvis (A`75), a
pediatric rheumatologist for the Jacobs School of Medicine
at SUNY Buffalo at the Clinical and Translational Research
Center. Although Dr. Jarvis is a Pediatric rheumatologist,
my work with him this summer focused on rheumatic
disease in an adult population. I examined possible
reasons behind the higher rates of rheumatoid disease in Native Americans. I focused on how social
factors, especially adverse events in childhood, may explain the high rates of rheumatoid disease, the
earlier age of onset and more severe disease progression found in Native American patients. In
considering these questions, I read many articles in academic research journals studying specific
cohorts’ different rates of rheumatoid diseases, the effects of stress on the immune system through
system modification and epigenetic changes, the demonstrable relationship between Adverse Childhood
Experiences and worse health outcomes as adults and the less quantifiable effects of societal level
disparities such as racism.
My St. John’s experience helped me when working with these articles as I was familiar with parsing
technical jargon from fields I know little about and identifying what new concepts were central to the
arguments outlined and should therefore be examined more closely. I was more comfortable with the
idea that I did not need to fully understand everything I was reading, that some dense aspects of the
article were not relevant to my work so I could move on, than I was before three years of working
through a large amount of material on topics in which I am no expert. There were times the difference
in background knowledge between me and my coworkers, two second year medical students, was stark.
I found I had to spend significant amounts of time on understanding the biological systems, something
that was not the true focus of my inquiry. When they discussed their projects, I found that I could not
engage on the informed level which I strive for as a Johnnie.
My work this summer reminded me that I work much more efficiently when I have a middle level of
supervision. I like the freedom to approach problems and tasks in a way that makes sense to me, rather
than to a superior, but I do like to have some level of guidance rather than being let to roam completely
free. My experience this summer was closer to the free-reign side of things that I think I would want
long term. The concentrated focus on one line of inquiry was something I really enjoyed for a summer,
but I feel I would need the ability to shift focus every so often to open a new area of deep inquiry. I think
I would feel unsatisfied in a job which had me approach things merely quickly and superficially, but I
cannot see myself focusing on a specific question my whole career either.
I was hopeful that I would be able to work in a lab or with patients more than I did this summer. I think
my internship was structured as a review of existing literature partially due to the COVID pandemic and
the minimization of extra personnel in the hospital and lab, but I still wish I had been able to work
there. I knew before this summer that I like reading and synthesizing large amounts of information, it
was the more hands-on aspects of the work which would have been new to me, expanding my
knowledge of how I like to work. I am still very glad for the experience and think it confirmed that some
of my preferences regarding academic work transfer into the workplace, albeit an academic one.
I do not think I will end up working at the Clinical and Translational Research Center in the future for
the simple reason that all the principle investigators working there are medical doctors who teach at the
University of Buffalo and I do not think I will want to go through medical school, but I could see myself
working in a similar setting, something considering the overlaps of social and biological factors on our
lives, or some other academic research, again.
46
�Alayna Raymond ‘23
University of California, The Language & Cognitive
Development Research Lab
Berkeley, California
The source of my interest in language came from the St
John’s classroom. I became very interested not only in how
language is formed, but also how it is acquired. I looked into
fields that asked these questions and found that
psycholinguistics fit my criteria. I ended up interning at UC
Berkeley’s Language and Cognitive Development Lab from
June 1-July 30, 2021. Going into the internship, I expected to
learn more about the field of psycholinguistics, and what the
research process looks like in a PhD program. After nine
weeks, I feel the internship exceeded those expectations.
The primary function of an intern in this lab is to help
graduate students with their current research projects. I
ended up helping with two projects, allowing me to explore
different stages of the research process. On the first project, examining child directed speech during the
pandemic, I spent the first week reading background materials and familiarizing myself with the study.
Once a week I would meet with my mentor and fellow interns on Zoom to discuss relevant papers, look at
the data collected so far in the study, and discuss the progress of the study. When not doing those tasks,
my main job was transcribing audio recordings that would later be analyzed using coding software.
The second study, examining children's use of modal
verbs onto probabilistic situations, was still in the
process of collecting data from participants. I did
similar work to the previous study, but I also recruited
participants, scheduled times to collect data, and led
the participants through the study procedures via Zoom. Because most participants in the study are
young children, it was important that I helped them stay focused on the given task, while remaining
friendly and engaging. After running each study session, I had to log that experiment’s completion by
updating databases.
There were also many opportunities to learn new skills related to the research and data analysis process. I
participated in a virtual bootcamp that taught me the basics of the programming language R, which is a
newly popular coding language to use for analyzing data. I also attended weekly reading groups that
involved all five of the developmental labs’ interns, where we were assigned a research paper and
discussed it. It was in the reading groups where I really felt my experience at St. John’s come through and
help me approach the sometimes-intimidating research papers. Overall, though, these opportunities
were all extremely rewarding experiences and have added to my list of ways to learn more about language
acquisition.
Every week throughout the internship our specific lab had a meeting that consisted of a graduate student
and their interns presenting about their study, including its methods, its relevance, and progress made.
This allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the study and how to explain it in a professional
manner. In the final week of the internship, we were tasked with making short presentations like the
previous one, but this time without a mentor. This was meant to be a final measure of whether we
understood the study(s) that we had been collaborating on.
In reflecting on this internship, I would say it exceeded my expectations of what I was going to be doing.
Rather than just doing ‘grunt work,’ I was able to vocalize my interests and have parts of the internship
tailored to those interests. I also really enjoyed the balance of independent and collaborative work. While
I did spend much of my time working through transcriptions or running the study, I was also able to
47
�connect with fellow interns and my mentor. By meeting with others, I was able to engage with the
research in a way that went beyond the material. On the surface research may seem very rigid and
straightforward, but there is so much to interpret in what the data is telling us, and how it adds to our
understanding of language cognitive development.
The only issue I really experienced during the internship was the absence of a fully productive
environment. Since I was remote and therefore not in the lab working alongside others, it was more
difficult to remain focused on some tasks. However, I will say that the organization and delegating done
by my mentor was enormously helpful in keeping me busy and on track. My mentor was also very
receptive to any sort of problems I had with working through tasks.
The internship program at UC Berkeley’s Language and Cognitive Development Lab turned out to be a
great place where I could explore my interests. Not only did I learn about various aspects of language
formation and cognitive development, I also came to better understand the ways in which research can
help other people. My experience from this internship has made more tangible the possibility of
understanding language development, and how I could use that understanding to help others. I hope to
go through this internship program again next summer (hopefully in person) or pursue a similar
internship related to psycholinguistics.
48
�Raphael Rose ‘22
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Gravitational Astrophysics Lab
Greenbelt, Maryland
My internship activities and
responsibilities involved learning
and coding. The primary goal was to
approximate a numerical relativity
simulation of a black hole into a set
of coefficients. The success of the
project depended on whether an
event horizon could be discerned
after reconstruction. In order to
achieve this goal, I had to learn
linear algebra, numerical
approximation and various
solutions to Einstein's field
equations. Once I got the basic
concepts down I was ready to code
them. This constituted the main part of my internship. A lot of problem solving and writing out
equations in code. At a certain point in the internship I had set down the main outline of the code and
we progressed to working out the bugs. My mentor was very helpful in solving the more difficult issues,
his process of breaking down problems into cogent sections was amazing to watch and participate in. I
finished the internship at this stage with a few problems left. I hope to work on these over the course of
the year and come out with a paper eventually.
The material I have covered at St. John’s is difficult to apply to the hard sciences. While I wish I could
say that I used Descartes' handbook for the direction of the mind, that would be disingenuous. At the
same time, the confidence I have learned in teaching myself is immeasurably useful in an internship
where I lack most of the background knowledge.
As far as my academic goals I am pretty confident that I do not wish to be coding all day. Considering the
circumstances of the pandemic I don’t think I could have asked for anything else, but it certainly was a
challenge to sit down to code in the same place I sleep. I think that if I have the chance I will attempt to
work in a more experimental environment. Quantum optics seems like a field with a lot of potential for
interesting discoveries and which I can apply my natural talent for working with machines. I also learned
about a section of the European Space Agency which works directly on fundamental theory which
sounds very interesting to study.
I was really fortunate to have a wonderful mentor with whom I fostered a great relationship. Moreover,
NASA seems to have a really good workplace environment. There is a relaxed environment and a
government job is extremely stable. It does not seem like my mentor has the funding to provide me
with another internship. However, post-bac work at NASA is a real possibility and I’m sure my mentor
would like to continue working with me.
49
�Arpan Sapkota ‘21
Himalaya School/College
Kathmandu, Nepal
I would like to thank the Hodson Committee for providing
me with the funds to participate in this internship. This
summer I had the chance to work with an educational
institution, Himalaya College. It is located in the heart of
the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, although this was of no
significance to my internship due to my inability to go
there due to travel bans. The pandemic ruined a lot of my
plans, including my graduation, and this internship was
another huge blow. However, my mentor suggested that I
can continue my internship regardless of not being at the
site. The college had, of course, come up with the novel
plan of conducting their classes online. My mentor and I
discussed and concluded that my responsibilities, which I
will be explaining in the next paragraph, would not be
compromised by me working remotely. Hence, I decided—
after informing the Hodson committee about my plans—to
stay at my current location and continue my internship.
Although my internship was altered to be conducted
remotely, my responsibilities were not altered drastically.
Like the college itself when it went online, it was much
easier to reach out and assist students. I took 11th and
12th-grade Mathematics and 11th grade Science class.
Besides taking classes I had many other responsibilities. These responsibilities included developing
lesson plans, class tests, and innovative ways to teach the students. I tried in some of the classes to
implement the Socratic method of learning. While it was with just some extra classes, the students
seemed to enjoy and learn more from the method. I also had to monitor the individual performances of
the underperforming students. My other responsibilities include assisting other teachers with grading
tests and assisting them when required.
St. John’s College’s unique way of learning helped immensely with my internship. I had the
opportunity to conduct tutorial-style classes. It was also a different experience to be in a class like that
outside St. John’s College and not with the typical “Johnnie.” I, myself, learned a lot from the students
from this method. My mentor and other staff were intrigued by this unique style of teaching.
My mentor assisted me with everything she could for me to have an excellent class. She also directed
me towards the person who had the syllabus. She also provided me with previous tests as a guide for
me to create new tests. The students in my classes were fun to work with and were eager to learn too.
Everybody associated with the college was cooperating to get the most out of online classes. And I am
glad I could be a part of it. Interning remotely, however, was not ideal because of some missed
opportunities. I was not able to collaborate enough with my colleagues. With incompatible time zones
and subsequent outbursts of the pandemic, I was unable to manage my time to meet them.
I enjoy teaching a lot. This internship has also piqued my enthusiasm more. And after completing my
studies, if I decide to pursue this profession in the future I would love to work with the pupils of
Himalaya College.
50
�Apurva Sharma ‘23
Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Dept. of Neurosurgery
Kathmandu, Nepal
It has been an unusual year and an even more unusual
summer. Amidst the aggravating pandemic, I decided it
would be an enlightening challenge to intern at Nepal
Mediciti Hospital. And indeed, it was. I interned with
the Department of Neurosurgery under my mentor Dr.
Prakash Paudel, an associate neurosurgeon. Moreover,
Mediciti Hospital is one of the leading hospitals for
Neurosciences in Nepal, so the internship was
extremely valuable and edifying, to say the least.
My responsibilities as an intern included entering data
during the Out-Patient Department consultancies into
the Electronic Medical Report, working with other
interns to make discharge reports, shadowing
neurosurgeons and neurologists in their daily rounds
and consultations, attending weekly presentations, and
collecting data and proof-reading the consultants’
articles. This experience not only helped me affirm my
dream of working in the field of Neuroscience, but also
made me aware of the trials and tribulations health
professionals have to go through each day. The mere thought of having to manage patients during a
pandemic in a third-world country had put me in distress, yet the doctors and the management were very
optimistic about it. Patients in the Emergency Ward and the ones admitted to the hospital were regularly
tested for COVID but it wasn’t required to be tested to get an OPD (Out-Patient Department)
consultation, which was very shocking to me. At this point, even most doctors weren’t inoculated because
of the lack of vaccines in Nepal, yet they seemed fearless, nonchalant even. They just relied on masks and
constantly sanitizing their hands, which seemed to be pretty effective.
At the OPD, I gained many insights on how to effectively evaluate and diagnose people’s symptoms
that were seemingly usual, but sometimes turned out to be rare cases. I got to briefly learn how to look
at CT Scans and MRIs of the brain and the spinal cord, which felt strange for some reason. Perhaps
because I’ve been engaging in the idea of the mind as a metaphysical one, and so seeing an image of the
brain was just very bizarre. The conversations between the doctors and the patients were fascinating; it
felt very professional yet intimate. I realized it is very taxing on both ends, to trust someone with your
life and to be responsible for someone else’s life. But it is a beautiful exchange.
My experience at SJC definitely made my internship much more advantageous. I kept being drawn to
ask questions regarding the mind through a more spiritual lens and comparing that to the doctors’
technical idea of the brain, which they seemed to enjoy and so did I. Engaging in this sort of
speculative dialogue only made me more inquisitive about how the human mind works.
I also shadowed some residents and observed a few procedures, some simple ones like suturing and
some moderately difficult ones like LP Shunt and Angioplasty. The latter had to be done by the
surgeons themselves but it wasn’t in an Operation Theater, so I could watch it. The precision and
concentration it takes to do even the simplest procedures is remarkable. It made me admire the
doctors even more, seeing them balance their justified fervency with dexterity.
However, the most memorable part of my internship has to be the daily rounds we took. I always had
this half-hopeful, half-dreaded feeling each morning, uncertain of whether the patient in the ICU
yesterday survived the night. But most of them were getting better every day; I came across this
51
�realization that recovery can be quite painful too. In the span of two months, I noticed I got very
emotionally attached to these patients and their journeys, which I’m not sure is a good thing if I want
to be a health professional. I asked one of the doctors how they cope if they lose a patient or make
incorrect judgments, and she simply said, “I’ve gotten used to deaths. I have to be. If I make ineffectual
judgments, I just learn as much as I can from it so I don’t make the same mistake twice, and I go to bed
so I can give my best the next day.” It was an absurd answer. I didn’t know what to make of it. I
couldn’t imagine myself not being affected by such things, walking so confidently and comfortably on
the thin rope between life and death. But I guess experience is the best teacher, and I will learn
someday. This internship was transformative in all respects; whether it be by vitalizing my dream or
humbling me in the reality of my world.
52
�Nathalie Smallidge ‘22
SHE-CAN (Supporting Her Education Changes a Nation)
Mill Valley, California
My internship with SHE-CAN started off as
somewhat generalist, with basic
administrative tasks for the Program
department. It was a remote internship,
which initially felt isolating, but I realized
that SHE-CAN staff maintained an up-beat
office atmosphere by using Skype as a
messaging and video call platform. I could
essentially talk to and call anyone at any
time if I needed help, and I felt very
welcomed by everyone I engaged with.
Although I did not have a specific project to
focus on yet, I quickly acquired new skills in
using online applications that organized
SHE-CAN’s institutional information. These
included Salesforce, Alchemer (a survey
developer), Dropbox, and Office Suite. I
learned how to use these applications from the thorough guidance of my mentor, the Program
Manager, and another supervisor with whom I would continue to work closely, the Director of
Community Building.
Because SHE-CAN utilizes a year-round program on-boarding their Scholars and new Mentors, there
is always a sense of business. Because there are multiple application steps for the Scholars seeking a
place within SHE-CAN’s scholarship program, I had a steep learning curve becoming familiar enough
with the annual timeline of SHE-CAN to be able to know what was happening during a given week.
However, because quite a few of my projects early on were administrative, I was using Dropbox to keep
documents and spreadsheets organized. I often used last year’s documents to update this year’s
information before it was distributed by email. That way, I became quite familiar with the basic annual
schedule of the program.
Some specific mid-sized projects that I worked on were adding new Mentors as Salesforce contacts,
requesting new Mentors sign an on-boarding agreement, researching and reporting on an organization
that SHE-CAN Scholars would potentially work with, and designing two surveys for Mentors. I
completely designed the surveys—with suggested questions from my supervisor—and researched how
best to conduct non-anonymous demographic surveys for the highest response rate and greatest
comfort of those taking the survey. The demographic survey received approximately 35% response
rate. The other survey I designed was to learn more information on a small-group initiative SHE-CAN
tried last year to assist with new Mentors in specific roles. They were partnered with experienced
Mentors in those roles, and we wanted to know how effective it was. That survey had an approximately
25% response rate and did not provide the detailed information I was looking for, which showed me
the survey could have been better designed/worded. These projects provided some excitement and
now I feel a greater confidence in processing information with both spreadsheets and documents
accessible for signing.
SHE-CAN is composed of a robust, close-knit group of people, a community which spans the
organization. Each Scholar is matched with five Mentors, and because SHE-CAN turns 10 this year,
there is also a thriving alumni group. One type of project that helped me become familiar with so many
new people was creating slides for PowerPoint presentations, designed with the specific objective of
introducing recently on-boarded Mentors and Scholars to the SHE-CAN community. These
53
�presentations used photos of the new members, along with brief bios on each of them, their work
experience, and areas of interest.
The biggest project I have worked on this summer was coordinating research for a second annual
round of SHE-CAN’s History & Culture Workshops, which are meant to help Mentors, other Scholars,
Volunteers, and organizational supporters become more informed with the post-conflict countries
from which SHE-CAN draws Scholars—Rwanda, Liberia, Cambodia, and now Guatemala. I reached
out to the body of Scholars from each country to gauge their interest, since they are doing the
substantial research. My involvement in this project was to coordinate on-going research, prompting
new material by asking questions about the research topics, and providing edits and proofreading
when the research is done. I have met with Scholars directly to discuss their research progress. It has
been an excellent experience getting to know such accomplished students and their cultures! The
project, however, extends beyond the end of my internship. I will be able to attend the workshops
virtually when they occur later in the fall.
A somewhat substantial, daily project that surfaced in the second half of July and which continued into
mid-August was SHE-CAN hiring for three permanent positions and one contracted position in the
organization. It became my job to routinely check all platforms where the jobs were posted, sort the
application materials in Dropbox, and alert the relevant SHE-CAN staff about the various applications.
On account of this project, I began working with the Founder and CEO of SHE-CAN. My work with her
has been the same notifications when applications come in, but I also drafted an email for her to send
to those who were not accepted when the positions are filled.
While I have been a writing assistant at St. John’s over the summer, I also had the chance to utilize those
skills for a project at SHE-CAN too. The Scholars each write essays as supplemental material to their
college applications. They attend a few writing workshops hosted by SHE-CAN and each of their essay
Mentors reviews their work to help make improvements. One of my projects was to provide exactly my
writing assistance expertise to contribute to this process of essay review for the Scholars.
In addition to those administrative tasks early on, I had a number of small research projects which
profiled different organizations or public figures with which SHE-CAN could potentially engage. There
is a strong international relations bent to the organization’s operation in the form of travel abroad to
meet prospective scholars, coordinate with local officials to ensure the foreign communities’
involvement in the SHE-CAN initiative of encouraging young women there to apply for the program.
Unfortunately, my participation in those events was meager and remote, it was a good demonstration
of how my own career interests in international affairs could be directed, albeit with a particularly
human rights/philanthropic focus.
54
�Honor Stanton ‘23
Anne Arundel County State’s Attorneys’ Office
Annapolis, MD
At the end of my Sophomore year, I was considering my
career and education options after I graduated. I have long
been interested in law and politics, but my knowledge was
theoretical and I needed experience to give me a basis for
deeper questions and understanding of the field of law.
With the help of the Hodson Trust Internship, I was able to
get a summer internship at the Maryland State’s Attorney
Office in Annapolis. This job enabled me to attend
courtroom proceedings and observe the inner workings of
the legal system. Due to COVID restrictions, the office had
severely cut the number of interns they were accepting, so
the funding provided by Hodson’s Trust and the reputation
of St. John’s students was a great help in my obtaining this
opportunity. At the start of the summer I was the only
intern approved for work at the Office of the State’s
Attorney, an honor I am confident came from being a
Hodson recipient.
Due to COVID, personnel required for sorting case files
and documents had been limited in 2020, which left a
heavy workload for myself and my supervisor. At the
beginning of my internship, I accomplished relatively
simple tasks, such as properly disposing of expunged case files, but as I gained experience I moved to
more complex jobs, such as scanning completed cases into the database and inputting disks and thumb
drives of evidence into already existing case files. Due to the fact that I was handling actual criminal case
files, being able to stay organized and keep a constant eye out for any mistakes I, or the person who
inputted the case before me, was incredibly important. My time at St. John’s was very useful in this
regard. Having practice reading many pages of Aristotle and then recalling where important quotations
were in seminar proved useful when reading over large cases and checking that all the important
information had been secured into the database in case of retrial or appeal. This was just one of the tasks
I was able to accomplish by the end of my summer. As the summer progressed my supervisor was
allowed to add some additional interns to help with our workload, and I helped train and supervise our
new staff.
The greatest joy of my internship was the ability, when I was not busy with other things, to watch trials
in progress. I was able to watch several criminal cases from start to finish, including the trial of Jarrod
Ramos, and had the opportunity to ask questions of the prosecuting lawyers about their process and the
decisions they had made in preparing the trial. This was extremely helpful in my goal to learn about the
legal profession. The ability to see not just the court room activity, but all the files and preparation that
are involved with proving even a very simple case, gave me a much clearer view on what it means to be a
criminal lawyer. Everyone at the State’s Attorneys’ Office was very willing to answer questions, and my
supervisor went above and beyond to make sure I had the chance to watch some of the greatest lawyers
in the office in court, and additionally to see a wide variety of case types, from drug court to murder
trials. I found I enjoyed all aspects of these court proceedings.
I am still not certain if I want to become a lawyer in the future: I have two more years of St John’s to
figure that out. But now, I can look into the profession with a truly clear idea of what would be involved
and how my abilities would benefit. I would be very interested in working at the Office of the State’s
Attorney again, and would highly recommend it and the Hodson Trust Internship program to anyone
who is interested in going into law or politics.
55
�Abigail Stuart ‘20
Kay Lab, Institute for Mind & Biology, University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Hosted by alumna Dr. Leslie Kay (SF83)
This summer I worked in Prof. Leslie Kay’s lab in the
Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago. This
lab studies the olfactory system, using rats as their animal
model. There are several ongoing projects at the lab each led
by a graduate student studying different aspect of the
olfactory system, spanning behavioral to computational
methods. During my internship, I worked most closely with
Rui He, a sixth year PhD student, examining the differences
between orthonasal and retronasal olfaction.
Orthonasal olfaction is what we primarily think of when we
think about smelling something: drawing air and odorants
up through the nose to the olfactory epithelium where
sensory receptor neurons transmit signals to the olfactory
bulb of the brain. Retronasal olfaction, by contrast, occurs
during eating and drinking as odorants travel from the back
of the mouth up to the nasopharynx where they meet the
sensory receptor neurons. The same odorant, for example,
amyl acetate (artificial banana scent), produces different
neural representations in the brain when delivered
orthonasally versus retronasally. The olfactory system in
general is not well understood, and retronasal olfaction in
particular has barely been studied. Additionally, there is increasing evidence connecting disfunction of
the olfactory system with neurological diseases such as Alzherimer’s disease and depression.
Developing a broader understanding of olfaction will provide a foundation for these further inquiries.
In our experiment, rats are asked to discriminate between two odorized liquids. They lick a bottle spout
and must distinguish between the two odors using retronasal cues. Odor A signals the next liquid
dispensed will be a sweet sucrose solution, while Odor B signals that the next liquid will be a bitter
quinine solution. As the rats perform the task, they learn to continue licking for the sucrose reward, and
to withdraw from the lickspout to avoid drinking quinine. Once they can consistently discriminate
between odors in above 80% of the trials, the rats are moved to the next odor pair.
Very fine electrodes are implanted in the rat’s brain to record the electrical signals of neurons in the
olfactory bulb, pyriform cortex, olfactory tubercle, gustatory cortex, and hippocampus as the rats
perform the task. During my internship I learned not only how to set up and perform odor
discrimination experiments, but also how to analyze some of the data we collected during the
experiments.
We use Matlab to visualize the frequency of neural oscillations over time. Because there are many
different cell types that fire under specific conditions within the olfactory system, looking at the
frequency of action potentials, electrical depolarizations, starts to reveal the structure of the
interactions between different groups of cells. Between separate regions of the brain, we look at the
coherence of the oscillations. High coherence suggests that the two regions are connected and sending
information between themselves during a behavioral state. We do not have definite results from our
experiments yet, but we hope to use these methods to understand how the brain creates representations
of retronasal odors.
56
�Besides experimentation and data analysis, I have learned several ancillary skills including making the
electrodes that capture brain signals, soldering to fix our electrical equipment, using a cryostat and
microtome to preserve and prepare brain tissue for histological examination, and assisting in surgery to
implant the electrodes in precise regions of the brain. While my coursework at St. John’s was not
directly helpful to my internship, all of the general skills like reading complex texts, communicating
clearly, comfortable mathematical literacy were essential to preparing for my internship. In advance of
my internship, I read multiple neuroscience textbooks, many journal articles, and taught myself the
basics of Matlab. I strongly recommend future students interning at a lab do as much preparation as
possible so that they can participate in lab discussions, ask better questions, and be assigned more
interesting and complex tasks. I was hired as a lab tech at the end of my internship and I will be able to
continue working on this project.
The environment of the lab is very nice. Everyone is very friendly and they were very welcoming to me.
Unlike some other labs, I think, our lab has a culture of healthy work-life balance, although it is
sometime necessary to come in to the lab on the weekends because when we are training animals, they
learn best with daily sessions. All of the graduate students are helpful and supportive of one another
and are not competing for the Principal Investigator’s attention and favor.
One drawback of a relaxed lab culture however, is that work can feel a little slow and unproductive
without many projects and papers progressing simultaneously. The Principal Investigator has a handsoff attitude toward the graduate student’s projects, and some of them expressed that it might have been
better to pick a lab that provides a little more help and guidance. Because the P.I. is not always
demanding to see progress, it is necessary to be very self-motivated in this lab. The lab culture works
well for me, but I suggest that students wanting to work in a lab consider not only the lab’s research
interests, but also think about what type of lab culture would suit them best.
I really enjoyed my summer experience and I am so happy that I can continue to work here. I am really
grateful to Prof. Kay for setting up my internship around Covid restrictions, and doing the protocol
paperwork allowing me to be at the lab in-person. It has been an unambiguously positive experience
where I have learned so much in only a few months.
57
�Jaeri Suh ‘21
Enuma
Berkeley, California
It was a random lazy day in the 2020 spring break of my junior
year. After two weeks of lockdown due to the Covid outbreak, I
was suffering from boredom and surfing the internet endlessly
as usual. And, all of a sudden, the Youtube algorithm
recommended I watch the interview of the female mobileapplication startup CEO in Silicon Valley. The title was The
Female leader who received a 5 billion prize from Elon Musk.
“Hmm, interesting,” I murmured and I clicked the video. And
that same day, I announced to my roommates at the dinner
table that I’m going to work at her company, Enuma, after my
graduation.
And guess what, a year later, my dream has come true!
This summer I worked as a product manager intern for ten
weeks at Enuma, an edu-tech mobile application company in
Silicon valley. To briefly introduce our company, Enuma’s
name has originated from the word “enumerate”, which
contains our vision: to provide each and every child
opportunities for the best education regardless of their circumstances through technology. We develop
gamification apps for children and currently over eight million children from all around the world are
using our apps to make learning Math and English easy and fun. Our company’s product is distinct from
any other education apps since we use gamification strategies for e-learning, which is the key of our
product.
During my internship, I assisted my mentor Mr. Park, a senior Product Manager, in launching a new
language learning application Todo Hangul (Korean) in the United States. Targeting Korean Americans
users, I have provided market research like demographics, and interviewed prospective users to find out
what’s the exact niche and difficulties of Korean parents to teach their children Korean language in the
U.S. By doing so, my ten weeks of internship were absolutely an eye-opening experience for me. I never
imagined that producing applications can be this difficult and challenging work. Great apps do not come
from a mere idea, but sophisticated data work, tons of research, and creative work from all the
passionate employees who share the same vision to provide the best educational app to children. Thus by
interacting with UX/UI designers, developers and marketers, I was fascinated to see the overarching
production of mobile applications.
Among all, the work that I enjoyed the most was creating illustrations and writing a storyboard to design
Todo Live class curricula and materials. (Todo Live is Enuma’s new online coaching service,
in the Todo English application.) I was very happy and proud of myself when I heard from Todo Live
English teachers that children who took the virtual English classes using my created materials had a very
fun time during the class. Working at Enuma was definitely the most fruitful internship I ever had.
Now, I have become a full-time assistant product manager at Enuma and I’m working towards the
successful Todo Hangul launch in the United States. While I really enjoy working at Enuma, my dream is
not only limited to producing educational mobile applications. My dream is to bring its edu- tech system
into Virtual Reality where I imagine students from all around the world gather together in virtual spaces.
In that way, only by having an accessible Virtual Reality device, I believe the better and comparable
education can be offered to students regardless of their circumstance. And I believe that the Enuma and
Hodson Internship program has offered me the best opportunity for me to get one step closer to my
dream and my career pursuit.
58
�Here are some Q&As:
Q1. How did I apply for my job?
Even since I dreamed of working at Enuma, I taught myself coding and graphic design from the second
semester of junior year through Youtube online lectures. While I was struggling so much understanding
even the basic concepts of computer programming languages, especially Python and Java, learning
design tools such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop was very fun and easy for me. I also found the
potential in me. Thus, to train myself better as a designer, I started to upload ten cuts of cartoons on
Instagram two times a week regularly.
And you might have heard of this quote, “you get better at doing it.” As I built up my cartoons’ episodes,
I found a talent in me that I can be a good designer and a storyteller. So with much confidence, I directly
emailed Ms. Lee, Enuma CEO, during the winter break of my senior year. (Though I did the hardcore
googling to find out her email address since it did not come out on their company’s website, yet I figured
it out eventually) Simply, I sent a cold email saying that I want to work as a summer intern there, and I
also attached my Instagram cartoon link as my portfolio. After two days, I got a reply back from her. She
introduced me to Mr. Park who is the Senior Product Manager at Enuma which led me to get interviews
with his team. He told me that he really enjoyed reading my cartoons and offered me an internship,
which eventually landed me a full-time job as an Assistant Product Manager after the internship. So, I
think my plan worked out well! :)
Through all these processes, I really could see how my St. John’s education has actually helped me.
Before, I used to complain that a “St. John's education is not practical.” However, now I realized that all
my strengths: independently teaching myself new skills, delivering my ideas effectively, and telling a
good story to people through cartoons are what I have actually trained for four years from the greatest
authors and philosophers at St. John’s. And all those skills we learned from St. John’s are what is
actually needed in the IT field!
Q2. What does the Product Manager do?
It really depends on which company you go to.
Though usually in a start-up company, the Product
manager does almost everything. From idea scratch
to final production of the application, you collaborate
with different teams and make every piece into one.
59
�Ece Nur Tuglu ‘21
Aksoy Law
Izmir, Turkey
From June 2021 to August 2021, I
successfully completed an internship
at Aksoy Law Firm, located in Izmir,
Turkey thanks to the generous
support of the Hodson Trust Fund.
This was the final internship I did as a
part of my undergraduate degree at
St. John’s College.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, my
experience at my internship has been
an unorthodox one. In my previous
internships, I went to the workplace
every day, interacted with other
interns and staff members face-toface, and had consistency in
scheduling. This internship, however,
was quite different in terms of the
logistics. My work at Aksoy Law Firm
started out online with me communicating with Mr. Aksoy via Zoom and Skype. Later, when I was able
to make it to Turkey, I got the opportunity to physically be in the office, which was followed by another
period of online work. Despite the conditions set forth due to the pandemic, I believe that I managed to
get the most out of my internship. Although the time period where I could be in the office physically
was brief, I did get to utilize tangible sources including case files and legal books while I was there. Of
course, doing online work most of the time meant that I got to interact with the staff less than I would
in an in-person setting, but I believe that this experience has taught me that you can still network
online, should things get worse and all work has to be online again.
During my time at Aksoy Law Firm, I worked closely with Mr. Kemal Aksoy himself, who is the owner
of the firm. He not only taught me important skills regarding legal workplace etiquette, but he also
provided me with technical knowledge too. My biggest concern, which I also shared with Mr. Aksoy
prior to starting my internship, was that I am not a law student, therefore I have almost no legal
knowledge, especially in the Turkish legal system. To address this concern, Mr. Aksoy first gave me
resources to study in order to be able to successfully do my assigned work. These resources included a
Turkish legal terminology textbook, and the official Turkish constitution. I think it’s important to
stress here that Turkey and the United States operate on different legal systems, therefore the
constitution I had to study for this internship is quite different than the U.S. one.
Upon learning more about the Turkish legal system, Mr. Aksoy had me write a research paper on the
different legal systems in the world, but mainly focusing on U.S. and Turkey. This research experience
has been invaluable for me, as Mr. Aksoy walked me through the aspects of legal research and
academic paper writing in legal fields. In addition to these main projects, which helped me start out
strong in terms of knowledge, I worked with Mr. Aksoy as almost a quasi-assistant on several cases he
is handling, and some light administrative work. This was also a great experience to have as I learned
just how much different types of work goes into doing legal research, and organizing case files, which
helped me think about my career goals once again.
A couple weeks before the end of my internship, my postgraduate plans were finalized, with me
officially committing to study at the London School of Economics and Political Science this upcoming
fall. Mr. Aksoy and I discussed my career plans in depth, on one of the days I got to be at the office
60
�physically. I had expressed my interest in working in an international setting to him before, and after
getting to know me more during the internship this summer, Mr. Aksoy offered to introduce me to one
of his clients, the head of HR at NATO Allied Land Command, which is conveniently located in Izmir,
Turkey, and which happens to be the branch of NATO I did research on during my previous Hodson
internship in 2019. The meeting went great, with me learning the job prospects, the application
processes, what steps I need to take in order to be able to work there in the future, and of course,
expanding my network. Overall, thanks to Mr. Aksoy, I was able to secure an in-person meeting with
the head of the HR department of a possible workplace for me in the future. He has not only been a
great internship supervisor and mentor, but has also been a crucial figure in my life career-goal wise.
In the end, upon completing this internship and committing to a graduate school at the same time, I
would say that my goals have definitely changed. Before I started working at Aksoy Law Firm, I was
sure that I wanted to pursue a law degree after I finished my master’s in international relations theory
and history. However, especially after learning how legal systems work, and how law firms handle
international matters as Aksoy Law Firm also specialized in international law, I have decided that it
would be a better idea to not pursue a law degree immediately. I will be looking for job opportunities
after my master’s degree, and re-think going to law school in a couple of years. I think for my life and
career goals, this is the best path.
61
�Heliotrope Vaughn ‘22
Reserve Capital Partners
Dallas, Texas
This summer I had a 10-week internship with Reserve
Capital Partners, a small company, that is part of a
vertically integrated group of commercial real estate
companies under the same ownership, all officed together.
Reserve Capital Partners dealt primarily with the property
management and landlord brokerage aspects. I began my
internship under a property manager and quickly expanded
my internship responsibilities to assisting other workers in
the office as well.
I helped the property managers by collecting proof of
insurance and a tax related form from all vendors. This
required that I find the contact information of the
correct department then ask for the documentation.
Often the two documents required that I contact
different departments within that same vendor’s
company. I then input the forms into an online
database for each individual vendor. I organized and
executed a tenant appreciation event; I selected a
vendor based on the budget and building profile. I then
worked with the marketing director to create event
awareness. I completed full cycle accounting for the
event. It was seen as a success and was very enjoyable
in both the planning and executing aspects of it. For the landlord representing the broker, I helped by
walking the spaces in advance and setting up the spaces in preparation for showings. I also performed
lease abstraction for the entire portfolio. The lease abstraction consisted of finding information in each
lease such as: holdover, additional A/C costs, CAM related numbers, renewal options, and other
information. Lease abstraction is important for both property managers and the brokers for the
building. It helps them, so they can glance at a tenant file and find the necessary information in a
matter of seconds rather than having to go through the whole lease. My education at St. John’s helped
me be prepared for abstracting leases. I was only given the desired categories of information to find in
the leases. I was able to use my critical thinking abilities, which I have strengthened at St. John’s, to
organize and find the pertinent information within the leases and organize such information in an easily
accessible manner. For tenant brokers I conducted market research, found viable options for clients,
contacted the landlord brokers of such properties, then combined the information together in an
aesthetically pleasing format for the tenant broker to present to the clients. For the accountant I
scanned in bills and checks then input them into the online database then filed the physical copies into
the appropriate file location.
I really liked how the company was small and quickly growing. It meant that all the team had to work
together and be flexible with gaining responsibilities and accepting when they needed to hand it down
to a new position. It meant that communication in the office had to be very strong so that they could
work together to set up processes that would continue to work as the companies continue to grow. It
also was nice because I was able to chat with just about everyone in the office about their role and ask
how they reached their current position. Since the company was so small everybody knew everybody’s
name and it was not uncommon to go to lunch with roughly 25% of the people in the office on a Friday.
The office manager also did a great job of making sure people had excuses to meet as she often
organized little events for the office. She made it festive for people’s birthdays and brought cookies for
my last day as a thank you.
62
�I most enjoyed helping the brokers with their work. Their work seemed like a nice mix of market
research and maintaining and creating relationships with others in the business. I least enjoyed helping
the accountant, she was friendly but assisting her role was very monotonous and did not require much
creativity. I moderately enjoyed helping the property managers, not because their work was
particularity enjoyable, rather they were very kind and caring people who were the most willing to teach
me and answer my questions. This internship confirmed my desire to begin my career in commercial
real-estate as a junior broker. I am now taking real-estate license classes online and will complete the
exam for my license by the end of spring break. One of the companies within the office may have a
position for me when I graduate so I will continue to be in contact with them. If they do not, I hope to
work for a company with a similarly friendly and inviting environment.
63
�Jordan West-Guzman ‘22
Maryland Office of the Public Defender-Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
This summer I was lucky enough to intern for Heather Tierney,
who is a Circuit Court lawyer for the Office of the Public Defender.
Heather works for District seven, Anne Arundel County, which is
only a five-minute drive from campus. Better yet, the Anne
Arundel County Circuit Court Courthouse is only a few blocks
from campus. From the beginning Heather had us jump right into
the work. Instead of meeting Heather at her office for my first day,
we met at the courthouse, where I would spend a large amount of
time this summer. When we met, Heather mentioned she had
Drug Court. With it being my first day, I had no idea what Drug
Court was. I came to find out Drug Court is a specialized court that
target Defendants who have alcohol and other drug dependency
problems. The goal of this program is to help restore the
Defendant as a productive, non-criminal member of society.
Instead of sending a Defendant to jail, this program would allow them to get the treatment that they
need. That day, Heather was representing four different clients. Three of the four clients were in jail
and had to be escorted by a bailiff to the courtroom. During these meetings, Heather, along with the
Defendant, a State’s Attorney, a probation officer, case managers, and the judge would all discuss the
best plan for the Defendant to seek treatment. This usually meant that a case manager would get in
contact with a Rehab program and secure a bed for the Defendant. Once that happened the Defendant
would be transported from jail to a rehab program. After the meetings, Heather mentioned that the
following morning she had to meet one of her clients at Jennifer Road Detention Center and asked if I
would want to join. I said of course! Heather asked to meet at her office at 9:00 am to go over what she
wanted to talk to her client about. The next morning, I met Heather at the office. When I came in,
Heather went over why we had to meet with this client. As I sat down Heather handed me a file. While
holding the file, Heather mentioned that the trial was coming up and we had to go and get the
Defendant’s side of the story. When we went to visit the client, Heather asked questions and I was
there to write down the answers. Trial was about a month and a half out and Heather had to prepare.
When we left Jennifer Road Detention Center, we made our way back to the office. When we got back
to the office, Heather and I sat down to go over the story of what our client told us and the story that is
in the police report. St. John’s invites students to ask questions of all kinds about many different
topics. The goal of the student, in my opinion, is to learn how to ask the right type of questions. I am
not saying I know how to ask the right type of questions, but I do know how to ask them. Just like a
mathematical proposition, I found myself outlining the basic structure of the alleged crime. When
something didn’t make sense or add up, I made a question of it. These questions show themselves to be
helpful when it comes to the defense strategy. Most of the summer was spent preparing for different
trials, like the one I have mentioned above. Being that Heather is a defense lawyer, it is not on her to
prove the burden of guilt, but the state’s. Heather must poke holes in the state’s version of events.
These holes or gaps can help show that one person’s story is not the truth of an event or crime. The
state must also prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. I have come to learn that “beyond a reasonable
doubt” is a loaded term and would take more time than I have to explain.
As I look back on my summer, I am grateful and fulfilled by the work that I was able to do. I find the
work intellectually engaging and the office environment collaborative. This internship has allowed me
to see that law is something I would like to further pursue. I believe criminal defense is important and
the Office of Public Defenders does important work that does not get enough credit. My view of crime
before this internship was that there are good people and bad people, but now I see that, there is no
need to judge people in that way, because like Bryan Stevenson says, “Each of us is more than the
worst thing that we’ve done.”
64
�Tessa Wild ‘23
Maryland Office of Public Defense,
District Court of the Office of Public Defender
Annapolis, Maryland
This summer, I interned in-person at the Maryland Office of
Public Defense in Annapolis. For a little over two months, I
was able to work closely with an incredible team of public
defenders. While there, I assisted each attorney with their
caseload in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to):
assisting with case investigation, assisting with file
preparation (including downloading and digesting MVA
records and discovery), assisting with interviewing
witnesses and clients, attending and taking notes on trials,
assisting with administrative legal tasks such as keeping
edefender (an OPD database system) up to date with recent
cases, reviewing audio recordings and body camera
evidence for clients’ trials, and completing a great deal of
legal research. I was incredibly lucky to be able to work inperson at the OPD this summer, which I think added a great
deal to my overall experience—being able to observe, in real
time, the day-to-day activities of a public defender, which
are often hectic and complicated, gave me immeasurable
insight into what a career in law could actually look like for
me. Both my academic and career goals have been solidified
through my participation in this internship—I’d always
thought that I might be interested in law and/or law school, but having completed this internship, I
am certain. I can really see myself working in law in some capacity or another, and I can only imagine
that law school, though challenging, will present the same opportunities for examining the fascinating
and relevant issues which I was able to examine during this internship.
While in the office, I made what I consider to be meaningful and lasting professional connections with
each of the attorneys. The interpersonal dynamics of the OPD were always jovial and kind despite a
difficult caseload, and I grew over the summer to truly look up, both personally and professionally, to
the men and women I was working with. Law is often seen, I think, as a cold and emotionless
profession, but I can say (at least of the OPD) that that is far from true. The people I was lucky enough
to work with this summer were each considerate, driven, and highly ethical people, who practiced law
with all of the heart and gumption which it requires. I can only hope that in the future my workplaces
are filled with people who believe as strongly in their professions.
Even if it turns out, by virtue of my location, that this specific office is not an option as a future
workplace for me, another public defender’s office certainly is. I can definitely see myself following
public defense as a profession, and I feel confident that the connections I made with the attorneys at
the Annapolis office of the OPD will provide me with excellent references in the future.
In summation, I feel incredibly lucky to have worked at the Maryland Office of Public Defense this
summer. The experience was a wonderful one, and has helped me clearly define a career path I can see
myself thriving in. Without the Hodson fund, I would not have been financially able to work at the
OPD, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity with which I was provided by St. John’s.
65
�Ersin Yucel ‘24
Torku, Konya Seker Factory
Konya, Turkey
My internship was in the field of economics and
business in Torku, which was founded in 2007
by the Konya Seker factory. Konya Seker factory
is a producers’ cooperative, and it has one-fourth
of existing sugar production in Turkey. The
company exports many food and beverage
products to 91 countries, and it is also in the top
three among the Anatolian companies, which
have increased its exports the most.
During my internship, I had a chance to
experience the work of various departments such
as the accounting, finance, and export
departments. Seeing the differences between the
departments helped me to realize in what
environment I would be happier to work.
The work of the accounting and finance
departments is based on personal tasks. They
spend most of their time working on SAP, which
is an enterprise resource planning software,
individually. The office staff and I made out invoices and uploaded them to SAP in the accounting
department. We also worked on cost study, pricing, tax treatments, and control of payments. We
created daily income and expense statements, made payments regarding these statements, and
controlled the bank balance based on our data on SAP in the finance department.
Unlike the accounting and finance departments, interpersonal communication is more important in
the export department. The office staff keeps in touch with the customers to be able to have up-to-date
information about the export regulations. Besides that, the cultures and lifestyles of customers affect
the marketing strategies, product range, and advertisements. Therefore, the office staff has a closer
relationship with the customers rather than a business relation.
I liked the work environment of the export department better because I realized that I would be
happier to work in an environment where I can work collaboratively. I enjoy learning from others and
sharing my experiences with them. Working in an area that requires continuous self-development and
adaptation to the changing conditions will be helpful for me to improve myself. Also, I love learning
about new cultures and meeting new people. Therefore, I may work in an environment where human
relations are part of the task.
Good communication between colleagues is as important as customer relations. The interpersonal
dynamics in our office were great. The office staff and managers were quite sincere, kind, and friendly.
They helped me a lot to learn even the tiniest details of the work. They shared their previous
experiences in the field and explained to me the differences between the work styles of companies. I
was surprised by the fact that companies in the same country and maybe even in the same city might
have very different company structures. For instance, a systematical difference between the machines
that are used by different companies may affect the production rate, production volume, number of
employees, and time of work shift. These also affect the production planning and the work style of the
company staff. Thus, one should be prepared for the differences between the company structures.
Learning the company structures helped me to understand the expectations of employers in economics
and business. Since this field is competitive, company owners prefer to work with people who can make
66
�a difference in the benefit of the company. Open-minded people who are good at interpreting statistics
and making realistic judgments about the future can be very successful. Besides that, the network is
crucial to be able to achieve one’s goals in economics and business. Both business opportunities and
customer portfolios are directly related to one’s business connections. Thus, I am glad that I had a
chance to develop a significant professional network in Torku.
I consider myself lucky for interning in Torku also because I was able to observe the strategies of a
company that overcame unexpected problems and the economic crisis due to the pandemic. Torku’s
success under these hard conditions depends on their ability to adapt to the changing situations and to
make the right decisions based on quick but valid judgments. Similarly, being able to approach a
situation with several perspectives and achieving the optimum consequences is the key to the success in
the competitive environment of economics and business. In this sense, my studies at St. John’s College
are helpful for me to educate myself for a career in economics and business.
Although I haven’t had courses in economics and business, I believe my work at St. John’s College was
crucial in carrying out my internship. The particular reason for the circumstance is that the desire to
learn and the habit of questioning the reasons of what we are doing I developed at St. John’s College
were helpful for me to be adapted to the task of my internship very quickly. My habit of considering a
task from various perspectives as a Johnnie helped me a lot to fulfill my responsibilities successfully.
Besides that, the office staff was happy that I was sharing and explaining my ideas confidently. I was
told that people who have worked in a specific field for a long time may miss some basic but crucial
details that may be seen by someone new to the field.
Lastly, my internship was a great experience for me to realize my strengths and weaknesses. St. John’s
college offers a unique academic experience, and this is a great advantage for students who are
planning to continue their studies in competitive fields. Our curriculum and class structure encourage
Johnnies to observe their self-development. This habit distinguishes Johnnies from others and leads
them to success. Still, I think it might be helpful to have a specific education in the field that one would
like to work. Making research, taking courses, and having internships are crucial in terms of having
experience and getting familiar with the field.
67
�Mana Yumi ‘22
Beyond Global, Pte., Ltd.
Singapore
Mana is pictured in the top row, center.
I worked for a human resources
consulting firm called Beyond Global
Pte. At first, I was expected to work at
the Singapore office where it’s
headquarters are located, but I ended
up working all online from my home
country, Japan. Despite the
disappointment I had in the beginning,
due to not being able to work in Singapore, the experience at Beyond Global turned out to be full of
meaningful moments with my wonderful colleagues.
During the internship, I worked for the HRC team which stands for Human Resources Consulting. This
team is the key department of the company. They create new HR systems and facilitate the introduction
of new HR systems to the company. Thus, I found it very exciting to be a part of such a crucial team.
I usually started working at 10:00 am to be in the same time zone as Singapore. I was connected to my
colleagues through several online communication apps such as slack and pragli. Thanks to this, I never
felt lonely from working all by myself. We had meetings on Mondays and Fridays. I enjoyed these
meetings as there was usually limited communication between my colleagues and I due to the distance.
For other days, I set myself several goals first thing in the morning and tried to get them done as much
as possible. Whenever I was confused, I was able to reach out to my supervisor who was available for
most of the time.
In this team, I was responsible for two big projects. One of them was to create materials for a client
meeting which was for a new HR system that was recently introduced to them. In order to create
materials for this meeting, I needed to learn some basic HR structures and technical terms by myself. I
also attended client meetings multiple times besides creating material. It made me realize the
importance of the materials I was working on, and thus I appreciated my supervisors for letting me
have such a precious experience in a real business scene.
The learning experience at St. John’s has a lot to do with my successful internship experience—such as
strengthening my ability to think. Especially, I am confident that the rigorous essay writing experiences
at St. John’s have trained me to observe all kinds of phenomena and articulate my thoughts with my
own words even when I was unfamiliar with the topic. I do think that my observation and articulation
skills have not only helped me at my internship but also certainly helped me grow. For example, it was
mandatory to write an intern review at the end of the day. There, I was able to precisely describe what I
was confused about, how the confusion arose and how to solve the problem. This continual process of
trying, failing, and reviewing made each failing experience more meaningful and a positive one.
Since I worked online, my workplace was my home. However, I loved how easy it was to communicate
with my colleagues through various online communication apps. Saying hi to my colleagues first in the
morning, setting up an intern lunch party, having a chat about our daily lives really made my internship
experience enjoyable and lively. Thus, I hope to find a similar working environment in the future where
the company has a spirit of caring for others and encourages employees to make others happy
regardless the rigorousness of the daily tasks. I am grateful for my colleagues for providing me with this
experience, and of course, for the Hodson Trust and my friends for making this experience possible.
68
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Career Development Office—Annapolis
Description
An account of the resource
Career Development Office (Annapolis) publications including Hodson Internship Reports and Pathways Fellowship Reports.
Click on Items in the Career Development Office Collection to view and sort all items in the collection.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
69 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Hodson Internship reports, 2021
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of Hodson Internship reports from summer 2021.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Interns--United States
Internship programs--United States
Experiential learning
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
HodsonInternshipReports_2021
Internships
Publication
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/8aa0485da29c6b0de69e815a3d3aa288.pdf
0e69aa94ec4bba6a5cb43c7d0a84de6d
PDF Text
Text
Hodson
Internship
Reports
Summer 2020
Annapolis, Maryland
�Hodson Internship Reports
Summer 2020
Table of Contents
Page
Overview of Hodson Internship Projects
3
Tbel Abuseridze ‘20
6
National Geographic Magazine-Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
Yoonkyoung Choh ’20
7
Korea Startup Forum, Seoul, South Korea
Francisco Contreras ‘20
9
Polycentric Learning Group, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Julia Cooper ‘20
10
Timberman Beverly Productions, Los Angeles, CA
Sophia Cote ’21
11
Kenneth Milton Fine Arts, Chestertown, MD
Ava Cusey ’22
12
American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC
Austin Dumas ’21
13
NASA NIAC Program, Washington, DC
Caleb Dutton ’21
15
American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA
Rachel Gordon ’21
16
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), Edgewater, MD
Ellie Gott ’21
17
The Light House, Inc., Annapolis, MD
Samuel Hage GI’20
18
Key School, Annapolis, MD
Allegra Hall ‘22
19
Elan Productions, Annapolis, MD
Isabella Hougie ’22
21
Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Annapolis Office, Annapolis, MD
1
�Su Karagoz ‘20
22
New York University Press, New York, NY
Yufei “Chris” Liu ’22
23
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Multiple Sclerosis and
Neuroimmunology Center, Washington, DC
Micalah Miller ’22
24
Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Annapolis Office, Annapolis, MD
Will Payne ’22
25
Smithsonian Folklife Rinzler Archives, Washington, DC
Jessica Peterson ’21
27
City of Kansas City, Missouri Dept. of Planning and Development, Kansas City, MO
Wilson Redfield ’21
28
Historic Annapolis Foundation, Annapolis, MD
Nicholas Thorp ’20
29
East Oaks Studio, Cary, NC
Anurag Upadhyaya ’21
30
Vidyarthi Pustak Bhandar, Kathmandu, Nepal
2
�Overview of the 2020 Hodson Internship Awards
Tbel Abuseridze ’20, National Geographic Magazine, Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
Work as a science/culture reporter and photographer on the magazine’s electronic platform; shoot or
select images for his own stories while reporting directly to the Editor-in-Chief.
Yoonkyoung Choh ’20, Korea Startup Forum, Seoul, South Korea
Support the director of policy by studying the situation of startup businesses in Korea through
comparison with other countries’ startups; organize data; research foreign cases; and attend meetings
while preparing the conference hall and meeting documents and providing meeting summaries.
Francisco Contreras ’20, Polycentric Learning Group, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Design and implement a training program of “Getting Things Done” (GTD) for fifty managers; edit and
revise Spanish translation of agile management practices; assist in training and help implement
“holacracy” management and organizational governance.
Julia Cooper ’20, Timberman Beverly Productions, Culver City, CA*
Conduct research and provide notes on scripts and book coverage; attend development and/or production
meetings; provide detailed notes on scripts in active development; and help with administrative duties.
Sophia Cote ’21, Kenneth Milton Fine Arts, Chestertown, MD
Learn how to examine a painting, identifying and describing its condition using terms used by
professional conservators; learn how to conduct tests and propose a treatment proposal; participate in
the actual cleaning of a painting.
Ava Cusey ’22, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC
Assist in the economic policy studies department with its strategic communications operations; maintain
department social media accounts; compile daily reports on important news stories and other economic
policy research; and assisting with department newsletters.
Austin Dumas ’21, NASA NIAC Program, Washington, DC**
Interview past NIAC Fellows to identify successes and failures to measure the effect and impact of the
program; summarize in a comprehensive report. In addition, review documents on the requirements for
radiation risk mitigation in a planned return to the Moon; examine the ability of current forecast tools to
meet timeliness requirements for astronauts to reach safe haven in active periods of solar activity.
Caleb Dutton ’21, American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA
Assist in maintaining production materials, marketing materials, and other items of interest in a center
designed to explore the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and
education; work with archives and scholars.
Rachel Gordon ’21, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), Edgewater, MD*
Conduct literature review and research; data analysis, modeling of existing data sets related to
coastal/estuarine acidification chemistry; analyses are designed to contribute to a larger analysis of noncarbonate alkalinity in the Chesapeake Bay and its effects on acidification; co-author peer-reviewed article.
Ellie Gott ’21, The Light House Inc., Annapolis, MD
Work with the on-site Safe Harbour Resource Center, greeting at-risk populations currently
experiencing homelessness with referrals to in-house services; track data, collaborate with the workforce
development team; participate in public outreach, volunteer coordination, and admin assistance.
3
�Samuel Hage, GI’20, The Key School, Annapolis, MD
Assistant teach ninth-grade classes studying ancient and medieval literature, history, and
philosophy; work with student on reading and writing skills in the Writing Center; support
teachers with grading and quizzes.
Allegra Hall ’22, Elan Productions, Annapolis, MD
Learn and practice in areas of arts management including strategic planning, program development
and assessment, relationship building, financial management, marketing, box office management,
and leadership training.
Isabella Hougie ’22: Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Annapolis Office,
Annapolis, MD
Work closely with the Assistant Public Defender in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court; attend
court to observe proceedings involving felony criminal cases such status conference motions, hearings,
and trials; accompany attorney to the jails to conduct legal visits with clients.
Anton Kalmysh ’20, MZ Wallace, Inc., New York, NY
Work with the Ecommerce Coordinator and digital team to support and execute MZ Wallace’s ecommerce and customer experience strategies; help create a brand experience that engages
consumers, solidifies communication, and drives conversion and sales; and research and provide
reporting on current topics in UX, including but not limited to risks and opportunities, the
competitive landscape, and ecommerce trends. Please note: this internship began in Fall 2020.
Su Karagoz ’20, The New York University Press, New York, NY
Write press releases for forthcoming titles; create ad and direct mail copy; design simple ads and
fliers; solicit blog entries from authors; and identify and correct errors in data creation and
dissemination.
Zachary Leveroni ’22, University of Chicago, Department of Psychology, Chicago, IL*
Obtain a deeper understanding of research and operations in a neuroscience laboratory; gain an
understanding in using a model organism for neuroscience research; become competent in general
scientific research methodologies; support the management of the animal colony; be proactive in
researching relevant literature and techniques; participate in lab meetings and discussions. Please
note: this internship began in Fall 2020.
Yufei “Chris” Liu ’22, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Multiple Sclerosis
and Neuroimmunology Center, Washington, DC*
Coordinate educational seminars targeting newly diagnosed MS patients; help to develop
educational content related to MS; shadow neurologists; assist the research team with clinical
trials.
Jameson Marshall ’20, Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of
Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Investigate allegations of suspected violations of Federal criminal statutes in the District of
Maryland, including death eligible cases. Please note: this internship began in Fall 2020.
Micalah Miller ’22, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Annapolis Office,
Annapolis, MD
Assist the Public Defender with her caseload; attend court to observe the Anne Arundel County
Adult Circuit Drug Court and all proceedings involving felony criminal cases; review discovery and
offer briefs on the cases; learn issue spotting; draft potential pre-trial and post-trial motions; and
perform legal research.
4
�William Payne ’22, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Center for Folklife Cultural
Heritage, Washington, DC
Assist director of Web and IT with daily operations related to the management of the website and
digital collection; digitize images; scan archival documents; encode audio and video; enter meta
data; and contribute written content for website.
Jessica Peterson ’21, City of Kansas City, Missouri, Department of Planning and
Development, Kansas City, MO
Assist with updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan; perform research related to current planning;
and assist with development case review.
Wilson Redfield ’21, Historic Annapolis Foundation, Annapolis, MD
Assist with the planning, promotion and execution of special fundraising events, including building
and maintaining relationships with local media; assist in marketing through social media channels;
build and maintain press kits; write and distribute press releases and advertising copy.
Nicholas Thorp ’20, East Oaks Studio, Cary, NC
Provide support in project management, including film and live-stream production and editing;
participate in client relations and marketing, event-planning, grant writing and fundraising, and
film production; work on event/art exhibitions and planning.
Anurag Upadhyaya ’21, Vidhyarthi Pustak Bhandar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Act as an assistant editor assigned to proofreading, critically commenting on writings;
communicating with authors; and administrative communications within the publication.
*Hosted or funded by a SJC alumnus/a
Please note:
Due to changes brought about by COVID-19 at some internship sites, 17 students awarded Hodson
funding were offered alternatives. Five Hodson awardees participated in coursework through Pathways
and twelve awardees have deferred their Hodson funding to fall 2020 (class of 2020 only) or summer
2021.
5
�Tbel Abuseridze ‘20
National Geographic Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
It has always been my dream to work with
NatGeo and I always thought I could only achieve it
after some years of my photography career. But
this summer I was lucky to secure an internship at
National Geographic Georgia, as a photojournalist.
Since my favorite genre of photography has become
people and culture, this place is exactly where I
wanted to be and, hopefully, it is where I belong.
Even though the world went remote due to the Covid-19 pandemic, my job as a photographer was to
work remotely anyway. The beautiful part about this internship was that I got to travel around
Georgia to gather stories of people and write about them. Alongside photojournalistic activities, I
also did some office work like translating stories from English to Georgian for the local reader and
write “Retros” for the journal (gathering information about a certain person/story and writing a
short paragraph about it). At first, it was a bit tough to get to know my co-workers since we were
very afraid of the pandemic, but after some time as the situation became more manageable (for
Georgia, at least; we have handled the first wave very well) we slowly started to meet in our office,
with all precautions of course.
After we started to meet up, we started actively talking about our future plans and what we could
potentially do not only with my projects, but also for our social media and the company in a
nutshell. This is where my SJC experience came in handy. This is where my SJC experience always
comes in handy. I believe that the creativity I’ve acquired at SJC is the most important skill
alongside the ability to engage in dialectics with another person. Asking the right questions and
observing minute details has helped me and my co-workers to further the work at the company.
What I think is the most important help from St. John’s in my personal work is that I was able to
write and think about certain topics in a slightly different way. Looking for stories among people is like
looking for a topic from a book for annual essays. Listening to what people told me, I could then pinpoint
a specific question which then became the subject of inquiry. For four years, thinking about human
nature (our happiness, suffering, sorrow, etc.) made it more interesting to look at other people’s
perspectives about the world around us. Hence, my projects include more human stories which is exactly
what The National Geographic was asking me to do. Writing essays at SJC was an immense help.
The environment at NatGeo was fantastic. Everybody was friendly and supportive all the time.
Especially my mentor. She has taught me many things with regards to writing and photography, but
most of all I learned a lot of life lessons that helped me grow not just as a worker, but as a person
too. Natia is a great mentor and a friend and she never hesitated to pinpoint my mistakes while
providing solutions to help me with those problems. Working at NatGeo was a wonderful ride this
summer as I was given full freedom to choose topics of my fancy. I never felt restricted in what I was
doing. Most projects I had in my mind were welcomed.
The only downside was the pandemic. Working for a project means that I have to spend more
time with it than I thought I would have. One project can last for weeks because I have to repeatedly
visit the site I am working on to photograph it properly. This is the difference between this kind of
journalism and “news journalism” for instance. Hence, it was hard to be consistent with my projects
because the places I’ve been visiting have been locked down, then reopened and locked down again.
It really messed up my workflow. Marketplaces I’ve been photographing became empty and as I am
writing this, the marketplace I am currently working on is going to be shut down too (new cases of
the virus). But I hope I can work on them in the near future. I believe that after the internship is
done completely, I will be able to work for the company. Even if I don’t get a job there, I know that I
am always welcome to make projects and write for them at any time.
6
�Yoonkyoung Choh ‘20
Korea Startup Forum
Seoul, South Korea
I was thinking about whether I should go to
graduate school right after I graduate from St.
John’s College or if I should work in a field
that I am interested in? My decision was
helped when I won Hodson funding and got
an internship from Korea Startup Forum. I
could try out the workplace exactly where I
want to be because of the funding. I did not
need to think about financial problems during
the internship and the company hired me
without a financial burden. Therefore, I was
able to work at Korea Startup Forum, an ideal place to learn the environment of the startup field.
KSF, Korea Startup Forum, is technically not a forum but an association. Currently, KSF has
more than 1,500 startups as their members. KSF provides legal advice to the new startups and
represents the startups’ voice against the government’s regulations. On the one hand, Korea is tied
with Germany as the 6th largest country that has a lot of Unicorns—a unicorn is a term in the
business world to indicate a privately held startup company with values at over $1 billion. On the
other hand, Koreans often complain that because Korea has so many regulations, they cannot grow
as US or China can. I wanted to know more about the type of regulations that are applied to
companies that make it hard to grow and wondered if the regulations really need to be removed. I
thought KSF is the best place to see the big picture of the startup environment.
I was worried to be an employee because I didn’t have any previous work experience at all. But
since I had studied in the US, they asked me to research foreign countries’ startup regulations.
There is a “net neutrality” problem that every county is facing. It becomes a very important issue
because net is crucial in the 4th industry. The techniques of autonomous cars and remote medical
treatment and surgery will use the network. So, it is important for companies to keep the net usage
fee neutral. I have been researching the foreign cases of net neutrality policy. Trump has removed
the net neutrality and the EU has released guidelines about how to keep net neutrality and
transparency of network providers. Another issue that I have dealt with is the app commission that
a company has to pay to Apple when it wants to put an app in the Appstore. Apple and Google get
30% of the commission. This is a crucial policy to small startup companies who are dependent on
applications. Other than research about big issues in the startup field all over the world, I was able
to participate in many of the meetings. Because I was working in a policy department, my
supervisor went to a lot of meetings that were held in the national assembly and she attended a lot
of forums to provide a voice for the startup’s position.
I learned how to use my voice effectively and how to persuade people who have different ideas.
Lastly, I visited actual startup companies to find out more about the kinds of issues they have. It
was such a good experience to know the field. KSF has provided me with the experience of both
doing research and listening to the voice of startups.
I was not sure how my experience at St. John’s would help me at work. Especially as Startup is
all about new technology and running businesses and dealing with government regulations about
policy. I thought my experience of reading classics and discussing them was not linked to my new
work in KSF. What I learned at St. John’s College, however, is not just knowledge of classics, but
that I could confidently present my opinions and questions. In fact, my supervisor asked me about
my personal opinion, not the startup's position, so that she could create a startup’s voice that is not
7
�biased toward one side. We want to know that KSF's voice is not just beneficial for startup
businesses, but that it could have a positive impact on society as a whole too.
I can say that the ten-week internship made me a better person and has increased my curiosity
about the world. In KSF, I learned how the world is changing. Start-ups are weak compared to big
companies. Start-ups, however, are places that present innovative ideas that make the world more
convenient. I think observing what start-ups are doing is the best tool to see how much technology
is developing on the front line of change in the world. It is rewarding to bring their voices to the
public; they have brilliant ideas but cannot deal with the government and are buried by large
corporations. Previously, I thought that the way to know justice was to study politics in school. But
after an internship, I think I should put myself in the field to learn more. However, I can still aim to
take a graduate program when I feel I am lacking in academic knowledge. However, unlike in the
past when I thought I would do my master's degree right after I finished my academic studies, now
I want to gain more work experience.
The best part of the work environment in KSF was the people. My supervisor trusts the
employees and she believes that they work hard while she takes care of them. That is why I could
work freely, and the employees enjoy working with the boss. My supervisor has created an
atmosphere where everyone can talk comfortably about anything together, like friends. I was so
thankful to my co-workers who tried to teach me as much as possible. Those were the elements that
I would like to repeat in my future employment.
Thankfully, I have a chance to work longer by extending my contract right after my internship. I
am proud that my supervisor has recognized my ability and I am glad that I was helpful.
8
�Francisco Contreras ‘20
Polycentric Learning Group
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Francisco is pictured on the top right.
My Hodson internship with the Polycentric Learning Group was a lesson in adaptability and
persistence. The internship was meant to take place in Guatemala City, and the purchase of plane
tickets and hotel reservations corroborated that. But the world had other plans. The worldwide health
pandemic changed my travel plans a few times, lost some of PLG's most important clients, and
redefined everyone’s tasks and roles at the organization.
Though I was flanked by chaos and uncertainty in my personal life, my daily remote work with
the organization was a haven from the storm. I worked directly with Albert Loan, founder of the
Polycentric Group, and Luis Fernando, a Santa Fe Johnnie who was also an intern. The three of us
formed a great team. At least three times a week we held Zoom meetings that would often last the
whole day and continue well into the evening. At these meetings, we would analyze the past,
present. and future of the Polycentric Learning Group. We brainstormed what direction to take and
how, we read relevant texts that were the foundation of the organization, and assigned tasks that
would turn these ideas into reality.
The rest of the time we worked on the tasks assigned at the meetings. My first task was the
transcription and subtitling of some training videos. My concurrent task was adding to the shared
documents that formed the bases of PLG's next project, an online liberal arts training program.
My St. John's education was essential for my work, especially this last task. In order to add to
the documents, I had to synthesize vast amounts of very complex texts, often philosophical and
sometimes technical. I had to read authors ranging from Michael Oakeshott to Michael Polanyi, to
Ludwig Von Mises. Our “magnum opus” at the internship was a chart of meta-questions that will
become the foundation of PLG’s online program. The whole team was proud of this great
accomplishment, and the two Johnnies could see our education represented in the chart.
I tried to perform as best I could. While I think I produced very good work, I was at times
distracted by the uncertainty and pain of the current world pandemic. Albert was very gracious and
always willing to meet and strategize on how to keep focused and healthy. I could not have faced
this time without the support of this great team; I only wish they could have seen me at my best.
Nonetheless, I leave my internship with great friends, a mentor, and future collaborators.
9
�Julia Cooper ‘20
Timberman Beverly Productions
Culver City, California
Funded in honor of Jodie Lee Adams
Interning online for the Production
Company was quite different than it might have
gone if it were in person. Had we been in
person, we might have had the opportunity to
visit writers room discussions, participate in
meetings with other producers and writers, and
many others. Being remote, however, had its
advantages as well! It gave me more opportunities to focus on the tasks at hand with more energy
and time. My reports and research were more in depth, and my online and zoom interactions were
more concise, detailed, and to the point. I also was able to spend more of my time reading and
watching shows scouting out for actors, directors, and writers. I was also able to get more focused
time with the other interns and producers, who were then able to help guide me in the ways of the
business, and teach me about the process through which a television show goes, especially in these
changing times. I feel that working remotely will help me adapt more quickly to changing
circumstances, and take advantage of all the time I do have. Time management is key!
My work at St. John’s helped a ton! The skills I have developed throughout my four years of
communication, and deliberation with my reading and writing were incredibly useful when
conducting research for new shows, looking for more meaning in the stories, and communicating
what was meaningful to me, with those around me. I feel very well prepared especially for the
content of what we were doing, even though I did not get to see my coworkers as often as I might
have liked. I felt no anxiety about the changing of the circumstances, and was able to do much
more with the time I had.
I really enjoyed my coworkers who were available, friendly, and relatable. They were all
enthusiastic to help, and I could see myself working with them in the future. I suppose the thing I
liked least was being unable to network and share my ideas more quickly with my coworkers. Not
being in an office meant that I couldn’t chat about our projects with the others in the office, and
some of the producers I hardly ever got to speak to. The silver lining, however, was that these
circumstances made me more deliberate with what I did want to share and say, and I was able to
solve problems on my own that I might have otherwise reached out for.
I would love to spend more time focused in this industry, and I think that this was a
direction I was already moving towards at the beginning of the summer. If anything, I feel more
confident with my decision, and motivated about pursuing my passions, even if that means taking
on more things at once. I have also learned that working with people that you like is key. I find it
really important to have a comfortable work environment with others who I can relate to as well as
move forward with. This inspires creativity and problem solving. It also means I can surround
myself with others like me and we can work together in our future endeavors and I love this idea.
Hopefully this internship could turn into future employment! I will continue reaching out and
making myself available if they have a job opening in the future.
10
�Sophia Cote ‘21
Kenneth Milton Fine Arts
Chestertown, Maryland
For my Hodson Summer Internship, I worked directly
under Kenneth Milton, a life-long art conservator. I was lucky
enough to be able to complete my internship in-person in his
studio, rather than online, as many of my peers had to do. My
time was spent quietly working alongside Mr. Milton and
gaining a practical, hands-on understanding of the
foundations of art conservation. I assisted Mr. Milton in
every step of conserving a piece. First we would assess the
painting and its chemical makeup to determine the best
chemicals to use for cleaning, then using them to remove
decades of old varnish and dirt off of the painting. Next, if the
piece was particularly warped, cracked, or otherwise
damaged, we would prepare the surface with facing, remove
it from the stretcher, and use a heated vacuum-sealed table to
soften the paint and smooth out the surface. If needed, we
would re-line the piece before returning it to the stretcher. The final step was to end-paint over any
areas where paint was missing or damaged, and finally to coat the piece in a fresh layer of varnish.
Since the work at hand depended so heavily on the needs of the individual painting, there were of
course many other techniques I became acquainted with—and in addition to working on the
paintings themselves, I assisted Mr. Milton in administrative matters.
I like to think that at St. John’s, we have the unique opportunity to practice philosophy rather
than just learn about it. During the course of my internship, I was able to learn the theories behind
methods of conservation through practice and experience, rather than learning them exclusively in
the abstract. I found that while conservation is a very physical endeavor, it is still full of
philosophical questions. Conservation can, in some cases, call into question the true nature of a
work of art; is the true form necessarily the original form, or do time and damage become as much
a part of the work as the original brushstrokes? If a painting changes drastically after restoration
(as in the case of Rembrandt's “The Mill”- when the centuries of discolored varnish were removed,
the sky changed from a dramatic, moody ochre to a pale, picturesque blue) does our previous
understanding of the painting become obsolete, or has the painting become something entirely
new? While I of course did not work on any Rembrandts this summer, thinking about these sorts of
questions did help me in learning how to make critical decisions regarding the process of
conserving or restoring a piece.
The workplace was quiet and contemplative, which I enjoyed. I was able to focus and work
carefully without distraction for long periods of time. I find that careful, meditative work is good
for my soul, and it is something I hope to be able to find in my future line of work. With every
painting I worked on, I gained a better appreciation for the rich life and history that each work of
art has, a better knowledge of the myriad of techniques utilized by artists throughout the centuries,
and a better understanding of what it means to see a project through from start to finish. Since I
plan to go into the art world after school, this new understanding was a welcome one. My only coworkers were Mr. Milton and his cat, Neo, who made for very fine company. There was very little
that I disliked, and I am very grateful to Mr. Milton for making an offer that I could potentially
work with him in the future.
11
�Ava Cusey ‘22
American Enterprise Institute
Washington, DC
Over the summer I worked as an intern at the American
Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC in a communications
role for the Economic and Health departments. During the
time I worked from June through August, the scholars in
those departments had an unexpected increase in their
workload due to Covid-19. The need for effective Covid-19
policy was concentrated almost entirely on those fields. I
was tasked with constructing social media posts for articles
and writing virtual event summaries for the website. I also
sent the department relevant daily news related to health
and economics and completed various data entry projects and reports.
My role required combing through output from AEI’s scholars as well as other think tanks and
various news sources. Because AEI doesn’t dictate what its scholars research and write, it was
valuable for me to gain an in depth understanding of which qualities cause an analyst to be hired
professionally. Even working remotely, I was given opportunities to make connections and work as
part of the team.
I enjoyed working at AEI not only because I gained experience in my field of interest, but also
because the conversations were free and open. The other interns participating in the program held
a wide range of political ideologies. We would often spend free time discussing various topics
including cancel culture, campus cultures, free markets and foreign policy in our group chat. These
discussions were completely organic and spontaneous, and every contribution was respectful and
carefully thought out. This productive approach to discussion was also prevalent in every webinar,
podcast, article, and panelist discussion produced by AEI, and seemed to be a central value of the
organization as a whole. In a time when partisan polarization is increasing, working at AEI
convinced me that it is possible to resist polarizing forces in the political sphere with a higher level
of intellectualism and integrity.
Due to covid-19, we were unable to have many interactions with the professional scholars in our
fields. Our supervisor informed us that before the decision was made to go online, our desks were
already picked out in a nearby space easily accessible for walk by conversations. The change was
disappointing to all of us, and I had been looking forward to meeting new scholars and interns
every day in the shared lunch room. The experience was still overwhelmingly worthwhile,
especially because every opportunity for connection was taken. My supervisor established daily
video calls to organize tasks into somewhat arbitrary, but oddly comforting hourly
schedules. Large zoom meetings were arranged for all of the interns and we had access to guest
speakers, question periods, and optional discussion groups for topics that interested us. We were
encouraged to take advantage of one on one resume review sessions with members of the hiring
team. We also had social opportunities that allowed for smaller, rotating breakout rooms with
interns working in other think tanks in DC.
I would welcome the opportunity to work for AEI again in the future. My goal is to eventually
become an economic analyst researching large trends. This specialization is quite broad and could
be applied to many organizations including private companies, lobbying firms, intelligence
agencies, and nonprofit policy think tanks. AEI has shown me how meaningful change can be
affected through independently funded, non-coercive policy analysis. This experience has replaced
a vague future plan with a more solidified understanding of what it means to work as a professional
Economist. This experience has heightened my enthusiasm for this career path.
12
�Austin Dumas ‘21
NASA NIAC Program
Washington, DC
Funded by a grant from Dr. Stephen Forman
My internship was with NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced
Concepts) and took place completely online. Normally, I would have
had to drive a few hours every few days to attend team meetings and
discuss everyone in the team’s work from that week. But instead, we
had the meetings from home. One of the things that I came to
discover is that many serendipitous happenings were missed out on.
People who may have not been associated directly with my work
might have been met and there may have been other opportunities or
relationships developed from them, but none of that was able to happen. But I found that even with
this drawback, the internship was still full of warmth and opportunity in the relationships I
developed with my mentors, the other members of the NIAC team, and the NIAC fellows.
NIAC’s role with respect to NASA is unique and open-minded. The NIAC team tries to fund
scientists to develop concepts that are of low technology readiness but are ground-breaking with
respect to their potential to innovate or change what was thought possible for space exploration. In this
way, NIAC acts as a jump-starter for many—in both a monetary and publicity sense. NIAC has paved
its way into being quite a reputable branch of NASA because the NIAC team has proven that
innovation is possible, not through one or two contributions of clever scientists, but a whole network of
contributions through hundreds of scientists in an interconnected benefit to the scientific community.
But Congress must be periodically re-convinced of NIAC’s positive and worthy impact in an economic
and scientific way. The main role of this internship was to interview NIAC fellows (scientists who were
awarded NIAC funding at some level) and record their progress over the past 10 years.
This is where my St. John’s education directly benefitted my capabilities. My mentor asked me to
create my own questions and set up my own schedule for interviews. I basically had to set up the
whole operation myself, with a little guidance from my mentor when needed. Had I not developed the
soft skills necessary for an independent approach through St. John’s, I may have been much less able
to think through how I was going to juggle all the variables at once. Asking pertinent questions is one
of the main practices of St. John’s, and that skill had shone through in the thoroughness with which I
was able to complete my tasks and stay on the same page with my mentors. I also had a second task
with another member of the NIAC team. So, St. John’s also ensured that I would be able handle the
pressure of being responsible for so much at once.
Some of the questions were about how their concept grew: how their concept ended up being infused
into the status quo, or how they ended up making their concept more technologically ready. Other
questions went into their social impact, such as how many students they took under their wing or worked
with, how many jobs were created if they started a company based off their NIAC study, or if they started
a university organization that focuses on researching their specialty. The interviews were incredible.
Every fellow was creative, kind, and enthusiastic, and their concepts really changed my understanding of
how quickly mankind’s capacity to investigate space will explode in the coming decades.
The second task was to help my other mentor in ensuring astronaut safety by creating a way to
reasonably estimate how much radiation exposure they would get under many different thicknesses of
shielding and many different intensities of Solar Particle Events (SPE’s) under certain amounts of time.
The main problem, very loosely, is this: there are many SPE’s that have been recorded, all of different
strengths. We must have a way to determine how much exposure an astronaut may get under a certain
strength SPE. But to do that, we must have a representative SPE that most likely will fit the SPE
strength that they are about to encounter. However, none of them in particular will be able to be that
representative. Many problems come out of this fact, including the problem of how thick the shielding
of our space infrastructure and vehicles ought to be. One flaw of having one SPE as representative can
13
�be exemplified in the following story. One NASA committee was mistakenly choosing one SPE as a
representative for design standards for the shielding of everything—the base, the rover, the suit, etc.
But the issue is that designing our things to prepare for one SPE only is tricky. If we do that, we may be
well prepared in the shielding of the base, but not at all prepared for the lunar rover shielding. So, the
astronaut would undergo much more radiation exposure than we can reasonably allow.
There is a health policy concerning how much radiation an astronaut is allowed to have under
certain periods of time. There is a life-time dose limit, a one-year dose limit, and a 30-day dose limit.
Part of the importance of this task is that, without a way to reasonably estimate radiation dose, the
astronaut can be over-exposed and have short-term effects that may delay or upset the mission. One
example is skin blistering. Exposure even below the 30-day dose limit may result in this, which would
prevent the astronaut from wearing their space suit for some time. So, part of my task was to
understand the real scope, subtilty, and importance of the problem. My first real task was to organize
quite a large chart of data which contained the radiation doses of astronauts under 10 different SPE’s,
with several different points of radiation exposure (immune system, skin, heart, etc.), under seven
different shielding thicknesses, just to name a few variables. I had to rearrange the data in Excel to
make it easily search-able for ease-of-access.
Then, my mentor taught me a new statistical way of comprehending the SPE data that would
end up allowing us to create a time-evolution model of radiation exposure during a representative
event. The new way of comprehending a “representative event” would no longer be any one event, but
a percentage grouping of the total events that reached a certain percent of dose limit under a certain
time. So, if we chose the 20th percentile group to be the representative, that is akin to saying that 20
percent of events we have measured will have reached all the dose limits at a sooner time, and 80
percent will have reached them at a later time. With this new way, we can say whether the upcoming
SPE will be within a certain percentile of the group, and so assess the probable strength and radiation
exposure of the astronaut. I had to work out for myself what the definition of a representative SPE
could be, and I had to have many Johnnie-like conversations with my mentor in order to understand
the complexity behind this new way of understanding a “representative event”.
The St. John’s mathematics and lab program had certainly prepared me for this kind of work.
Otherwise, I would not have the slightest clue what it means to come up with a definition worthy of
mathematical precision, nor would I have been able to speak on these things with a fraction of the
care and attention required to complete the task with someone. Once my mentor created a timeevolution Excel table, I had run as many iterations of data as I could so as to have the representative
event dose times and dose amounts recorded. That way, organizing the data would be the only thing
he would have had to do. This would have helped rid him of the most tedious part of the task, but the
internship ended before I was able to complete this last thing.
All in all, I would absolutely work for NIAC if I had no other plans. The team is made of
excellent people in every way. I felt at home within the first week, although I never physically met any
of them. Covid-19 was truly the only thing I disliked about the internship. There were of course many
moments of discomfort and doubt, but these were only steppingstones to feelings of confidence and
ease. At first, it was as if I didn’t believe the scientists or the NIAC team were even human. But every
one of them proved themselves to be welcoming, interesting, and fulfilled people. My academic and
career goals have changed because of my mentors. They gave me fantastic career advice and openmindedly accepted that I had more than one path to consider. I am planning on going into
government contracting now and going to the University of Maryland part time in order to get a
second bachelor’s in physics. The government job will enable financial security as well as allow me the
funding to conduct my own experiments from home. This way, I will not be bound to research along
the pre-determined lines of an organization. As great as organizations like NIAC are, interning with
them made me realize that sometimes scientists need to be self-starters. Even the most sci-fi
organizations like NIAC can feel restricted when it comes to what they will accept to be funded, and
some fellows I had interviewed were not able to continue their work for lack of funding. I don’t want
to get caught in the same trap, so it would be wise to take their examples as warnings.
14
�Caleb Dutton ‘21
American Shakespeare Center
Staunton, Virginia
This summer I worked as an archives intern with the education
department at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton,
Virginia. My project was to process a variety of Center
paraphernalia relating to play productions, education, and
administration dating back to the 1980’s. I also edited video files of
professional theatrical performances at Staunton’s Blackfriars
Playhouse and uploaded them to an online database designed for
educational purposes. Mostly, these were videos of entire plays
which were edited and packaged for viewing by students, but I
sometimes had to isolate snippets of individual scenes. During the last few weeks of my internship, I
critiqued several online college-level Shakespeare courses and wrote a report describing their
strengths and weaknesses, and why they would or would not appeal to me as a student.
Staunton has long been home to the American Shakespeare Center, so it was fortunate that my
internship was on-site. Most importantly, I got to get out of my parent’s house and experience living
by myself for the first time. I bought and cooked my meals and I was responsible for my own living
space. Staunton is located a considerable distance inland, so this was my first foray living away from
the ocean, as well as my first time living away from New England. I got around mostly by walking, so
I got to know the town and its people well. Becoming familiar with the unique characteristics of the
area made me feel that I was doing something new and getting out of my comfort zone.
More pertinent to my internship, my work was more engaging than it would have been if forced to
be remote. Being able to meet, work, and interact with people physically allowed for a more
comfortable and intimate work environment. I got to know my coworkers better and develop deeper
connections. Generally, there were three of us in the office on a given day, and I worked closely and
communicated with my supervisor each day. One day I was tasked with asking local businesses to put
up posters for upcoming shows. Almost all of them gladly accepted and I was able to explore the
town and meet many new people, making for one of the most pleasant experiences of my summer.
Being restricted to a remote internship would have rendered all these things impossible.
While I enjoyed being on-site, the internship itself wasn’t stimulating. My daily tasks felt
mundane and repetitive, although I was able to watch snippets of performances while working with
video files. Since my work didn’t require any deep thinking, I generally wasn’t able to apply skills I’ve
developed at St. John’s. When analyzing online courses for my last project, I did think about how I
would feel about them as a student. Still, this wasn’t intellectually demanding. Early in the
internship, I asked myself what the point was of saving so many insignificant papers and sorting
them all so carefully. A few weeks into the internship, my supervisor sent me an article about
archiving theatrical materials and how the study of them aids scholars, historians, acting companies,
and theatres themselves. Even though the internship lacked deep intellectual exploration, I did gain
an appreciation for the Center’s importance and understood that I was doing something meaningful
in the theatrical world.
While I learned valuable things during my summer, returning to the American Shakespeare
Center as an intern wouldn’t be my first choice. My time at St. John’s made me aware of my own
interest in deeper thinking and analysis of problems as opposed to work that is done just to move
on to the next job. Perhaps there are more fitting opportunities for me at the Center, but I would
first look elsewhere for new work. Before this summer, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to pursue as a
career, and I still don’t know for certain. However, I do know that I want to do something that will
challenge me and be intellectually stimulating, rather than something that’s easy to do but not
fulfilling. If I didn’t get very much out of my internship, I at least learned that valuable lesson.
15
�Rachel Gordon ‘21
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Edgewater, Maryland
Funded by a grant from Dr. Stephen Forman
This summer, I interned at the Smithsonian Environmental
Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, MD. I worked with a small team
in an ocean chemistry lab, studying Coastal Ocean Acidification in the
Rhode River. I worked remotely, so most of my time was spent on Zoom
calls to discuss our data and attending weekly lab meetings. I also spent
a lot of time going through the historical data the lab had been collecting
since 2014, as well as reading scientific literature to get ideas about what
kind of experiments and testing methods our lab could utilize.
Working remotely framed most of my experience and limited what
kind of undertakings were actually realistic for me to do. Before the
pandemic, while I was in communication with my lab mentor about the project, the lab had in mind
a different project for me to work on where I would be spending a lot of time at the river collecting
samples and then running them back up to the lab to test them. Once it was time for me to actually
start work, though, we had to pivot and find ways that I could be productive remotely. I do not know
what it would have been like to actually work in the lab, but I definitely feel like I still had a lot of
responsibility and agency in forming and executing my project. I also feel like I contributed
something legitimate to the lab—I know that they will use my work to take the next steps in our
research. I bonded and worked very closely with the other people in my lab and at SERC, and I think
that our unique circumstances gave us a special sense of camaraderie. There was a lot of work that I
did on my own, and the learning curve was steep, but I relied on learning from my lab mates about
the research process and how to address the many problems our lab was facing.
Reflecting on the type of work I was asked to do, my St. John’s experience proved invaluable.
Reading complex scientific literature was a huge part of my job, and I was in a prime position to
synthesize that information, report back to my lab about its content, and utilize what I had read to
influence our methodology. In many ways, it is similar to what I do in my laboratory classes; I had
already had so much experience with thinking critically about complicated scientific and
mathematical texts. Communication of ideas and facts became an essential part of my job, as well as
knowing how to ask the right questions to understand something. Having not had much experience
with the chemistry I was reading about, in particular near-shore carbonate chemistry, I had to learn
as I went along. But I was able to treat most of our lab meetings like a Seminar and work with my
mentors to understand the fundamental problems confronting us.
SERC felt familiar to me because of how well I was able to integrate my educational experiences
into it. I loved how open everyone was to inquiry and how committed they seemed to helping me
understand the project and succeed in it. The internship program also held events for interns, so I
got to know most of the people who work at SERC, including researchers in other labs and people
who work in communications. Eventually, I want to work as a scientific researcher, but I also have
an interest in writing and journalism, and I’ve been searching for a way to combine these two fields.
The exposure to the communications department at SERC was a really important aspect of my
summer because I saw for the first time how two passions of mine might interact. With special
programming designed to show us all of these options, I feel that there are many opportunities at
SERC and beyond for me to pursue my goals in life. I would love to work at the Smithsonian
Environmental Research Center after graduating from St. John’s. I see myself continuing to work in
my lab and furthering the research from this summer, and maybe working in the communications
department as well. My summer experience was truly transformative, proving to me that I want to
do research and also inspiring me to craft the career I want, which may involve combining different
fields that inspire me.
16
�Ellie Gott ‘21
Light House, A Homeless Prevention Support Center
Annapolis, Maryland
This summer I had the privilege of working as a
Communications Intern with the Light House (A Homeless
Prevention Support Center) in Annapolis, Maryland. As an
intern, I had many responsibilities. I had weekly training
sessions with the administration so I could learn about the many
positions that keep the Light House a well-oiled machine. It was
wonderful to get to know the Volunteer Administrator through
these calls as she guided me through topics on all Light House’s
projects, and volunteer positions, and showed me how they
contribute to the mission of Light House. I also observed a few
classes offered to clients and community members in their
Building Employment Success Training (B.E.S.T.) classes. The
classes were culinary training courses so that clients who enroll
can become prepared to join the world of culinary arts in the workforce. Following the observation
of these classes, I wrote a report on the class that was published on their website. This led to the
larger opportunity of writing many personal stories for the Light House, helping me step fully into
the organization as a “communications” intern. I conducted many phone interviews and wrote
personal stories; for example, I wrote one on how their resource center is adjusting to the
pandemic, and my most recent piece covered a 7-year-old who collected 900 pounds of food from
his neighborhood to donate to the Light House. This was a deeply fulfilling part of my job, as I was
able to develop my writing skills and my topics were meaningful to me.
Some of the more technical responsibilities I had was being a part of the approval and editorial
process of my stories with the Public Relations representative of Light House. She was also
wonderful and a great support during the writing process. The Workforce Grants Administrator
was my mentor throughout the internship, and she assigned me a project that would help clients
and the vulnerable populations of the community, learn how to use technology. I produced, filmed,
and edited a “technology 101” video, explaining the basics of a computer, and though it is a small
offering, I believe it will help those who need assistance entering into the complicated technology
era of today. As a cherry on top, I was assigned some readings to help me further understand the
purpose of the Light House. One of them was Richard Rothstein’s “The Color of Law” which
covered topics such as systemic segregation in the real-estate and property business.
Overall, it was a deeply fruitful experience, and I was excited to do these projects as I knew it
was going to help vulnerable populations of my community. My job was actually enhanced by the
pandemic, as the stories I wrote were in efforts to keep the community “in the know” about the
state of the Light House in such a tumultuous time. My experience at St. John’s has shaped me into
a true conversationalist and I had the wonderful privilege to utilize this quality while getting to
know my mentors and the administration at the Light House. The staff was so inspiring and kept
me focused on all the projects, as each one served a greater purpose than just the task or deadline
itself—it helped those in need directly. I am grateful to St. John’s College and those involved in the
Hodson Trust, as it allowed me a meaningful summer and further guided me into my love for nonprofit and community development work, as a future career.
17
�Sam Hage GI’20
Key School
Annapolis, Maryland
As a teaching fellow in the Civilizations program at the Key School in
Annapolis, my responsibilities were twofold. Generally, four days a
week I helped co-teach a 90-minute literature section of ninth-graders.
On about half of these class days, we had one group for the whole 90
minutes, breaking the lesson up into different activities. On the other
days, one group of students would come to our classroom for the first
half of the block, and then a different group would come to cover the
same material during the second half. For many of these split blocks, I
taught the second group alone while the head teacher observed. A few
times, I also substituted for teachers who had to miss a day of class.
During the semester we read Homer, Sophocles, Virgil, and
Beowulf—it was such a treat to reread these books with young students
encountering them for the first time. Key has high expectations for its
students; we seldom skipped anything, and the texts were always
faithful translations by well-regarded scholars. Classes were held as
something of a hybrid between a St. John’s-style seminar and a traditional high school lecture.
Usually the teacher and I would begin class by going over some of the content of the day’s reading,
clarifying characters, plot points, authorial details, and historical background. Much of the ensuing
discussion was driven by the students, who were usually instructed to prepare questions in advance,
which were just as often directed at their classmates as at the teachers. The discussion was always
grounded in specific passages from the text. We had many stimulating and enlightening conversations
this way. Toward the end of the semester I was also helping a good deal with the grading of reflections
and quizzes.
The other main feature of my internship was conducting sessions in the writing center. I was
assigned four or five students who came in for mandatory tutoring hours several times a week, but my
sessions were also open for others to drop in. In the writing center I got to work with students from all
grades and on different parts of the curriculum. Key students are expected to write several long papers
per semester, covering, in addition to the ancient literature listed above, books like The Stranger, The
Great Gatsby, The Alchemist, Plato’s Phaedo, and Prometheus Bound, along with many historical
documents to accompany the main texts. During these sessions I helped students solidify the habits of
effective reading and note-taking, proper citation of sources, and the elements of a well-written essay.
Working with students in the Civilizations program was an easy transition from the Graduate
Institute—their literature curriculum is largely a subset of our own. Most of the questions I presented
to the high schoolers at Key were the same questions I had asked about the same books at the St.
John’s seminar table. When I was asked to give my views on particular points from these books, they
were likewise usually thoughts that had arisen during my own classes. Most of all, St. John’s prepared
me for an unmediated encounter with great works of literature, bringing my own questions and
coming up with my own answers—the kind of thing often required from a high school teacher, who is
asked to mediate the encounter between his own students and the text. In turn, the Key School
fellowship also enhanced my ability to participate in St. John’s classes, by honing my ability to ask
clear questions that promote fruitful discussions.
It also taught me something important about my career plans. Though I’ve learned that teaching
high school is not necessarily my dream job, it has helped clarify my thinking about PhD programs.
With such a competitive college teaching job market, many PhDs end up at private high schools
instead. If this should happen to me, I now have a good idea of what such a job would be like, and I
think I would be well prepared to begin that kind of career.
18
�Allegra Hall ‘22
Élan Ensemble
Annapolis, Maryland
Allegra (on the left) with mentor Elissa Edwards of Elan
Productions.
The work that I undertook during my time with the
Élan Ensemble demanded an aptitude for civil, creative,
and constructive discussion along with an ability to
establish and maintain correspondence with a plethora
of personalities. I felt well-equipped to deal with most
every situation I was faced with because of my time at
the College.
In my time as an intern with the Êlan Ensemble, I:
Created, grew, and continue to maintain several social media accounts across several platforms
Became familiar with online programs including MyMusicStaff, Patreon, Dropbox, Airtable, and
Squarespace in order to facilitate online growth
Revamped elanensemble.org and expanded social media accounts by 300%
Participated in concert planning & execution
Participated in the Élan Salon Parlor series, which received much positive attention from the
Annapolis community and gave me the opportunity to perform on a public stage
Chaired meetings with the artistic and executive director, as well as delegated tasks to them in
order to complete specific projects
Gained experience in development: wrote and sent out personalized requests for donations for
the release of Elan’s debut album & raised $12,000 over the course of the summer through
individual, personal donations exclusively
Created and organized specific Élan branding content i.e. font packs, photography, art etc. for
use in online branding
Received weekly voice lessons and continued my classical training
It is worth mentioning, too, that several opportunities have been made manifest over this past
summer: I’ve gotten the chance to perform, recorded music, and have created incredible personal &
professional contacts, etc. The most notable of these achievements has been my consequent
instatement as an intern at the Washington National Cathedral. I’m currently under the direction of
Canon Michael McCarthy and will be a part of the music department there doing much of the same
work I had done with the Élan Ensemble this past summer. This is an incredible opportunity that only
exists for me as a direct result of my studies and experiences at St. John’s. I have not had an extensive
amount of formal musical education, and all of my administrative skills are self-taught. My time at St.
John’s has shaped the person that I am in such a way that I am able to take the intuition and talent I
have developed and turn it into a career; even in a field that is highly competitive.
This brings me to the most important connection I made over the summer. Elissa, my mentor,
has become one of the most influential people in my life. Our time together was accompanied by
incredible amounts of personal, professional, and physical growth. At the beginning of the summer,
she asked me to identify my goals, both personal and professional, and during the course of my
internship she was committed to helping me reach them. This was intensified by the fact that I was
living with her for a time—we learned repertoire I’d always dreamed of learning, started exercising,
and learned to cook. Her support of me motivated me to help her build her business and brand: I felt
as though we were able to invest in each other. I felt like the work I was doing had greater stakes and
was somehow more important because of the nature of the business. We were committed to making
ourselves better so we could create better art.
19
�The intimate nature of my time working with Elissa meant that my work and personal life
became somewhat inseparable. This was in no way a negative; however, I am so much more aware
now about what it means to have work/life boundaries, and why it is important to have them. This is
of course, complicated greatly by the way in which we are all required to work in the era of COVID.
I am continuing to work with the Élan Ensemble over the course of my gap year. In our
discussions about fundraising over the summer, we talked about creating an endowment that would
serve as my wages if I were to decide to return to Élan in a professional capacity post-graduation. I
feel so grateful for the funding the Hodson program provides—the opportunities resulting from my
time this summer has changed the course of my life.
20
�Isabella Hougie ‘22
Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Annapolis Office
Annapolis, Maryland
I knew going into the internship that the occupation of a
public defender requires passion. The odds are stacked against
public defenders in many respects: their workloads are
bursting with cases; the people that they defend nearly always
face one form or another of prejudice, making it difficult to do
them justice. Without passion, somebody attempting to do this
job would collapse.
Until I met Heather Tierney, Public Defender, and my
mentor, I hadn’t seen this kind of passion embodied. Heather
handles an unimaginable amount of responsibility. Even after
working with her for nearly two months, I still cannot envision
the extent to which she looks out for everyone. Heather jokes that the entire county jail has her cell
phone number. She has clients calling her for all kinds of assurance about their cases. She leaves
nobody–even the families of her clients–feeling like they aren’t with her every step of the way. I’ve
seen her lecture a nineteen-year-old receiving his first drug related misdemeanor on the dangers of
drugs, and I saw that nineteen-year-old take to heart what she said. I’ve seen the look of gratitude
on a client’s face after a motions hearing in which Heather argued for him with such obvious and
deep persuasion.
Heather takes care of people. This is the core of her job and what attracts me most to it. She
takes care of the most vulnerable members of society.
As a mentor, Heather lets me work hands-on. I summarize documents related to a given case,
conduct research to find cases that support her arguments, and write up various legal documents
for her, among other things. I also attend court with her once a week and work with her in the
office also once weekly.
My St. John’s education prepared me for the rigorous amount of reading required for the
internship.
Going forward, Heather is allowing me to continue this internship throughout the semester.
Heather’s passion is infectious. I love that the job combines the analytical side of my mind (which
St. John’s strengthened), the ability to work face to face with all kinds of people, the element of
performance—of presenting an argument to a courtroom—and lastly, a spirit of striving upwards,
persistently and always digging one’s way out of the dirt.
I aspire to be a good Public Defender like Heather. It will exercise a lot of the good in myself that
I want to be central to my character.
21
�Su Karagöz ‘20
New York University Press
New York, New York
The New York University Press is a publishing
company that mainly focuses on publishing books
about the humanities, a topic that is very closely
related to our St. John’s education. When I first
secured this internship, I was so excited to be living
in New York City during the summer and do all the
fun things that I had imagined but as it did with
everyone else, the Covid-19 pandemic changed all my
plans. Not only could I not go to NYC, I had to go
home, to Turkey. Although this was a huge obstacle for my professional life that hadn’t started in the
US, the NYU Press team was really collaborative and helpful in turning my internship into a remote
one. So that is what we did.
At the very beginning of my internship, I had a virtual meeting with my co-workers and supervisor
to go over first of all what the publicity department does, what a publicist does and what kind of
projects I would be working on. It was a great start to this internship as my experiences before this
were all marketing related. This intro to publicity kind of worked like a flash lesson for me and really
intrigued my curiosity for the field. One thing that was very closely tied to St. John’s during this
internship was of course, reading books. The very first project that I worked on was going through
the list of all the upcoming titles and researching a few of them. This research included reading the
book itself, researching the author and creating press releases for each one. To have such a huge
project be my first one was an amazing experience to figure out how working with a 7-hour time
difference would look like for my internship, and it turned out to work out perfectly for me and for
NYU Press.
With this project and the others I did, such as creating email marketing materials, arranging
spreadsheets for the warehouse to send out books to reviewers, contacting magazine editors and
podcast hosts and pulling review quotes from various publications about our titles, I got to see a vast
variety of things that the publicity department at a publishing company does. Working remotely,
having complete control over when and how I work and my own work environment has improved my
skills in a professional setting. It showed me how adaptable one should be and how to keep myself
motivated to get the job done in the best way possible.
This internship has taught me so much about not just publishing a book, but launching any
product and what it takes to successfully do so. In my time working with NYU Press, I also have been
working on launching a new brand as an entrepreneur, and the skills I gained from my internship
have proven themselves to be extremely valuable. It has steered my interests in the professional
world toward being more independent and creative, to things like product development and
launching process management. I am very excited to put my new skillsets and information to use in
my future professional endeavors.
The one really important lesson this summer internship has taught me is that no matter how bad
the situation might be, as long as you’re willing to put in the effort and work, there is a way to
surpass all the odds and obstacles. I’m so grateful for the amazing ladies at the NYU Press Marketing
& Publicity departments for showing me how things are done and what it really takes to publish a
book. Besides improving my overall organizational skills, this internship has shown me how
important interpersonal communication between you and your co-workers is as well as how
important it is to have an effective way of communicating with people you don’t know. This is an
experience that I will always carry with me in the future both professionally and personally.
22
�Yufei “Chris” Liu ‘22
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neuroimmunology
Center
Washington, DC
Funded by a grant from Dr. Stephen Forman
My internship experience at Georgetown MS and
Neuroimmunology Center helped me to gain a better
understanding of a career in medicine. My main
responsibility was to coordinate education programs for
newly-diagnosed patients. Due to COVID-19, the outreach
program had to find new platforms online. My tasks
included researching about online platforms that are
suitable for medical teams, communicating with patients,
managing RSVPs and collecting feedback questions and
other information. Other than the outreach project, I also
shadowed patient calls virtually. The opportunity allowed
me to listen to their perspective and to understand MS from a more direct point of view. I also
attended weekly meetings and participated in creating online patient surveys. Attending weekly
department meetings and conferences with medical companies taught me so much about MS. I
even attended a few sessions of a Neuroradiology conference during which the doctors examined
images of the brain and spinal lesions. Although the pandemic prevented the team from meeting in
person the adjustment to online meetings enabled me to be more proactive and communicate
better with my team.
Studying at St. John’s definitely helped me to develop better communications skills. I found
great similarity with the typical St. John’s classroom environment and the experience of working in
a team with other interns. I was able to work with others to combine our different suggestions and
ideas into a concrete plan. Moreover, my freshman lab tutorial helped me to understand the
science behind MS. One of the topics that my team often brought up during meetings was the cause
of MS. Technically, while the systems of MS are known, the medical world is still unsure of the
cause of MS. I remembered that in freshman lab, one of the greatest challenges we encountered
when we were “observing living beings" was to find the cause of things. We were always trying to
look beyond the appearance and to ask the "why?" question: why does making different cuts on
planarian result in different regeneration? The tutorial inspired me to see science as a way to look
beyond the apparent, to seek the cause of things, and to tirelessly continue to seek the cause of the
cause. This is the unyielding spirit of understanding things deeper and deeper and never being
completely satisfied with an answer. This spirit is present in a similar way in the MS world in that
the researchers and doctors have been trying to find the final cause that can be traced back and
develop target treatments. The internship inspired me to look into future career opportunities that
combine research and solving real-world problems.
23
�Micalah Miller ‘22
Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Annapolis Office
Annapolis, Maryland
This summer I interned under an attorney at the Annapolis
Office of the Public Defender. I chose this internship because I
often hear people speak ill of Public Defense. I knew something
had to be amiss. Public Defense is infamous for being hard work
with little reward. I have heard comments such as “You’re
defending the guilty” or “The pay is poor.” These comments
dehumanize both the victims and the counselors. My mentor
quickly disproved the dreary image that comes to mind when we
think of Public Defense.
She introduced herself to me by saying the best way to cope with
Public Defense is a dark sense of humor. She was right. When you
converse daily about homicide, laughter eases the tension. Her next piece of advice was “get used to
disappointment.” She was right again. There were a few times where I spent many hours working on
a motion only for it to be denied. There were others when someone violated their parole and faced
consequences. It was often difficult to witness. Sometimes, people worked hard to get themselves out
of the system, and they succeeded. For me, those stories proved the merit of Public Defense.
Since my internship was remote, I never got to interact with our clients in person. This was
disappointing. One of the things I looked forward to most was interacting with defendants in person.
I think it would be valuable to watch how my mentor advised her clients. Especially because the law
is esoteric. I wanted to see how a professional explained court proceedings to someone unfamiliar
with them. I have yet to visit the courthouse. But I hope to soon.
One of the projects I assisted with is going to trial in October. Over the summer, I did legal
research, calls, and discovery pertaining to this case. While I cannot share many details, it is an
assault case getting appealed. When we go to trial, I will observe jury selection, sit with my mentor
during court, and watch due process take its course. I am elated to have such an opportunity.
It was difficult to get an assessment of the usual office dynamics because of the remote work.
Though when I listened in to court, my mentor would always let me know who the harsh judges were
or what prosecutors were hard get on with. My assessment of the Anne Arundel County legal system
is that most people want defendants and victims to go forward with a sense that Justice had been
done.
My mentor worked hard to give our clients the simplest path toward leaving the system. Some
paths are more complicated than others. She works long hours to make sure this is a reality for each
of her clients.
I do not think I am done working with my mentor. She has so much more to teach me about the
value of Public Defense. Though I am unsure whether Public Defense is right for me, I know now that
I want to pursue a career in law. Specifically, I want to work in a place where I feel impactful. My
mentor spoke of loving litigation because it was exciting. I know that whatever avenue of law I
pursue I want that adrenaline rush she spoke of when I argue a case. It is also important for me to do
work that aligns with my morals. They are not something I am willing to sacrifice.
I often found myself struggling to see how my education played a role in the work I was doing for
the OPD. Upon reflection, I realize that my ability to read a text critically and build a logical
argument are instrumental in the legal field. When I am feeling meta, I wonder at the nature of law. I
look on in awe at how laws shape every aspect of daily life.
24
�William Payne ‘22
Smithsonian Folkways
Washington, DC
Funded, in part, by a grant from Dr. Stephen
Forman
This summer I was lucky enough to pursue an
internship with the Folkways record label at the
Smithsonian. Moses Asch, a first generation Polish
recording engineer, founded the label with a vision of
an industry much unlike the one he found himself in.
The attraction of smash hits and radio stardom drove
recording scouts out of the hills and into the city by
the late 1940s, and the rise of a new rock, country, and jazz loomed over the American musical
experience as we knew it. It's often hard to realize the importance of the times one lives in, but Asch
understood that music was making its final move away from a personal, intimate form. To counteract
this commercialization, Asch used his record label to capture various shots of the American, and later,
international, folk scene from the 40s all the way up through the 80s. Neil Allen Marks of the NYT
summarizes his legacy best: “Folkways Records was for folklorists and musicians the Talmudic source
for much primary material. Its founder, Moses Asch, may have more to do with the preservation of
folk music than any single person in this country."
So while you’re cooped up in your house for five months, it’s rather comforting to keep a higher
purpose in mind. Especially when you’re working in the IT & Web Development department. The
purely online format lends itself to monotony, but, with Moe in mind, the music made it all worth it.
My job was to update the collection’s metadata. This data includes all the descriptive elements of a
track like the artist name, track title, track language, and album title, but also includes more
ambiguous elements like the genre classification, featured artist name, and track title translation. I
could identify the majority of the descriptive data by listening to an album and reading the
accompanying liner notes, but some albums would throw me a curveball even in these simple
departments. The breadth and variety of the Folkways label meant that not every recording would
come nice and ready to be labelled. Some came with artist names like “Shoeshine boy” or “Street
Corner Vegetable Peddlers”, but sometimes we wouldn’t even get that and the name came simply as
“N/A”. Gaps in descriptive precision were most common among indigenous and deep folk collections
because the majority of them were not recorded by an ethnomusicologist, but by an individual who
took a liking to the music. This required me to do some detective work to track down the artist so they
received the credit they were due. This could turn into a wild goose chase amongst the more obscure
selections. Identifying track language by ear could be an asymptotic task as well. Many traditional
African and South American recordings only list a country of origin, which opens up a breadth of
possible dialects and regional languages to choose from. Google Translate’s auto-identify feature
became a good friend of mine.
Genre classification was by far the most interesting part of the job. It was my responsibility to
categorize the music using Folkways-specific genre labels and industry-standard Digital Service
Provider (Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, etc.) genre labels. The Folkways labels were always
precise and descriptive because, in the event that an album doesn’t fit into a pre-established
container, the recording engineers at Folkways had the liberty to invent a brand new one.
Translating these meditated, exhaustive labels into generic corporate qualifiers proved a daunting
task. For instance, Folkways has a genre for Black Spiritual music that the DSPs do not, which
summons the question of how to approach Folkways’ vast collection of African-American traditional
music. In industry classification, the “Spiritual” sub-genre only exists under the “New Age” genre, so
to classify it as such would be wholly inaccurate. I could label it as “Traditional”, but I run the risk of
losing such foundational recordings amongst the broad connotations of this unspecific heading. I
25
�could label it as “Blues”, as these spirituals are the direct predecessor of the American blues
movement and share many elements with it, but to lump a distinct style in with what it’s destined to
become felt like a revisionist approach to the history told by the music. Any choice I could make
offers a disservice to the music in one way or another, so I had to swallow my appreciation of
specificity to do the job correctly. I often discussed these issues with my boss, a 25-year veteran of
Folkways, conversations that left with me a new appreciation for the devotion and dedication that
the seniors of this craft possess. But even with lifelong expertise, some questions brought up by my
work remained unanswerable.
To determine whether an artist should be listed as a featured artist or a track artist, I had to make
a similar unprecedented choice. Because many recording engineers own the rights to the music they
record, I would come across albums where the actual artist that is playing was labelled as second
fiddle to the owner of their music. I was faced with the interesting, but painful dilemma of whether I
should categorize the music under the name that the industry and culture is familiar with, thus
allowing the piece to easily mesh with the existent label it has in other catalogues, or whether I credit
the music to the artist playing, which in some cases means creating an entirely new artist page for
classic works. If I pursue the former, it will be more easily recommended and recognized by the
algorithms that DSPs use, thus massively improving the exposure that the music gets, but I uphold
the exploitative practice of stealing credit which is properly owed to the artist. If I pursue the latter, I
break the cycle that has plagued the music industry for generations, but I risk losing the music to the
impersonal authority that determines if an artist sinks or floats in the modern era. So, proper credit
or proper exposure? It’s an impossible choice, pending a conversation with the artists themselves. I
leaned towards the credit side, but my stomach would churn at the thought of it going unappreciated.
My categorical work reminded me of the way a St. John’s seminar functions. Although our tutors
have devoted their lives to the subjects at hand, seminar still provokes questions that no authority
can answer. One can become easily frustrated at this fact as the seminar attempts to grasp some kind
of solid ground, because it can feel like you’re doing a disservice to the work by compartmentalizing
and analyzing the issues within it. As I learned in freshman year, however, the very point of seminar
is to compromise with your conceptions and reservations in order to accomplish a higher task of
understanding. Do we always hit the mark? Rarely. But does that make the experience of wrestling
with the issues any less valuable? Absolutely not. We have to fit amorphous ideas into neat
containers if we hope to establish any kind of commonality through them. So, while it’s easy to feel
like a child struggling to sort its baby blocks, I had to keep the higher task in mind so the music
wouldn’t be lost in the technological ether. I’d like to think Moses Asch himself had a similar vision
that kept him working through the sterile and profiteering nature of the music industry of his day.
I would love to work with Folkways again given the chance. I got a fascinating look at all the cogs
required to make a nonprofit record label run through the weekly staff meetings. Although my
perspective was from a technology-heavy position, I developed a comprehensive view of the
managerial, curatorial, communicative and financial roles through my conversations with the
heads and interns of the respective departments. I’d never considered myself someone who enjoys
archival work until this internship. I kind of viewed it as belonging to the drab academic world that
Indiana Jones flees from when he hops out of his university window, on to bigger and better
adventures. Of course, the aforementioned bigger and better adventure was more my speed. After
this internship, however, I can’t help but think about all the lowly interns that have to categorize
the shiny artifacts produced by such a belligerent and undisciplined escapade. Does that sound
vehemently dull as I write it? Perhaps. But if I had mislabeled a piece or erred an artist name, I ran
the risk of keeping these beautiful traditions of art from thousands, if not millions, of people, or
shorting a creator out of credit for their life’s work. The details matter. Folkways helped me see that
in a modern light. I’m planning to pursue an internship with the North Carolina Museum of Art
next summer, and one with the National Archives the one after that, choices inspired by the
experience I had over Zoom and Excel this summer. I’d like to pursue something more along the
lines of curatorial work in the future, as my position was quite categorical, but I’d jump at the
chance to do this type of work again under whatever lens it presents itself.
26
�Jessica Peterson ‘21
City of Kansas City, Missouri Department of
Planning and Development (KCMO)
Kansas City, Missouri
Jessica is pictured in Kansas City’s River Market north of
downtown, which is on the streetcar line.
I spent the summer interning remotely for Kansas
City, Missouri’s Department of Long-Range Planning.
When I started, they had just kicked off the two-year
process of updating and replacing the city’s
Comprehensive Plan. Their goal over the summer was to gather as much input as possible from
citizens, neighborhoods, and other organized groups. With the pandemic in full swing, months of
planned outreach had to be reworked. My duties would have included attending dozens of
neighborhood events and speaking directly with concerned citizens to gather input on the new plan.
With everything needing to be moved online, I focused mainly on data collection. I researched all the
other plans for city departments, as well as Comprehensive Plans for other cities in the country. This
data was collected into two large spreadsheets where I was responsible for tagging and organizing
each recommendation.
Additionally, I was pulled into meetings on innovating online outreach, especially through social
media. As a person much younger than all the staff, I had valuable insight on how social media and
apps are used by the up and coming generations. Being a Johnnie was especially helpful for these
conversations about outreach to citizens. The Comprehensive Plan needed input from all areas of the
city and all demographics, but now nearly all of it had to come from virtual sources. My experience
with St. John’s style discussions helped elevate me in meetings concerning equity and access. It
brought me a unique perspective at the table when brainstorming new ways to reach out.
Working remotely decreased my interactions with citizens but gave me constant access to city
employees for guidance. I attended weekly Microsoft Teams meetings for the department, the
Comprehensive Plan project, and the communication team. Between these, I had frequent one-onone calls with co-workers to discuss my specific tasks. Several of them were particularly proactive in
making sure I was involved and aware of all the moving parts that were obscured by only working
virtually. They made any moment they could a learning moment for me and were free with advice
about the urban planning field.
The work environment was very comfortable with a clear horizontal organizational structure. My
supervisor was the department head, and he encouraged all meetings to be open conversations. This
made it easy for me to jump in and participate. There was a clear passion for the work throughout the
office; employees were interested not just in doing well but also doing good. That will be important
for me to look for in my future employment, as I am interested in planning for the impact it can have
on people and communities. A challenge was the number of projects going on at once. The
department handles a city’s worth of planning, and this means every employee (myself included) has
a variety of tasks on their plate at once. Deadlines are rolling and often abstract, which made it
difficult to prioritize projects or budget time properly.
Overall, my experience with the department was very positive. I could see myself working here in
the future or in another city with a similarly structured department. City governments are not hiring
much currently, especially with the pandemic, so it would be a big question to end up somewhere in
particular. My larger career goals have been somewhat focused by this internship: while I appreciate
all the supplemental data work I was able to do as a remote intern, I would like to work in an
environment where I can be on the front side of things helping and working with constituents. In the
future, I will have to explore whether federal or non-profit employment will achieve this better.
27
�Wilson Redfield ‘21
Historic Annapolis Foundation
Annapolis, Maryland
My internship over the summer of 2020 was in the PR and
Marketing department of Historic Annapolis. I was mentored by
Carrie Kiewitt, Senior Vice President of Membership,
Communications, and Engagement. Due to COVID 19, much of
the work I did for Historic Annapolis was remote, usually filling
out event calendars, updating spreadsheets, and writing press
releases. To supplement this online work, I occasionally did jobs
in the William Paca gardens to get it ready for reopening and
any PR events held there. One such event that I was a part of
was a micro wedding photoshoot. This event showed me the
networking and effort that has to go into something like
convincing people it's okay even in the middle of a pandemic to
have in-person weddings. Besides this photoshoot, I got a good
look at the sales aspect of marketing with the annual plant sale
hosted by Historic Annapolis. This sale took a great deal of organization to pull off both in making
sure that people knew the event was still happening and in organizing the contact-free delivery and
online store that replaced the usual way of doing things.
As Historic Annapolis began to open its locations and offices, I did end up doing some in-person
work in the office. For the most part, this was a good thing as it allowed for easier communication
between myself and my mentor and allowed me to experience a little of what my internship would
have looked like were it not for COVID. Where I think the office did not excel, however, was in
teaching me new skills. I believe I learned more in my time doing remote work by watching online
webinars on things such as Facebook marketing and the benefits of using Shopify for small business
than I got out of my three or so weeks in the Historic Annapolis office. There was not as much
feedback as I might have liked and the tasks I did complete were mostly small writings and filling out
excel sheets, both things I have plenty of experience with. It was also hard to interact with most of
my coworkers due to social distancing and my limited time in the office. I don't think that I would
have had a similar experience if COVID had not happened as, without it, there would have been more
time for me to learn what I wanted to from those around me. Historic Annapolis was also forced to
cancel several of its biggest PR projects, which would have provided me with more experiences akin
to the plant sale and photoshoot, which I consider the internship's highpoints.
The writing I did for Historic Annapolis was, I believe, greatly influenced by St John's if only
because all the writing I do now is done in a St John's fashion. It seemed to me that the same effort
that I make in my papers to "sell" my ideas to my tutors applies to marketing and press releases in
particular. However, I did have to adapt to make the writing more descriptive and less abstract than
I might typically as the target audience for a press release is rarely as knowledgeable about the
subject in question as a St John's tutor.
Without question, this was an eye-opening experience for me and has had me sit back and reflect
on my career path and, in particular graduate school. Before I had any business experience, I was
only considering law for a career. Now though I have begun to seriously research business schools,
something I would not have considered before this summer.
28
�Nicholas Thorp ‘20
East Oaks Studio
Cary, NC
This summer I participated in an art business
internship with East Oaks Studio in Cary, North
Carolina. East Oaks Studio is a small community of
realist painters who work together both to train young
artists and host online video workshops to promote
education in classical realist visual arts.
In my internship, I focused on the operations side of
the business. When I arrived, they were in the middle of
migrating their entire tutorial video library to a streaming platform, a project they had hoped to
finish before I had arrived. To assist them, I went over around 200 hours of video content—
although I only had to watch enough for the purposes of writing—in order to rewrite the video
descriptions which had never been standardized. Before I started, descriptions ranged from several
paragraphs with in-depth background on the guest artists to three bullet points. I reworked all of
them to have the same voice and be more insightful to our target audience. Additionally, I
participated in discussions of marketing for the platform and how we were going to release it on the
market. Further, as I had some work experience in web design, I was able to apply that to formatting
the streaming platform to make the styling consistent with their branding.
Another aspect of the internship was that I managed four days of livestreams—one for a free
portrait painting tutorial and a series of three sessions for a paid workshop featuring a guest artist.
My responsibilities included booking models, selecting dates, setting up the film studio, assisting
with film equipment, asking questions, and controlling the different video feeds.
Beyond operations work, I was also able to develop my technical skill in drawing. Each Friday
was dedicated to doing a series of drawing exercises to sharpen my artistic eye and draw more
accurately. Then, I would also stay after nearly every other day of the week to continue working on
my projects. All of this culminated in a skull that I drew over about four weeks, finishing halfway
through the last day of my internship. In the past, I have always thought of drawing as capturing a
flat image in the same way a photograph represents a Humean visual sensation on a piece of paper.
For this drawing project however, I was tasked with conceptualizing form qua form, treating the task
of drawing as rendering or sculpting that form on paper, forcing myself to see the flat drawing as
truly three-dimensional. This was extremely relevant to my Senior Essay which explored Thomas
Reid’s critique of how Hume reduces impressions to mere sensation. In a way, this new philosophy of
drawing was a natural extension of what I’d written on! The final product was a highly rendered
drawing which surpassed by leaps and bounds anything I had done previously. Those couple months
have brought my drawing skill to a place I thought it’d take at least a year to get to.
Overall, interning with East Oaks Studio has been an
enlightening experience as I work to become a full-time
portrait artist in the next several years. Not only was I able to
develop both technical and business skills, but I was able to
meet a variety of artists to network with prominent members
of the contemporary realist art community and listen to their
guidance on careers in the art market, hear their many
different techniques, and discuss competing philosophies of
aesthetics for a more well-rounded view of the career. Looking
forward, I will be working as a teacher nearby in Chapel Hill
and I am in talks to continue working with East Oaks as both
an assistant and a student. This internship was just my start
working with them.
29
�Anurag Upadhyaya ‘21
Vidyarthi Pustak Bhandar
Kathmandu, Nepal
I interned with Vidyarthi Pustak Bhandar this
summer, working closely with the editor Yadab
Prasad Adhikari as my mentor. The “online”
nature of the internship presented some obvious
and some not so expected challenges. Yet, overall,
it was a summer productively spent and has had
some influences in my ambitions, and personal
goals.
My internship was broadly divided into two
sections: training and working. In the training
period, I mostly proofread the works ready to be
published. I also had an opportunity to be a peer
reviewer for a thesis essay—an opportunity
created by my mentor solely for the preparation to edit some larger works. I was invited to a review
for a book proposal which was eventually turned down by the publication. I also got to brainstorm
with the marketing department (Vidyrathi is also as much a distributor as a publisher) on how the
challenges put forth by the pandemic could be addressed, without compromising the safety of the
staff and the customers. Though this series of meetings had very little to do with the responsibilities
that were given to me, it was my major opportunity to interact with many people in Vidyarthi.
Once the training period passed, I spent the rest of my summer editing two manuscripts. The first
one was a collection of short stories by a Nepalese writer in Australia, and the second one was a
collection of political essays by an author that does not wish to be identified. I had some fascinating
conversations with these authors about the life of a writer, their roles in the nascent democracy, and
the general attitude of the population towards the writers in Nepal. I learned that nobody, in Nepal,
makes their living as a writer solely and pursues writing mostly as a side project. I also learned that
the reader base for the new writers is extremely limited and most pursued their writing—at least
those that used English as a language of choice—only for personal satisfaction and not in an
expectation of any immediate influence.
However, either out of the lack of ability to appreciate the grandeur of things or out of the habit of
reading the Great Books extensively, I constantly felt the lack of subtlety in the texts that I worked
with this summer. As an aspiring writer, the fear of unpreparedness to write and the consciousness of
the possibility of lack of subtlety in my own pieces of writing started haunting me. It also gave me an
impulse to “prepare” until I find the “confidence in my voice”, as they say lately. Lastly, ‘What do I
have in me to be an adequate judge of these works?’ became the formulation of the question I asked
myself and shall keep with me. All in all, this internship was an extremely humbling experience for
me.
I suppose, the internship opportunity would have had an impact on me to an even greater
intensity, if I could have been present in person. Some challenges became immediately obvious to
me, as the internship started. Being nearly ten hours behind Nepal, I either had to work
unsupervised, which was quite common as the summer progressed, or butcher my sleep schedule,
which I did no less of to attend the meetings and to converse with my mentor. I was glued to my
screen for most of my day, not having the manuscript on paper or a way to deliver my work, if I
printed it out. I found extended screen time extremely straining and nearly distracting. Somehow, I
would also end up working extra hours to complete my goals for the day than I imagine it to have
taken in a proper work environment. I discovered online and at-home work to be absolutely unfitting
to me.
30
�Most definitively, the irremediable loss of online work was the fact of being online—not being in
person. Often, it was difficult to understand the gestures of people I was interacting with. Mostly, I
felt the loss of the friendships that I could have cultivated being in person or the supervision and
learning that I could have gathered from my mentor, working alongside him extensively. To their
best capacity, Vidyarthi was extremely accommodating, and my mentor was particularly
encouraging. We all acknowledged and could not do away with the thought that I would have had a
better insight into the workings of publication, had I been present in person. Albeit the
consciousness of this loss, given the circumstances imposed upon me by the pandemic, I do not wish
for my summer to have been otherwise. The internship was transformative experience for me, if not
enlightening.
31
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Career Development Office—Annapolis
Description
An account of the resource
Career Development Office (Annapolis) publications including Hodson Internship Reports and Pathways Fellowship Reports.
Click on Items in the Career Development Office Collection to view and sort all items in the collection.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
32 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Hodson Internship reports, 2020
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of Hodson Internship reports from summer 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Interns--United States
Internship programs--United States
Experiential learning
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
HodsonInternshipReports_2020
Internships
Publication
Deprecated: Directive 'allow_url_include' is deprecated in Unknown on line 0