MA in Higher Education and Student Development

Kristen Wright

What work are you doing now?

After graduating in May, I transitioned to my new role as the Associate Director of SOURCE (Student Outreach Resource Center) at Johns Hopkins University. In this role, I work with faculty, students, and community based organizations to develop service-learning opportunities for the Schools of Public Health, Medicine, and Nursing.

What do you like about it?

I enjoy engaging students, faculty, and community partners in service-learning because it is a powerful tool to enhance student learning, faculty teaching, and to advance social justice and social responsibility.

How did your degree in the college prepare you to do this work?

Even though I have previous experience working in service-learning, it was my experience in the MAIS program that provided me with the theoretical knowledge and research experience I needed to take the next step in my career.

Through courses like Student Development Theory, Leadership in Higher Education, Diversity, and Organization and Administration, I learned a great deal about how students engage with one another, with faculty, with community, and with their learning spaces and how to apply theories into real world settings to impact student learning and positive social change. The faculty for each of these courses challenged each of us to think critically about students and institutions and ways to support student development.

Perhaps the most powerful component of my graduate experience was the process of working on a thesis. The opportunity to work so closely with faculty and to conduct my own research has given me such valuable experience in designing, conducting, and defending research and has inspired me to stay involved in scholarship. I appreciate the faculty for encouraging me to research and for providing amazing support and mentorship through the process.