Tag: MA in Sustainable International Development (page 1 of 4)

Surviving the Spring Semester

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID'24 Headshot

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

The spring semester at the Heller School is an amazing time: the weather is starting to warm up, nature comes back alive, everyone is excited about summer opportunities, graduation, and starting a new chapter. However, all the new excitement and good weather brings its own set of new challenges. This spring, I have selected to take a wider range of course offerings and exploring some of my interests. I have found that in taking a wider range of course materials, it can be a bit harder to focus in on some of my readings and longer term assignments. I have also found it difficult to find a new balance of exploration and dedicating time to fine tuning my current skills, research and still searching for my summer practicum.

To combat these challenges, I first started setting time aside to be outside and enjoy nature. Spending time outside is a priority to me, so I make sure to carve time out of my day to enjoy nature as the seasons change, and go for a daily walk. I think getting outside is a great way to take time for yourself and listen to your favorite podcast, music, or audiobook, or call a friend or family member. I always have audiobook recommendations, so if you are ever looking for a good listen, feel free to reach out.

I rely heavily on my calendar and course syllabi to keep track of due dates and keep my time management accurate. I try to break up my day to make sure I am able to get tasks and assignments done during the morning, as this is when I focus best. Then, in the afternoons, I take time to work on things that I find interesting and are related to my elective courses. Additionally, as I’ve talked about in previous posts, I am searching for my summer practicum. I have been adding this into my weekly schedule by saving positions that I am interested in applying to, and setting aside time one or two days per week to submit my application and continue my search.

I have found that these tactics, and remembering to put my phone away, work for me and my preferences and work style. It’s important to take into account your own working style, habits and preferences, so these tips might not work for everyone. My best suggestion is to try and find a balance that works for you, your priorities, and your interests!

A Day in the Life of a Second Year MBA/SID Student

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID'23

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID’23

Now that we are nearing the end of Module 1, graduation is just over three months away! I thought this would be a great time to share what life is like for a Heller student wrapping up their studies and preparing for a postgraduate career. Today, I’ll walk you through what a typical Tuesday looks like for me this semester.

8:00am-10:00am — This is the first and only semester where I have my mornings entirely free. I use those extra hours to catch up on 4 semester’s worth of lost sleep!

10:00am-11:00am — By this point in the morning, I’ve left my bed and started my morning face cleansing routine. Gotta be extra vigilant in the winter when the air is dry. After that, I generally spend some time answering emails and posting or responding to posts on LinkedIn. Now that I’ve been named a Class of 2023 Finalist in the Presidential Management Fellows program, a lot of my time goes into setting up virtual coffee chats with PMF program alumni and other professionals to learn more about the different federal agencies where I might like to be placed.

11:00am-12:00pm — I head to the kitchen, where I usually pass either my MPP or PhD roommate, and make an early lunch. Since I have both an afternoon and evening class on Tuesdays, I make sure to pack dinner and some snacks in tupperware to take to campus. 

12:00pm-1:00pm — At this point, I pack up my backpack and get dressed for the day. I double check that I have the required items for that day’s weather forecast, be it an umbrella or a scarf and gloves. I’m only a 20 minute walk to campus so as I’m heading out the door, I choose a podcast or music album on Spotify to listen to during my commute. 

1:00pm-2:00pm — I join the other elected board members of the Heller Student Association for our biweekly meeting. We use this meeting to plan Heller-wide events, discuss concerns brought to us by students, and share our progress on special projects. 

2:00pm-2:20pm — After gathering my belongings, I have a quick snack before going to claim my seat in the classroom for my afternoon course on Women, Peacemaking, & Peacebuilding. This is technically a COEX class, but I’m joined by a lot of my fellow SID classmates, who have a concentration in gender. The course is taught by Nanako Tamaru, the Executive Director of the Boston Network for International Development (BNID). BNID was one of the organizations I interviewed with when I was searching for a fall MBA internship last semester. While I ended up being placed with the Social Innovation Forum, I did have the opportunity to attend a few networking events sponsored by BNID. Another reason I was drawn to the course was Nanako’s work on the democratic process in Tunisia. As someone who worked next door in Morocco and is currently in the running for a Fulbright grant in Algeria, I was curious to learn more about her work on gender and peacebuilding in that region. 

2:20pm-5:10pm — During the class session, Professor Nanako gives a brief lecture introducing that week’s topic and solicits the class’s response to that week’s readings. We spend time learning about the art and science of Op Ed writing and we end with a small group discussion. Before packing up, Professor Nanako reminds us of any upcoming assignments that are due before next class. 

5:10pm-6:00pm — It’s dinner time! I usually head to the ground floor, where there are a set of round tables set up next to the microwave. As I’m eating dinner, I usually skim through that week’s readings again, to refresh my memory. 

6:00pm-8:50pm — I head to the big auditorium room where I have Fundraising and Development with Professor David Whalen. This course draws a mix of MBA and SID students and attracts those either wanting more experience writing grants or those looking to grab the attention of funders. In the course, we not only look at the current landscape and trends in philanthropy, but spend time interrogating the impact philanthropy has had, for better or worse, on society. 

8:50pm-9:30pm — After six hours of class, I can finally head home. Along the way, I sometimes stop at the Hannaford for groceries or the Walgreens for a few household items.

9:30pm-11:00pm — Once I’m home, I shower and have a small snack. On Wednesdays, I work as a Course Assistant for Financial Management, a required class for first-year MBA students. I spend the evenings making sure I’m ready for the next day’s class session. Since I have no evening classes on Wednesdays, I usually head to Brandeis’ Gosman gym for that evening’s group fitness class, so I pack my gym clothes and shoes on Tuesday evenings. Before Financial Management, I have my weekly check-in meeting with my supervisor at the Social Innovation Forum, where I’ve continued on as an intern. I make sure I have any necessary prep materials ready for this meeting.

11:00pm-12:00am — When I’m ready to call it a night, I double-check that my alarm is set, then head to bed.

Tips for Adjusting to the Winter Season

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID'23

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID’23

When I woke up early Monday morning to head to campus, I looked out my window and saw the coolest thing – fluffy white snow blanketing the cars, the streets, and the roofs of houses. I think it’s safe to say that winter has arrived in Waltham!

For students who are local to the northeast, the ritual of donning layers or shoveling snow probably feels pretty commonplace. For others, this might be their very first time ever experiencing a cold, snowy winter season. Growing up in Florida, I only ever saw snow on TV. I did not own an article of clothing thicker than a raincoat. But now, after having spent the last 5 years in cold places – including the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Chicago, Illinois, and most recently Massachusetts – I’m ready to share my tips and tricks on how to survive (and thrive!) in winter time. 

Step 1 – Find good quality gear

While there is a variety of winter clothing available, don’t feel like you need to buy every single thing. A few of the non-negotiables include a snow jacket. This jacket should have a hood, and pockets, and be waterproof. Many jackets will have a tag that lists the temperature range they can be worn in. Make sure you get something that will keep you warm on days that are below freezing. Snow boots and long socks are also a must to keep your feet warm. Your boots should also be waterproof, have insulation, and have good traction to keep you from slipping. Be mindful that snow boots tend to be heavier than regular boots, so make sure you don’t get something so heavy that it’s hard or awkward to walk in. Even with your hands in your pocket, your fingers will likely still be cold. Many gloves now have padded fingertips that allow you to use touchscreen devices, that way you don’t have to remove your gloves to reply to a text message. Other accessories you might consider are hats, scarves, and earmuffs to keep your head, neck, and ears warm. 

Step 2 – Make time for cold weather activities 

A lot of people will say there is nothing to do in winter but that couldn’t be farther from the truth! There are so many activities that you can ONLY do when it’s snowing outside. Just last year, Brandeis University converted the Levin Ballroom into an ice skating rink. I’ve had classmates who have gone sledding and some who travel to nearby states to ski and hike. With the holidays so close, many outdoor street markets will be opening. These are places where you can find handcrafted goods from local artists, winter desserts like gingerbread cookies, and warm beverages including hot chocolate and peppermint coffee. 

Step 3 – Get cozy 

Since classes are ending and the days are getting shorter, you can expect to spend more time indoors. There are so many ways to make your space more cozy and comfortable during the cold season. I definitely suggest finding good quality blankets that can keep you warm whether you are in bed, at your desk, or on the coach. Cardigans, sweaters, and robes that have pockets and a hood are great  for lounging around the house. With the decrease in sunlight over the winter months, lamps and candles can help brighten your space. 

Winter doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating . The coming of winter is a wonderful opportunity to slow down, spend time with loved ones, reflect on the past year, and start goal setting for the new year. I hope these tips help you make the most of the season!

Facing Your Capstone Presentation

Neh Meh, MA SID/COEX'24 headshot

Neh Meh, MA SID/COEX’24

Most graduate students are busy finishing their classes, dealing with projects, and preparing for graduation. Most importantly, many of our graduate students are preparing the requirement that essentially allows them to walk in the graduation ceremony and obtain their degree: their a capstone project. Many of the graduate programs at Heller also require students to do an internship, practicum, field research, or thesis paper. The good thing is that the Executive Director of the Global Programs at Heller is very flexible with whatever you choose, making our graduate life much easier. After completing the capstone project, students must present it in person or virtually.

However, before we jump to talking about presenting the capstone project, you should know that students must take many different steps before they’re ready to present their capstone project, and that those steps could vary for each student. As a dual degree student majoring in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence and Sustainable International Development, I will share my experiences and journey in how and why I chose to do what I did and what I learned from it. It was during my second semester in graduate school, around February 2022 that I started thinking about different internships for my practicum. An ideal timeline is like this: completing an internship or any project during the summer and writing a report about my internship experiences in the fall semester. So, I started thinking about different organizations, researching their missions and visions to see if they aligned with my interest, and began sorting through the opportunities. Then, I thought of the Jesuit Refugee Service, a non-profit organization in Thailand that serves refugees. I remember the organization’s involvement in refugee education, especially for the Karenni (if you have not heard about Karenni, it is an ethnic group from Myanmar). I contacted the organization’s director and shared my background and interest. He then asked for my resume, and after that, he agreed to let me work with the organization over the summer on Peace and Reconciliation’s peacebuilding project. The Jesuit Refugee Service’s peacebuilding essentially focuses on rebuilding relationships and building the capacity to face difficulties.

I spent three months in Thailand researching the peacebuilding project and organized a training centered on peacebuilding through education. I utilized education to build peace by educating the Karenni and Karenni refugees about ways to tackle conflicts and skills that enable them to create the right relationships between themselves. While interning with JRS, I completed my peacebuilding project called “Peacebuilding through Education”. After completing my three-month project, I returned to Heller to continue my Sustainable International Development degree. As a SIDCO, I had the option to present in May; however, since my project was funded by the peace award from Marice Kapf Hahn, I had to present my completed project before the year ended.

I’ll admit that this timeline was less than ideal and at times I felt rushed, or felt like did not have enough time to put everything together, since I was also working on writing the report/thesis paper. However, one very helpful thing for me was to have a daily schedule planned out every week. For example, I set aside 30 minutes on Sunday to plan for the week, including what I wanted to accomplish each day. As a result, I managed to finish both the thesis paper and presentation in two months! Looking back, it was a wild ride. I could not believe I had managed to complete a 40-page of report/thesis paper and 15 slides of the presentation within two months, but the experience was worth it. I also learned to manage my stress and time and prioritize what’s important and not important.

If you thought that was a lot, remember that I still had to present the presentation I had prepared. For the actual presentation, you only need to put together seven Powerpoint slides, present for ten minutes, and give ten minutes for a question and answer session. I was very nervous about my presentation, but a little practice before the actual presentation was very helpful, so my advice is to practice presenting the day before the actual presentation.

Now that I finished my capstone project, I feel like a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I am excited to finish up my last semester and graduate!

Embracing Winter in Boston!

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID'24 Headshot

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

Now that the semester is over, we all get to enjoy a break from academics, and for me, that means taking some time to explore more of the Boston area and check out the places I’ve saved over the semester. The only problem is now the days are short, and cold. Luckily, as Brandeis students, there are a number of museums and other places we can visit with a discount.

One of my personal favorites is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, while Brandeis does not offer a discount, if you present your student ID, you will receive a discounted admission. This museum is easy to get to as it is centrally located by a few public transit stops. There is also a great Netflix documentary about the largest heist that happened at the museum. This museum is not your typical museum and I highly recommend you check it out yourself.

Up next is the Museum of Fine Arts: the museum is large, but beautiful and I recommend you visit, maybe even twice.  Not only is the MFA conveniently located as well, but it is just a short walk from the Gardner Museum.  As Brandeis students, admission is free with your student ID. The MFA has great rotational exhibits and is a great place to spend a rainy day, or any day.

A couple other options to check out are the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum as well as the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation. I have not been able to go to these museums yet, but they have great reviews and offer discounted admission with your student ID.

I also recommend checking out some of the seasonal activities, like ice skating, winter markets, winter outdoor dining or walking around to view the festive decorations and lights. While these activities do not necessarily have a student discount, some of these options are free, a great way to embrace the season and try something new.

Lastly, winter is the season to be cozy, and feel productive while watching your favorite movies, baking, and enjoying time with family. I definitely recommend checking out your local library and finding a good book to enjoy while the weather is less than favorable, this is one of my favorite winter activities, especially if it includes freshly baked cookies. This time is a way to spend our days doing new things and being away from our classes is a great time to recharge and rest before the next semester begins.

Holidays at Heller 

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID'23

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID’23

Holidays in graduate school are a bittersweet time. On the one hand, it’s a welcome reprieve from the intensity of the schoolwork grind and a chance to reconnect with loved ones back home. On the other hand, for many international and out-of-state students, going home for the holidays is not always feasible financially or due to the distance. Personally, my hometown is a 16 hour drive from the university or a $400+ roundtrip airplane ticket so, both this year and last year, I have had to choose between going home for the November break or going home for New Year’s instead. 

With this in mind, the Heller Student Association started a Friendsgiving tradition to bring students together for a time of community, gratitude, and fun. The Heller Student Association is a student working group dedicated to amplifying the diverse voices of the student body and meaningfully contributing to decisions that affect students’ time at the Heller School. 

This year, about 30 students gathered on the afternoon of Friday, November 25th in the Zinner Forum for our 2022 Friendsgiving Celebration. We spent the first half hour of the event playing board games, teaching each other new card games, filling out coloring sheets, and writing positive messages on a big poster board to the tune of a Charlie Brown holiday playlist on Spotify. Connect4 and Exploding Kittens stood out as the crowd favorites. At 12:30pm sharp, we gathered around three long tables for a feast from Boston Market resplendent with macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, rotisserie chicken, cornbread, and apple pie. Before digging in, we went around the table sharing things that we were grateful for. Unsurprisingly, student after student cited the friendships they’d made at Heller and the welcoming campus community as top of their gratitude list. Since the event was open to students from all of Heller’s programs, many new friendships were formed as people from different programs interacted for the first or maybe second time. 

After lunch, we had a very spontaneous and impromptu karaoke session, which was dominated by 90s boy band singles, Taylor Swift classics, and a few Latin tunes. Students were able to take home tons of food to feed themselves and their roommates over the holiday weekend. While the organizers were perfectly happy to handle the take-down and clean-up process themselves, every single attendee pitched in to fold tables, remove chairs, and take out trash. It was such a perfect picture of the spirit that is so indicative of the Heller community. I left the event feeling refreshed and grateful for all the people who contribute to making the Heller School the place that it is.

The Summer Internship, Part Two

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID'24 Headshot

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

In my last post, I started talking about how I was starting my summer internship search, and now I will update on how the process is going and what other steps I have taken. I previously mentioned the importance of the Heller School’s resources, specifically career services.  Over the past couple of weeks, I have met with career services to talk about how to strategize my internship search, resources available and had my resume and cover letter reviewed.

Having a reviewed and ready to go template resume and cover letter is extremely useful for when I find an internship that I would like to apply to. I can easily customize my materials to fit the job description and confidently submit my application. I have been using Handshake and LinkedIn most frequently to find positions applying to ones that I am most interested in.  I have learned that using filters on Handshake can be really useful for searching for specific position types, durations and paid vs unpaid opportunities. LinkedIn is useful for looking at specific organizations you are interested in that are hiring and even tells you how many other applicants there are. Additionally, remember to keep your LinkedIn profile updated, this is not only a great way to keep track of your accomplishments but also LinkedIn is great for networking. One of the biggest takeaways that I have had so far is that every organization tends to have a different hiring timeline, so some agencies and organizations might be hiring spring intern and some might be looking for summer interns. Make sure to take your time and realize that some of the positions you might be looking for aren’t being hired for yet.

Another great resource that I have explored is information session and events that Heller is hosting. Information sessions, specifically about the practicum search is a great place to get your questions answered. I attended a session last week hosted by Mary Poor and learned so much about what previous students have done for their practicum, and what is required for the Heller school, such as forms, and visa information, if applicable. Additionally, there were a number of resources shared at this event that I am definitely going to be using going forward in my search. This event was also super helpful as there were current and previous students present to talk about their practicum experience, and share what finding and completing the practicum was like.  If there are any other events that are like this in the future I will be sure to attend.

In my next post, I will be sharing some interview tips and reflections on some of my interview experiences, so stay tuned!

Career Center Resources

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID'23

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID’23

On the first floor of the Heller School building, you’ll find a couple of things. This includes the Heller Admissions Office, the Dean’s Office, and the Career Development Center. The Career Center can be an excellent resource in your graduate journey – if you know what resources exist and how to use them. Here is my advice for how to make the most of resources at the Career Center.

Schedule Mock Interviews

At this point in the semester, my cohort members and I are fully in the job and fellowship search process. Many of my classmates are seeking consulting roles and these kinds of jobs have a very particular interview format, which usually involves completing and presenting a mock case. If you’ve never had this kind of interview before, it can be very intimidating and confusing. Scheduling a mock interview with the Career Center is a great way to practice and get comfortable with this format before you do the real thing. I’m currently in the running for the Presidential Management Fellows program and the interview for this focuses heavily on behavioral and situational interviewing. Having a mock interview with career staff helped me practice the STAR method response format. I generally struggle with deciding which experience is most compelling for which question. Career Center staff gave me solid feedback that helped me determine which of my anecdotes were best suited to answer the questions I’d likely be asked. 

Attend Informational Sessions

The Career Center offers several information sessions a month, all with different focuses. The three types of sessions I’ve found most helpful are: talks with Heller alumni, overviews of fellowship programs, and webinars with employers or professionals in the sector I’m interested in. By attending sessions with Heller alumni, I’ve learned a lot about what resources exist on campus for students and how best to maximize my time as a student. Heller alumni also talk about how they positioned themselves for their next opportunity post-graduation. As a graduate student, there are a ton of fellowships that you may qualify for and that provide funding for language study, research, and professional development both in the US and abroad. Attending these situations is a great way to get a sense of which opportunities you may qualify for and to learn how to draft a competitive application. Lastly, employer sessions are a great way to network with professionals in your field of interest and learn about potential internship or full-time roles they might be recruiting for. 

Read the Newsletter

The Career Development Center sends out a weekly email newsletter. This newsletter shares upcoming networking events as well as active job postings. Even if you are not actively job or internship searching, it’s a good idea to briefly glance at the opportunities listed. I like to scan the qualifications sector for postings that look relevant. This gives me a sense of what employers are looking for and has helped me tailor my jobs and extracurriculars to better develop these competencies. The newsletter includes both events happening at Heller and in Greater Boston. The Heller events are normally doing the lunch hour and over Zoom, which is very accessible. The events in Boston are usually in the evenings when most people don’t have classes. Attending these events is a great way to practice your networking skills and interact with your cohort outside of a classroom setting. 

Evaluate Job Offers

Salary negotiation can feel scary even for students with a lot of full-time job experience. This can be even tougher if you are evaluating multiple job offers at once. Sitting down with a Career Advisor can help you think through the best ways to position yourself in the negotiation process and can also help you identify other types of benefits you may be able to negotiate either instead of, or in addition to, salary. 

Overall, the Career Center is not a resource you want to put on the shelf until a few panicked weeks before graduation. The resources at the Career Development Center are designed to support students throughout all stages of their graduate school career.

The Summer Internship Part One

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID'24 Headshot

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

We are about halfway through the semester and while spooky season is fun, the spookiest part is starting my search for a summer internship. As a student in the dual degree (Sustainable International Development and Global Health Policy and Management), students must complete a summer practicum, which essentially is an internship. Students in this program are responsible for findings their own summer employment. In this and future posts, I will take you through how I am beginning my search and how the application process goes throughout the semester. I hope that for future readers this makes the process easier to understand and maybe gives you a place to start your own plan and internship search.

Step One: Look into the resources available and get familiar with them. Heller has an incredible resource in its staff which help students not only search for their practicum but also help develop your application materials such as your resume and cover letter.  I been using resources such as Handshake and LinkedIn which can help you begin to get an idea of types of internships, deadlines, and different companies and organizations to work with.

Step Two: Gather and update your application materials. I started this week by dusting my cover letter and updating it to use for an internship application and made sure my resume was up to date. This makes the application process much easier as your materials are ready to go, and I can easily add position specific information to my cover letter and resume to make sure my application is submitted on time. I also made sure to reach out to previous or current professors to see if they can write letters of recommendation. This is especially important because you want to make sure they have ample time for what they need to write.

Step Three: Begin the search. This is the most daunting part: there are so many to look through on a number of different websites and platforms, the whole thing becomes overwhelming almost instantly. So far I’m using a couple different strategies to make the searching less overwhelming. I started by checking both Handshake and LinkedIn for a set amount of time and used a specific set of filters or search terms to find positions that I would be interested in. I make sure to save the positions I am interested in so I can set time aside later to apply. I have also signed up for some newsletters, both from Heller and other organizations, that post internship openings. I read those carefully and look into the organization hiring to ensure I want to apply. This process has just started and I am sure I will have feedback for myself.

My search and applications have just begun, so stay tuned to read as my process continues.

A Letter to My Future Self (to read upon graduation): Brielle Ruscitti

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID'24 Headshot

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

Dear Future Brielle,

You’re graduating from Heller with two degrees in two years, congratulations! How does it feel? Did you get to experience all you wanted during your time at Heller? I hope you found a balance between the two degrees and have been able to fine tune your passions. I’m happy to see you figured out the practicum and a master’s final project, all the worrying and planning paid off. I hope you were able to participate in meaningful service in your community and find research you were passionate about. I hope you enjoy graduation and a renewed sense of accomplishment, maybe take some time off and celebrate! I hope that you still enjoy going out to try new restaurant recommendations.

I have so many questions I hope you can answer. Where are you headed next? Are you going to be living abroad, or staying in Boston? Are you starting a new job? If yes, are you going to be working for a non-profit, an NGO or maybe a research institute? If not, are you considering more education? Well, I hope that more school is not plan A, but maybe something in the future. I hope you’ve found a job that fits you, your skills and passions, and that you’re excited to start. Maybe you even have a bit of time off between graduation and starting your career.

Outside of your career, what are your next life steps? I hope you’ve been able to travel while still in school and that if you’re headed into a career, it will lend to a similar life style.  Whatever next step you’ve chosen, I know that you’ve made the right choice. Also, I really hope you’re still planning to get a dog or a cat, if you haven’t already, in the near future- hint, a graduation gift to yourself!

I hope during this time that you think back to your undergraduate graduation and know how much uncertainty and doubt you have overcome to get to this moment and that everything has worked out exactly as it should. I hope you took time to learn new skills, try different classes, maybe test out a new hobby and took time to just be present. I hope you take time to appreciate all the support and love you have received during this time and thank your family and friends. Once again, congratulations and I hope you know you’ve made Brielle of 2022 proud.

Love,

Past Brielle

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