• Majo Aldana 2013

• MA International Development

Tell us about yourself:
I am Guatemalan. I am an anthropologist; I did anthropology for my undergrad. I worked at the same time as I was studying so that gave me the opportunity to get to know the field, and that’s how I got interested in the Master’s in Development. When you were in second year at my college from second to fifth year you do field work every single year. I was working a lot of places because I am a consultant, so it was a lot of short term projects. The recent ones have been at the Population Council in Guatemala and the other project I really liked was at the UNDP (United Nations Development Program). I worked on environmental issues, and also on education. But health, education, I am more passionate about. Most of my fieldwork has been health related, even my thesis dissertation was on cervical cancer though more from the anthropology perspective, not the biomedical perspective.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?
The Korbel School visited my college at an informative session, and I got really interested. Basically finding out about the program made it one of my first choices. I was really excited about hearing about the program. The fact that you can choose your classes, that is not something you can do in Guatemala. So picking classes and concentrating on what you want. Having core courses but also choosing what you want to concentrate on was one of the things I really liked. And also having an international experience is better. I am a on a Fulbright Scholarship here. A new country, a new language; it gives you a wider perspective.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Majo Aldana.

• Alex Conway 2012
• Global Finance, Trade, and Economic Integration (GFTEI)

• Matthew Davis 2012

• MA, Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration, Josef Korbel School
  International MBA, Daniels College of Business

Tell me about yourself:

I grew up in Minnesota. I've done a lot of traveling in the past. I was in Mongolia for two years teaching English. I knew I wanted to go abroad and travel before I settled down. Mongolia sounded the most exotic and adventurous- and it was, it really was. But I knew I didn't want to teach English for the rest of my life so I came back for grad school.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

I was already living in Denver. I always liked Colorado- I'm an outdoor enthusiast- so I really wanted to stay around here. I also looked at Texas A&M. They have a good school, but Colorado drew me. I really liked the flexibility. A lot of other programs seemed more specific. At the time, I knew I wanted to do something in international affairs but I didn't want to narrow it down so much from the start. After my first quarter at the Josef Korbel School I narrowed it down to GFTEI (Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration). Also the reputation of Korbel. But not the price.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Matthew Davis.

• Lauren Gamache 2012
• MA, Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration

Tell us about yourself:

I grew up in Denver and have loved it, but after graduating from CU-Boulder, I knew I wanted to get some experience in economic development abroad so I joined the Peace Corps and worked as a municipal development volunteer in eastern Niger (2008-2010). Outside of school, I really enjoy all that Denver and the mountains have to offer and it was great to come back to that after my stint in West Africa.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

After finishing my (Peace Corps) service, I came back to Denver to figure out how to integrate my experiences in development with my interest in economics. I chose Korbel because of the strong GFTEI program and also because of the Peace Corps Fellows program. The Fellows program has a practicum component which I completed at El Centro Humanitario, working with the women's program.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Lauren Gamache.

• Katherine Goodman 2012

• MA, International Security
  Certificate, Global Health Affairs
  BA, International Studies, University of St. Thomas

Tell us about yourself:

Well, I've been married for nearly two years, and my husband I have a six month old daughter. Originally, I'm from Northwestern Louisiana.

As an undergraduate, I studied abroad in Italy, Mexico and Taiwan. My study abroad experience in Taiwan led me to work for the Press Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston for nearly three and a half years. It was a really exciting job, although my duties were affected by the election of Ma Ying-jeou to the presidency of Taiwan in May 2008.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

First, the Global Health Affairs (GHA) certificate and the International Security degree were exactly what I was looking for. No other IR program that I know of has such extensive global health course offerings within the school. I'm also not a huge fan of the East coast and thought I would like Denver much better. And I was offered a Sié Fellowship, which is a full scholarship.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Katherine Goodman.

• Kyle Horton 2013
• MA, Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration

• Jesse Hunter 2012
• MA, International Development

Tell us about yourself:

I have always really liked world culture and I actually thought about med school, but then after taking chemistry I decided I would study what doctors are doing. Then I went to Peace Corps as a health advisor, and in honing my interests, I realized I like health and water issues, water politics. I found myself drawn to more of the business aspects of non-profits in general. My skill set and my personality really aligned better with the organizational side. So in deciding to pursue that track, I wanted a grad program that would make me qualified for a lot of things and allow me to figure it out as I went along. I have really enjoyed the program. I feel like I have gotten exactly what I wanted out of it. For me, I came out of undergrad feeling like I wasn't an expert in anything. I just knew I would go back to school. What I really wanted was a program with enough variety and flexibility to be able to back and forth with different things, but be able to hone myself into something narrower as the year went on.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

I served in Peace Corps in Jamaica and I was looking at the list of Fellows program schools and Denver came up. It's far from home, which was interesting. I am from Nashville, TN and I had never lived out of the southeast. Really, something just clicked about the program when reading the information. I came and visited, and I liked how this was under the radar a little bit, yet still a great quality school. Korbel is not flashy. It is a really solid program that is a functional degree. The culture here is great. I never recycled before Peace Corps, I really just got a lot more into active, natural, healthy living. So when I was looking at prospective schools I wanted to be in a city and community that would help me foster those lifestyles living in the U.S. I knew I would need a bit of help because I would be going through transition. Denver is that perfect place to really encourage you to keep that up: health-conscious, waste resistant people. I really found that aligned with what I wanted my life to be.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Jesse Hunter.

• Erica King 2012
• MA, International Studies

• Colin Lawrence 2013
• MA, International Human Rights

• Greg Maly 2012

• MA, International Studies, Josef Korbel School of International Studies
  BA, Policy Ethics and Conflict, St. Mary's College

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I came from D.C., I'm a native Washingtonian, and I spent the last five years working for the United States Institute of Peace. I'm a musician- guitar and vocals- and I toured extensively throughout the U.S. playing funk music. I actually came to Denver a lot and liked it. I'm also really into yoga and biking.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

It has an amazing reputation and it's not in D.C., New York or Boston. I was really impressed by some of the professors. Also, all the people I hired from Korbel were great. I got into some of the D.C. schools but ultimately opted to come here. I came to Denver to make time to breathe and not feel the beltway pressure that exists. I wanted to spend some time somewhere else while I'm still growing.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Greg Maly.

• Michael Marcous 2012
• MA, Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration (GFTEI)

Tell us about yourself:
I was born in New York but I grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. I went to college to be a screenwriter but ended up with a BA in International Studies after receiving scholarships to study Islam and world politics at the University of Cambridge and Arabic in Tunis, Tunisia. I also interned for Congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen (R-FL 18th) as part of the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship prior to starting at Korbel.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?
I wanted a unique perspective on international issues and the Korbel School offers that. At the same time, the Korbel School has a solid APSIA reputation and stays connected with active policymaking centers like New York and Washington, D.C. I also have to mention the faculty here; they're not the reason I came to Korbel, per se, but they're easily the best part of the program.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student, Michael Marcous.

• Sajay Menon 2013

• MA, International Studies, Peace Corps Fellow

Tell us about yourself:
I’m Indian-American so I’m in India a lot. Growing up with the different cultures was nice and really did back my desire to go abroad. In the Peace Corps, I served in Guinea and Zambia. I started in Guinea, but there was political violence and so I was switched to Zambia. I was doing public health education.

I wound up going to Peace Corps, trying to see what I wanted to do later on in life and I just realized how much I loved working abroad and I really enjoy international work. There’s a lot of things that are pretty jading that you see, but I love international work, I love development work. But I what I really want to do is work for the State Department, affecting policy abroad. 

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?
Korbel had a really cohesive program, and I liked that a lot: a specific school for International Studies, fantastic faculty. It had a lot of really good recommendations from Peace Corps actually. Corps staff knew a lot about Korbel and the history of it. I was so psyched about getting in to Korbel. It’s not on the east coast, there are benefits to being on the east coast of course, but really you have the best program outside of D.C. and it’s in Denver, which is beautiful. You have all these amazing faculty that are that a huge draw. The program is so cohesive, yet so flexible.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Sajay Menon.

• Maureen Mersmann 2012
• MA, International Administration, Peace Corp MI

Tell us about yourself:

I grew up in rural Kansas on a dairy farm and have had a variety of careers in my adult life thus far. Throughout, I’ve been working in disaster response operations and disaster preparedness for about 7 years with the American Red Cross. I started as a volunteer after Katrina in 2005 and have had various roles within the ARC system since then, including as a local Disaster Assistance Team responder and as part of the nationally- deployable Disaster System Human Resources network. 

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

I had been trying for some time to transition from what was a volunteer experience into a career. I was finding that it is difficult to get your foot in the door, especially if you want to work globally and not just domestically. I also recognized I had certain skill deficiencies and wanted to rectify that situation. I wanted to expand my abilities in terms of monitoring and evaluation, specifically, and more generally really deepen my knowledge of global humanitarian policy and practice. Eventually I see myself in operations management and in organizational management. I was attracted to the Administration program because of its focus on practical training in quantitative analysis and management skills and because of the freedom it allowed me in terms of selecting electives. I saw the opportunity to position my specific M&E focus within a broader framework. 

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Maureen Mersmann.

• James Mockovciak 2012

• MA, International Development, Josef Korbel School of International Studies
  BA, Cultural Anthropology, Bard College

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

I was working for 15 years in the Pacific. Eight years in Fiji, where my wife is from. The project we were working on was coming to and end and I had to figure out what to do next. When you're in your 40s you don't have much leeway or the grace of time. I was interested in teaching and it became clear that an MA was a minimum. Another reason was that I was out of school for so long that I felt I exhausted my own theoretical perspective. I wanted to get back into the academic world and think.

I think Korbel definitely gives you an excellent theoretical framework that is consistent with their motto of practical idealism. I've always desired to link theory and practice. Korbel really does a superb job of giving you theory but never losing sight of what it's for. If someone is interested in a serious engagement with with world, then Korbel is a great place for them. It's more focused on the real needs of people around the world rather than just preparing you for a bureaucratic job somewhere.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student James Mockoviack.

• Laura Morales 2012
• MA, International Development

Tell us about yourself:

At Georgetown, I studied International Studies with a concentration in Development Studies. I wasn’t ready to go back to grad school immediately, so I took three years to work and travel a little bit. I worked in D.C. at a public charter school, as an office manager. I travelled a bit in South America, and then here in Colorado I worked as a case manger in Arapahoe County for the Workforce Center, and part time worked as a case manager for a foster care program. Now I am working with DU in public achievement. We go to Denver public schools and I oversee the “coaches” who go into the public schools and we help them. I really enjoy working with communities and education development.

What brought you to Korbel?

On my last travel stint I was in Brazil and I had an itch to volunteer, but I couldn't speak Portuguesse so I decided to go back to Peru and volunteer with a school. That was when I realized this I knew I wanted to go back to school. So I went back to Colorado and I applied to a few programs. Korbel was not only in CO where my family is, but I was also afraid of becoming a Latin American specialist, which is what I would have had to be with so many other schools. That is my niche and that is was I am interested in, but it is not what I want to make my career about. Korbel was one of the places where I could study Latin America but also expand my horizon and take classes that I had no background in. I still made Latin America my concentration because that is where my experience is, but the flexibility was important.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Laura Morales.

• Jonathan Moyer PhD ABD

• PhD International Studies, Josef Korbel School of International Studies
  MA International Studies, Josef Korbel School of International Studies
  BA International Business, University of Bluffton

When I came here for my Master's in International Studies, I wanted to find a way to do a Ph.D. Actually, I spent my M.A. trying to figure out what I was going to expect here.

I studied in Northern Ireland in high school and in Spain in college, and then I spent three years in Vietnam, teaching Western and American literature in a cultural-exchange program. I had plenty of international experience, but I didn't quite know what international relations meant. The three years in Vietnam was a really intense time of studying development, but the theory behind development was kind of a new piece. I tried to read some books before I started, but I had no idea what to expect. Then I came here and I saw exactly what you can do with the theory.

I started out as a research assistant for Professor Barry Hughes at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures when I first came here, and since then I've been working on the Center's various consulting projects, including those for the European Commission and the United States Institute of Peace. View Jon's profile.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Jonathan Moyer.

• Steven Myers 2012
• MA, International Security

Tell us about yourself:

While I was in college, I studied abroad in Costa Rica and then I did a summer program with the United States Indonesia society. I then lived in Indonesia for a while. I first lived in Jakarta, and then went back in 2010 and travelled around doing research with colleges. The year after I graduated, I worked for a small company that made battery powered pool vacuums, and I worked with sourcing products in China and doing operations analysis, but then I decided it time to do something with my life so I came to Korbel.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

I really liked Korbel's reputation when it came to Security studies, and I had also never been to Denver before. I came to Discover Korbel and thought, "this is awesome." I factored that in as well as the cost of living and Denver just seemed like a great place to be. I felt that Korbel had more of niche reputation, whereas I had also gotten into some D.C. schools and I thought I would be paying a lot more money and there are thousands of people coming to them each year so I might as well have my own special path.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Steven Myers.

• Kiela Parks 2012
• MA, International Human Rights

Tell us about yourself:

I'm from Santa Cruz, California, a nice little surfing town. The last job that I had before Korbel was at a law firm and when the economy took a dive I thought it was a perfect time for me to go back to school. I knew that I wanted to do this and I had just been putting it off and putting it off. My concentrations are in Security, International Law, and African Studies. Sometimes I feel like there's this dichotomy or tension between the Human Rights and Security sides and I don't think that's necessary. I think the two actually should go hand in hand, and I am trying to do my small part to bridge the gap. My previous work experience wasn't necessarily focused on international relations. I have a lot of professional experience and although it wasn't in this field, that doesn't mean it didn't prepare me. I have a ton of skills that are transferable and have served me well at Korbel. Just because you don't have the extensive years spent abroad doesn't mean there is no place for you here.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

At Korbel, there is an openness and obvious willingness of the staff to help the students. You are not just a face; you are not just a number. It's a small enough school that you can get to know the faculty and the staff members if you want to. At Korbel, it really feels like it is a collaborative effort to help students succeed and get into the field. Not because it ups the school's prestige, which it does, but because they genuinely care. Also, I was drawn to the flexibility of the program itself. I didn't want to be trapped into taking courses that I have no interest in. I feel that at this level of education, we should be able to tailor our own degree programs so that was a big draw for me too.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Kiela Parks.

• Rhiannan Price 2012
• MA, International Human Rights

Tell us about yourself:
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, I came to the Josef Korbel School to study human rights after serving two years as a community development volunteer with the Peace Corps in Dominica.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?
When deciding on a graduate program, Korbel stood out as a competitive program that would help me build the needed skills to start a career in the field. The balance of theory and practical application in the coursework and opportunities at Korbel are unmatched by other international studies programs, particularly for a student looking to study human rights.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Rhiannan Price.

• Porscha Stiger 2014

• MA, Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I grew up in Alabama and went to the University of Alabama inTuscaloosa, where I majored in International Studies and Japanese. I studied abroad in Osaka, Japan and later went back to teach English in Japan through a Sister Cities program for two years.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

I was intrigued by the GFTEI program; it's so flexible and very interdisciplinary. I don't come from a strong economic background, but I am intrigued by the different courses- there are so many I want to take! I'm interested in integrating sustainability with new technologies, such as 3D printers. I think it's important to understand the intricacies of the international financial system, especially in light of my past few years. I am a Master's International (MI) student as well, since I wanted both the academic and the Peace Corps experience.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Porscha Stiger.

• Molly Stolpman 2012
• MA, International Security, Certificate in Homeland Security

Tell us about yourself:

I'm from Anchorage, AK. I knew early on in high school that I wanted to study international affairs in college. In my undergrad, I double majored in International Studies and French language. I was able to study abroad twice. The first time was for an intensive French language program at l'Université Laval in Québec City, Québec. The second time was in Geneva, Switzerland where I interned at the Geneva Center for Security Policy while taking the last few credits I needed to graduate. Geneva had a strong impact on my decision to continue my education with a focus in international security.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

Korbel is unique in having an International Security degree. That itself was hard to find in other institutions. But the deciding factor for me was the flexibility of the programs. Korbel stood out from other schools in that it allowed students the opportunity to personalize their education. At Korbel, two students in the same program may have very distinct experiences based on the concentrations they choose, the internships they complete, and the focus of their research.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Molly Stolpman.

• Stephanie Wegmann 2012
• MA, International Development

• Amy Wong 2012
• MA, International Security

Tell Us About Yourself:

I'm originally from San Francisco, the beautiful city by the bay. I attended Wellesley College for undergrad, where I double-majored in biology and German. I also studied abroad during my junior year in Vienna, Austria. After graduation, I worked for about two years with the World Affairs Council of Northern California and then returned to Vienna as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Vienna. When I came back to the States, neither the economy nor the job market was as welcoming as I would have liked, so I completed a Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University while preparing for and applying to graduate school.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

I wanted a professional school with a strong reputation in international security. I was accepted to other prestigious APSIA institutions in D.C. and on the East Coast, but I ultimately decided on Korbel because of its location outside of the Beltway and the flexibility of its program.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Amy Wong.

• Shaye Worthman 2012
• MA, International Development

Tell us about yourself:

I am originally from a small town outside of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. As a psychology major at Xavier University I became very interested in research, co-authoring four publications with social psychologist Dr. Christian End. However, I was also intrigued by Latin American history and its development, specifically Mexico where I had studied abroad. I ended up adding Spanish as a second major and minoring in Latin American Studies. After interning my senior year for Cooperative for Education, a Cincinnati-based non-profit focused on educational development in rural Guatemala, I knew I wanted to apply my research skills in the international development field. I then spent a year teaching English in Mexico and taking my Spanish proficiency to the next level before coming to the Josef Korbel School.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?

The interdisciplinary nature of the Josef Korbel School's International Development program appealed to me. I felt it was a good mix of theoretically based courses coupled with the opportunity to take more practical courses, such as Statistics, Project Management, Project Analysis, Project Evaluation, and Econometrics. I also appreciated how the merit-based scholarships were clearly laid out according to GPA and GRE scores so I could know a head of time how it was structured and if I would qualify. This was actually a huge factor in deciding to apply. Also, Dr. Lynn Holland's Latin American-focused classes are great. Political Economic Development in Latin America is a must for anyone interested in the region!

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Shaye Worthman.

• Sahar Yarjani 2013

• MA, International Human Rights

Tell us about yourself:
I was born in Iran, but I have been living in Austria since 1998. I went to an American High School there. I lived in Vienna all that time, but my university was in a city an hour away called Krems, and basically I studied anything to do with business and management. We had to learn two other languages, so I learned Spanish and Italian. I focused on tourism and the ledger industry and we even looked into sex tourism and child sex tourism, which is now one of my courses here, so it does relate. Having that business background was really good, because even if I work at an NGO or found an NGO later you need to know how to manage, market, know accounting, and know statistics.

What brought you to the Josef Korbel School?
I applied to a bunch of other places for Women’s Rights or Conflict Resolution and my brother in-law was doing his PhD at Korbel and he told me it was an amazing university and that it was really good for these kinds of subjects. It’s one of the best in the country for human rights. At the end I was thinking I would rather study International Human Rights, the whole general scope at a really good university and then I could just focus on women’s rights. Because when I got here I could pick my own concentrations and decide what I want to focus on. Also, looking at the professors and what they’ve done was very encouraging. I see them in the field where I want to be, they’ve worked where I want to work.

Read the full interview with Josef Korbel School student Sahar Yarjani.