Odyssey Bound October 2012

CAREER SERVICES AT ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE | SANTA FE | OCTOBER 2012

INSIDE YOU’LL FIND INTERVIEW WITH DAVID LEVINE How Career Services Can Help YOU Early Internships Graduate School Exams Upcoming On-Campus Events!

Career Services Office Contact: Career Services 505-984-6066 Fax 505-984-6167 Web address: www.stjohnscollege. edu/admin/SF/career.shtml AGORA: www.myinterfase.com/sjcsf/student Facebook: www.facebook.com/sjcsf careerservices Email: careerservices@sjcsf.edu Office located in the basement of Weigle Hall, Room 13

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or by appointment Career Services Staff: Margaret Odell Director Barbara Lucero Sand Assistant Director Chelsea Allen Internship Coordinator Christine Kng Publications Editor Allen Matsika Research Assistant Melissa Latham-Stevens Art Director

Introduction to Odyssey Bound 2012-2013

by Christine Kng

There are, in this school year, 438 different reasons why students come to St. John’s College. Yet the Program is ultimately the same program for all of us, and we experience it in ways that are not too different. We read the same books and share the same classes.

We think about what it means to be fully human, how to live a good life; we explore the foundations of mathematics and the sciences; we study the ancients and the Renaissance up close. Our minds and souls approach the heights. And then, at the end of it, we graduate. What comes next? How do we bring ourselves into the world, and not experience, as Faust does, “The god that dwells within my heart Can stir my depths, I cannot hide – Rules all my powers with relentless art, But cannot move the world outside”?

The focus of Odyssey Bound 2012-2013 will be on action, on “moving the world outside”; on – in one phrase – the transition from St. John’s to the world.

Being in the Program, being fully immersed in it, we easily begin to believe that things which we find in the world are less meaningful than the realms of meaning we discover in theories and books. We end up, when we graduate, trying to find things in the world outside that resemble what we see in St. John’s. Yet there are many things to be done in the world which are as interesting, and as important, as immersing ourselves here, and bringing a St. John’s education into these things will be fruitful and beneficial to both. Our participation in the world will be good for society, and will likewise refine and activate the wisdom that we carry from St. John’s.

We sometimes say at St. John’s that the fruit of this education, the knowledge we gain, is for the sake of itself. This newsletter will spend the rest of the year giving a contrasting perspective through articles, statistics, interviews, and lastly, of course, through the books. Let us begin with quoting Aristotle: “For someone who contemplates, there is no need of other things for his being-at-work; rather, one might say they get in the way of his contemplating. But insofar as he is a human being and lives in company with a number of people, he chooses to do the things that have to do with virtue, and thus will have need of other things in order to live a human life.” (N. Ethics, 1178b)

Welcome to Agora If you haven’t already, log in to your Agora account to post your resume, find jobs, meet alumni mentors, and more. Right now, we have an extensive resource library with resume help, job tips, graduate school information, and over 280 alumni mentors ready to talk with you about your future.

To explore Agora, or open a new account, go to: http://www.myinterfase.com/sjcsf/student.

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Outcomes Observations of Outcomes after St. John’s College An Interview with David Levine

Photo by Christopher Quinn

by Christine Kng

I’d never met him before I emailed him to request an interview for Odyssey Bound, but in the course of the interview and the conversations we had afterwards, the contemplative wisdom of his views – and his person – came across to me very strongly. In one of those conversations, he said, in passing, “It’s clear from the interview that you’re very concerned with the world,” and I interjected, “More so than you?” He didn’t answer my question directly, but said – much of what he said is echoed in the interview – that he has been in the world, and he’s older, and has more experience. He said – it’s easier to be certain about the value of an education here after years have passed, and you’re able to look back and see what St. John’s has enabled you to do.

The following are only excerpts – in order to fully experience his gentle wisdom, you need to read his Dean’s lectures, or better yet, have a conversation with him. But here is a start.

ACQUIRED SKILLS Learning to learn “I gave a commencement address a few years ago, and said that the one thing we learn at St. John’s is courage. We confront very difficult texts every day, and by this we confront our own limitations. Over time, we learn how to deal with difficulty – we’re not daunted or discouraged, or perhaps we might be initially, but after a while, we take it as a challenge. In the commencement address, I told a story about a graduate of Santa Fe who became an executive with a large corporation. His job required a great deal of technical knowledge and judgment. Before a board meeting one morning, I asked him, ‘Did you go to engineering school?’ He said: ‘No, I read Newton.’ By that, he meant: there’s no other text as difficult as Newton. And so he was able to teach himself all the technical things he needed to know in order to oversee his area of responsibility.

“It was a typical Johnnie experience: ‘Oh, I can do that, I’ll just learn that.’ There are many people I went to school with who ended up doing things in the world – who continue to amaze. They all say the same thing: St. John’s taught them how to learn.

They never ceased learning; they were eager to learn, to take up responsibilities and take on challenges, and they are the better for it.”

Freeing the mind “One of the things most people are impressed with about our graduates is their openness: their willingness to talk about, reflect on and examine things that other people either take for granted or dismiss out of hand. We are not narrow or dogmatic in a way that many people can be; we are willing to see the other side of the position, and we are opened to different possibilities, which is only possible if we ourselves aren’t entrenched in very narrow commitments. Day after day in class, we challenge ourselves with propositions in mathematics, experiments in lab, or difficult texts in seminar, and we are forced to put in abeyance our previous opinions, and open ourselves to seeing the world from someone else’s eyes. All of this requires that we free ourselves from dogmatism and from any native stubbornness. We realize that we can learn from others, and we develop a facility of mind which allows us to incorporate more than just our own opinions in the way we see the world and live in it.”

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PROCESS OF TRANSITION Difficulty, hard work “Oh, no. Nothing is easy for St. John’s graduates or for anyone. There’s always a steep learning curve. There’s the world out there, and any occupation of any sort is going to involve an enormous effort and a number of years to acquire the necessary skills, background, training, whatever.

Nothing is easy. On the other hand, I think, or I hope – maybe it’s more a hope – that we’re not discouraged by difficulty or daunted by challenges. Like I said, we’ve learned courage.

“There are necessary things to be done to begin this transition – going to Career Services, etc. But whether and how one makes the most of one’s opportunities has to do with the individual and what they’re prepared to do, and in part, that is what their education has prepared them to do.

There is no easy road, no – medical school is hard, business school is hard. Any field or area that one goes into is going to require extraordinary dedication, extraordinary energy, and extraordinary focus. Are we ready to take on the challenges? My hope is that the answer is yes, more often than no.”

OUTCOME Lifelong readers “When Johnnies get together... I think of friends or people who were students with me and it’s interesting to see how, whenever we get together, we’re always talking about something and trying to see it in all its different facets. Our experience here in asking probing questions about a book lends itself well to discovering life in all its richness. And it’s certainly not just an academic skill; we’re learning something that makes possible a very rich and exciting view of the world. The practice of trying to think through these very difficult authors sticks with us, and we will become ready to take on all sorts of difficult challenges.

“And these are of the modern world, of the real world– Absolutely. A lot of people I know have gone into computers, and they actually find it easy. The corporate executive told me, “I read Newton.” He may not remember Newton’s third law, but the experience of tackling, of thinking through and overcoming the difficulties of any particular author stays with us. There’s something in what we do that stays with us for a lifetime.

That’s the real reward of an education like this.

“A friend of mine is an oncologist in the City of Hope hospital. He’s very famous, and he says two things: first, of all his accomplishments, and there are many, he only has one thing hanging on his wall, and that’s his St. John’s diploma. Second, he says that when he does rounds in the hospital, his rounds are longer than everybody else’s, because he’s asking questions… it’s rather like a peripatetic seminar. You don’t just want to know the answers; you want to know what people are thinking, what their questions were, that led them to those answers. And that helps us in all aspects outside St. John’s. People remain Johnnies.”

Gifts “I’m obviously optimistic about our graduates. Our graduates aren’t necessarily as optimistic initially; they have to face… what one of my students used to call the ‘R’ words – ‘Responsibility’, and ‘Reality’.

There’s always a transition. Once people land on their feet, I think they’ll come to appreciate that they’ve benefitted more from St. John’s and have more to give than perhaps they realized...

“In the charter to the college, it says that the intention of the college is to make citizens and people of character. When it comes down to it, graduates of this college are really just readers and thinkers and artists; we do what we do, and even after graduation we continue to make that an important part of our day, making the most

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out of whatever situation we find ourselves in. But this means that we live in the world and are open to the world, and this involves reading other books, talking to other people, travelling, and seeing other ways of life.

And above all, we move towards contributing to our community, being responsible and mature leaders, and good parents.”

David Lawrence Levine began his education at the University of Pennsylvania, before transferring to the Annapolis campus of St. John’s College, graduating in 1967. He went on to complete an M.A. and a PH.D. at Pennsylvania State University, then spent several years in Paris and West Germany, taught for several years at Penn and Oklahoma State, before coming back to St. John’s College, Santa Fe, in 1986. He was Assistant Dean in 1997, Director of the Graduate Institute from 1997 to 2001, and Dean from 2001 to 2006.

Resources Resources Available in Career Services Agora – The Career Services data management system; students can upload resumes, search and apply for local and national jobs, and make contact with alumni mentors who can offer advice about life after graduation including jobs, careers, and graduate school. Check it out: http://www.myinterfase.com/sjcsf/student Job Board – We post work-study, local, national, and summer job information on the boards outside the office (downstairs Weigle).

Galen Mancino (AN12), with Margaret Odell (Director of Career Services), figuring out what to do post-graduation.

Internships – We can help you find and apply for internships. We also coordinate the ARIEL internship stipend program.

Scholarships and Fellowships – We provide information and assistance with applying for national and international programs.

Odyssey Bound – You’re looking at it! We’ll be here all year to highlight current internship, scholarship, job, volunteer, and travel opportunities, as well as graduate programs, events, and other pertinent information.

Graduate School – We help with researching schools and programs, and assist with the application process, including editing statements of purpose, resumes, and more.

Letters of Recommendation – We help coordinate the tutors’ letters of recommendation for internships, graduate schools, and job applications.

Workshops and Handouts – We provide a wealth of tips on applications, resumes, job hunting, and interview techniques, and samples of successful resumes, cover letters, etc.

Alumni – We can connect you with alumni so that you can talk about how they made the transition from SJC to a particular graduate school or career.

Forums and Recruiters – We bring in speakers and recruiters throughout the year to introduce you to great study-abroad programs, grad schools, careers, and special programs like Projects for Peace and JET. General services – We’re always here to talk face-to-face about future plans, even if you aren’t sure where you want to go; we can help talk through ideas and make preliminary plans, including research. Career Services also has computers available, can assist with faxes and long-distance phone calls.

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Internships What is ARIEL??

ARIEL is the college-funded internship program at St. John’s-Santa Fe. The Ariel Internship Program, created in 2004, provides undergraduates with stipends to pursue unpaid summer internships in the field of their choice. It is open to current full-time undergraduates at the Santa Fe campus (this includes transfer students from Annapolis, graduating seniors, and students planning on taking a year off – international students are also eligible, but should talk to Career Services about the specific guidelines). Ariel awards up to $3,600 for general internships and up to $4,000 for biomedical internships. The amount of the award varies by situation, depending on the amount requested and the duration of the internship.

Since more and more internships are unpaid these days, Ariel’s financial support allows students to dedicate themselves to the internship experience without the need for summer employment. It is a chance to immerse yourself in a field before you’re committed to it.

If you can’t find internships in your field of interest, the great thing about Ariel is that you can CREATE YOUR OWN INTERNSHIP! The Career Services staff is here to help students find appropriate mentors in their field of interest, and assist them in constructing a successful internship. Often, St. John’s alumni provide great opportunities for students who wish to create their own internship.

Previous Ariel interns have pursued positions in neurology, immunology, journalism, politics, public policy, law, photography, biology, education, botany, architecture, foreign service, and more! Stop by Career Services to brainstorm for your internship, and make a plan to apply. The deadline for Ariel applications is in early February, but starting now will improve your chances of landing the internship of your dreams.

Alexander Harris, Ariel Intern 2012, with the City Planning Commission in Philadelphia.

New Internship Coordinator: Chelsea Allen “I am very glad to have joined St. John's as the new Internship Coordinator. As an undergraduate, I majored in Business Management, but I've always had a very broad love of learning and great interest in the areas of thought that comprise the Liberal Arts. That interest eventually led me to the graduate program at St. John’s. Once here, this position seemed like a great way to utilize my business background in service to the St. John's community.

“As students, you may ask yourself, ‘Why complete an internship?’ The best reason to do an internship might not be to gain insight into a particular industry or field of interest, or even to help you network and secure a job after graduation – although these are often part of successful internships. Rather, the most compelling reason to do an internship (especially for a Johnnie!) might be that you always learn something of value from them, and they often prove a real complement to the rest of your education.

“Internships are an opportunity to practice what you have gained from a liberal education: particularly, thoughtfulness and curiosity, superior communications skills, a capacity for wrangling with difficult problems or questions, and analytical, reasoned thought. Furthermore, internships and liberal education both contribute something to preparing you for the life of a good citizen, for the life of a contributing member of the polis.”

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Chelsea Allen, Internship Coordinator Office hours: M-F 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (closed for lunch) Weigle basement Meet Chelsea on Oct 9, 12.15-1.30 p.m., at the JCR! She (and Ariel interns from this past summer) will be talking about the Ariel internship program and answering questions.

Internships Early Internship Deadlines

PUBLIC POLICY

In the competitive market for internships and opportunities, it’s always smart to start early. Below are internships with upcoming deadlines:

FOREIGN SERVICE U.S. Department of State’s Summer Internship – Internship for students interested in foreign service. Opportunities to intern in Washington DC or abroad.

Application deadline November 2.

For more information visit http://careers.state.gov/students/programs

Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs Internship (Princeton University) – This public policy internship offers an opportunity to work with various organizations to learn skills to build a future career in public policy or international affairs.

Application deadline November 1.

For more information visit http://wws.princeton.edu/jsi/programsfellowships/

TEACHING

JOURNALISM TIME Inc. Internships – Time Inc. offers internships in reporting and video journalism, graphics, page design, photography, copy editing, and digital media.

Application deadline for all internships is October 27.

For more information visit http://www.nytimes-internship.com/ Boston Globe Internships – Interns will work closely with coaches and staff on general assignments, researching, and writing articles.

Application deadline November 1.

For more information visit http://internships.about.com/od/journalism/p/TheBoston-Globe-Internship-Program.htm Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Internships – Summer internships in business reporting, multimedia editing, news editing, or sports editing.

Application deadline November 1.

For more information visit http://www.dowjones.com/djcom/careers/newspaperfund-interns.asp The Wall Street Journal Internships - Opportunities available in photo/ infographics, video, web-site editing/graphics, as well as reporting.

Application deadline November 1.

For more information visit http://www.dowjones.com/djcom/careers/wsj-interns.asp Washington Post Internship –12-week internships available for reporters on local, financial, sports, style, and editorial beats, or for visual journalists, multiplatform/ interactivity producers, and web designers.

Application deadline November 1.

For more information visit http://intern.washpost.com/

’T DONS! MIS

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Mississippi Teacher Corps Summer Internship – Interns will work in summer school activities, office work, recruiting, and field trips at lowincome schools in the Mississippi Delta region.

Rolling Applications, First application deadline October 15, last deadline March 15. Start early!

For more information visit http://mtc.olemiss.edu/about/summer-internship

OTHER CIA Internships – Interns will work in analytic offices and centers, attend meetings, and work with CIA staff on projects.

Application deadline October 15.

For more information visit https://www.cia.gov/ careers/student-opportunities/index.html#undergradint Peace Corps Internships – Internships in advocacy, communications, and media/technology.

Rolling applications, but the earlier the better.

For more information visit http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/contact-us/internships/ A recruiter from the Peace Corps will be coming down to St. John’s on Nov 7, 11-1.30 p.m., in the PSC hallway. Don’t miss the chance to speak with him!

Graduate School Graduate School Entrance exams are required for almost all graduate and professional school programs.

Here are specific tests and dates for 2012-2013: GRE (General Record Exam) for graduate or business school admission.

For information on registering for a computer-based test (given year round), the new score reporting options, and testing locations go to http://www.ets.org/gre.

LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) is administered 8 times each year at select locations. Test dates remaining for 2012-2013 are December 1st and 3rd and February 9th and 11th.

For information about testing locations, preparation, registration, and scores go to http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/test-dates-deadlines.asp.

GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) also for admission to graduate business school programs. This computer-based test is given year round.

For information about test format, registration, preparation and scores go to http://www.mba.com/.

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) for students applying to medical school.

St. John’s students need to take a series of pre-requisite classes (primarily chemistry and biology) before they are ready to take the MCAT. For details about the test go to https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/.

Whether you are just beginning to think about graduate school or are immersed in the actual application process, remember that Margaret Odell and the Career Services staff are here to assist by discussing how to research and choose a list of schools, reading statements of purpose, clarifying unusual application requirements, or collecting letters of recommendation.

Graduate School Deadlines The next issue of Odyssey Bound will be coming out in the first weeks of November. There will be information on Graduate Schools and Internships.

If you’re thinking of applying to Graduate School for Fall 2013, and you haven’t done anything, and you’re considering waiting for the next issue to come out, please go to Career Services and make an appointment with Margaret Odell now. Talk about what you’re interested in, or if you don’t know what you’re interested in, talk about why you’re interested in Graduate School. Deadlines are quickly approaching; and that’s alright as long as you know what your deadlines are.

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Volunteer Opportunities If you’re looking for something extra to do this year…

Check out these great opportunities – right in town!

Big Brothers Big Sisters – www.bbbs.org or www.bbbsnorthernnm.org Santa Fe Alliance for Science Tutoring Positions – www.sfafs.org/about.asp Santa Fe Children’s Museum – www.santafechildrensmuseum.org Citizen Schools Teaching Apprenticeships – www.citizenschools.org/volunteer.

Kitchen Angels – http://kitchenangels.org Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families – www.esperanzashelter.org United Way – http://liveunited.org, or for the local Santa Fe chapter, www.uwsfc.org/resource/2011/volunteer-opportunities VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) – http://www.americorps.gov/about/p rograms/vista.asp To conduct your own search, also check out: www.volunteermatch.org http://servenet.org www.idealist.org www.1-800-volunteer.org

See Agora for Details of these Events and any Updates!

T’S WHA NING E P HAP ON !

PUS CAM

October 9

Ariel Internship Introduction Presentation, Junior Common Room, 12:15 -1:30 p.m.

Bring your lunch and meet the new Internship Coordinator, Ms. Chelsea Allen who will outline the Ariel Internship program and answer questions. Listen to former Ariel interns speak about their experiences and give tips on the application process.

October 9

International Relations Study Group Special Guest Presentation, Levan Hall, Room 303, 4:30 p.m.

State Department’s Diplomat in Residence at the University of New Mexico, Steve Maloney, recently served as Consul General at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. He will present his thoughts on the current situation in Pakistan for the International Relations Study Group. Anyone interested in this topic is invited to attend this presentation.

October 16

National and International Scholarships Presentation, Senior Common Room, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

If you are thinking about more education after St. John’s, come and learn about ways to finance that study through national and international scholarship competitions and school-specific financial aid options.

October 23

Graduate School Panel, Senior Common Room, 12-1:30 p.m.

Bring your lunch as tutors share their experiences with choosing and applying for various graduate schools and what they actually experienced once they matriculated. Topics will include finding the best graduate school for your needs and interests, entrance exams, scholarships and other financial aid sources and how graduate classes are similar to and different from St. John’s. Great event for anyone beginning to think seriously about graduate or professional school or for those not yet sure of their next step.

October 24

Projects for Peace Presentation, Senior Common Room, 12:15-1:30 p.m.

St. John’s College has once again received an invitation from Kathryn Wasserman Davis and the Davis United World College Scholars Program for any interested undergraduates on our campus to design grassroots “Projects for Peace,” that will take place in the summer of 2013. Bring your lunch and find out all about the proposal process and deadlines, and receive an example of a successful proposal. Participants from this past summer’s project will be on hand to discuss their experiences and offer tips on the application process.

November 7

Statement of Purpose Workshop, Senior Common Room, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

Discussion and examples of good and bad statements, and an opportunity to work with the Writing Archon, Writing Assistants, and Career Services on your statement of purpose.

December 5

Ariel Internship Application Workshop, Senior Common Room, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

See examples of good and bad Ariel applications, and hear advice for presenting the very best application. This is a workshop and perfect opportunity to begin the application process or discuss any ideas or areas of concern, so bring your application and any working materials with you!

ENDNOTES We’re on Facebook!!

Look us up – www.facebook.com/sjcsfcareerservices – and stay updated on important dates and opportunities!

Check us out online!

Previous and current issues of Odyssey Bound can be found online at www.stjohnscollege.edu/admin/SF/career_newsletter.shtml or in the Agora Resource Library.

Disclaimer: The St. John’s College Career Services Office produces Odyssey Bound as a service to St. John’s College students and community members for their career development and educational and life planning. Any jobs or other opportunities listed herein do not indicate an endorsement or recommendation from St. John’s College or the Career Services Office.

Students and individuals from the St. John’s College community are responsible for all necessary precautions when interviewing for or accepting these positions or awards. They are also responsible for checking the credentials and integrity of all employers or organizations. St. John’s College and the Career Services Office assume no liability for acts or omissions by third parties or for material supplied by them. The St. John’s College Career Services Office is not responsible for anything that happens at a given job site. The presence of an employment listing in Odyssey Bound does not guarantee any given employer’s compliance with legal behavior. If a student or individual experiences discrimination or sexual harassment on the job or in a job interview, he or she is encouraged to call the Department of Fair Employment in the state in which the violation occurred. Career Services makes every effort to publish the most current information, but unforeseen publishing problems may render some events obsolete. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause the reader.

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