Joseph Massad is heading to the Peace Corps!
1. What opportunity are you pursuing after graduation?
-"After considering entering the work force, continuing on to Grad School, and undertaking public service, I have decided to pursue a volunteer position with the Peace Corps."
2. How has your PoliSci degree prepared you for the job after graduation?
-"Although not directly related to working with the Peace Corps, my Political Science degree has helped me to think and analyze situations from various perspectives and solve challenges creatively. Within the Peace Corps, individuals are expected to be able to adapt to the situation that their host country needs, and my time as a student in the Political Science department has trained me to be flexible when it comes to solving problems, whether in individual or group assignments."
3. Where do you plan on going in the future?
-"After completing my Peace Corps service, I plan on attending Grad school in order to get a Master's in International Policy Studies, focusing on the processes and institutions that contribute to democratic formation and consolidation. It has been my dream to work in formulating U.S. foreign policy, and my degree from Notre Dame has given me a concrete foundation to build my policy skills in order to work in the government, a think tank, or an NGO."
4. What advice would you give to someone considering a Poli Sci major?
-"I would definitely recommend taking classes that sound interesting to the student. When I first started my Political Science track, I thought I would only enjoy the International Relations subset, but by choosing classes that seemed to be both challenging and rewarding, I have switched to a predominately Comparative focus. I couldn't be happier that I branched out and selected these courses based on the abstract."
The Peace Corps- how exciting! Good Luck, Joseph! I'm sure you will do great work with them!