Veronica Perez, M.A., Class of 2016

“Upon graduating with my Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the American Graduate School in Paris, I joined the AmeriCorps national service, where I served as a Language Acquisition Aide in Washington, D.C., working with recently migrated students. I was specifically placed to work with migrated populations because of my international background and language knowledge. After completing my service year, I stayed on as an employee of the District of Columbia public school system.

My work consists in providing educational and socio-emotional support for recently migrated students in the International Academy of a high school. Immigrant students face a litany of challenges that include interrupted education, family reunification, long work schedules, language attainment, immigration stress, and fear due to America’s political climate. Every student has a different life experience and these challenges affect how they are able to function in school. My job is to get to know their specific challenges, learn what their goals are, and to help fill in the educational gaps. I would have never considered a position like this before, but I now realize that this is an invaluable experience that I will be able to apply to a career in research, policy, or journalism.

Prior to applying to the AGS Master’s program, I double-majored in Sociology and Media Studies and minored in Philosophy. I applied to AGS because I wanted the experience of living in a new culture in addition to the degree. My experience at AGS informs the work that I do with my students every day. I am able to understand the economic and political struggles of the places they come from; the issue of educational attainment for migrated students is a growing global one. Furthermore, I look at their situations through a student’s lens. When I have questions, I look for the answers in literature. This perspective has helped me turn my current position into an educational opportunity.

A few weeks ago, a female student from Central America asked me what the highest level of education I have is. She was shocked when I told her that I received my Master’s Degree. “Miss!” she said, “You can’t tell what someone knows just by looking at them. Man, woman, skin, clothes–you don’t know.” That was the proudest I had felt since completing my degree. Not because I have a piece of paper that somehow makes me more specialized than the person next to me, but because I may have chipped away at an unrealized stereotype and brought the idea of educational attainment a little bit closer to her.

It would be an absolute lie to say that I know what my next step is or what my exact career will be. However, I can say that I am in a great place to move forward because of my time spent at AGS. My degree is and will be put to good use as I continue in this direction. If I’ve learned anything while in Paris, it is that the world is a lot bigger than you can ever imagine.”