Dear all,
This year, TWELVE amazing students graduated with a certificate in Middle Eastern Studies.
On behalf of the MESP, the International Division, and IRIS, it is my pleasure to congratulate you all on your graduation from UW–Madison! The global perspective that you added to your academic pursuits will give you the best tools to become global citizens, engaged in better understanding cultures, languages and people.
We are very proud of you: Saja Abu Hakmeh, Yasmeen Abuzeid, Devorah Fisher, Ryan Foley, Allison Gliner, Chloe Hattenhauer, Asher Low, Michael Makowski, Katelyn Metcalfe, Jiaan Rameshk, Abby Roberts, Sam Wallace.
Here are some snapshots of our MESP certificate students’ academic trajectory and a few words that some of them wanted to share with our whole community:
- Katelyn Metcalfe majored in Communication Arts (Radio/TV/Film), got two certificates in Middle Eastern Studies and Jewish Studies. “For the future I am looking to travel a bit, gain more knowledge on areas and cultures I am not familiar with, and hopefully land a job at some point where I am helping others. One class I really enjoyed was AH 373 Great Cities of Islam. It was very interesting to learn about new places in the Middle East I have not studied before. It was amazing to see the beautiful architecture and gain background knowledge on these sites. Thank you for putting this together.“
- Allison Gliner majored in Communication Arts on the Rhetorical Studies track, with two certificates in Middle East Studies and African Studies. “I’m hoping in a couple years to go back to school to get either a Masters or JD. Plans for the near future: I’m moving to DC in December to work at FTI Consulting in their Strategic Communications department. I hope that this is the first step in achieving my career goal of International communication, policy, and law. The Arabic department and my studies abroad in Amman, Jordan have been a hallmark of my studies at Madison. I love the language and the culture that surrounds it and I have UW to thank for giving me the resources to explore my interests and passion in Arabic and Middle East Studies.
- Ryan Foley majored in anthropology, with two certificates in Archaeology and Middle East studies. “While my original plans for the future revolved around finding internship opportunities before continuing my education, the immediate future has become a hazy given the present situations. I still hope to take a year or two off from college, finding work or internships, before returning to pursue a graduate degree most in anthropology or a related field. As for the Middle East Studies Program, I came to appreciate the diversity of the program throughout my undergraduate career both in terms of academic courses and the people involved. There are a variety of wonderful courses in a number of disciplines that are available to students and, through taking some of them, I was able to meet a wide range of people from across the globe that I would have not met otherwise.”
- Saja Abu Hakmeh majored in Gender-Women’s Studies and Psychology, with two certificates: in Middle East Studies and Criminal Justice. “I am going to graduate school for psychology to become a therapist. Taking courses in MES was one of the biggest highlights of my undergraduate career. Being exposed to Middle Eastern literature, film, art, and architecture has been a beautiful experience and has opened me up to a world of creativity and history I’m excited to learn more about!”
- Chloe Hattenhauer majored in Political Science, with a certificate in Middle East Studies. “As far as future plans, I’m still searching for a job, but also considering going to grad school after a year or two and studying something closely related to the Middle East. Something that stood out to me about the Middle East Studies Program was the great faculty and professors I had, especially in my Arabic language classes. I genuinely feel like I learned so much about this region and am well equipped to face the challenges involved with US/Middle East relations. In addition, I had the chance to experience the life and culture of this region through a study abroad program in Jordan, which affirmed my passion for cross-cultural understanding and inspired me to hopefully continue studying Arabic even after I graduate.”
We wish you all the best for your next milestone.
On Wisconsin!