High School/Hometown: I went to South Brunswick High School and am from Princeton, New Jersey.
Education: B.A., Rutgers University (Comparative Literature, with a minor in Modern Greek Studies)
Year of RU Graduation: 2015
Current Position:
I am Unit Administrator/Specialist for the Teaching and Learning with Technology Department at Rutgers University.
What does the company do?
The department provides technical support for students, faculty, and staff at Rutgers for the various online learning systems.
Why did you decide to take courses in Modern Greek (language)? If you pursued the minor in Modern Greek Studies, why did you decide to do this?
I decided to take Modern Greek courses to refine my language skills, as well as learn more about the culture and history. For similar reasons, I pursued the minor; I wanted the confidence of knowing a second language with full comprehension. I was a Comparative Literature Major, and knowing not just a second language but about another culture was important in my academic focus.
What did you like the most about your Greek classes? If you took the minor, what did you like most in the other approved courses for the minor that you took (e.g., history, political science, religion)?
In my Greek classes I really appreciated the ones that combined language practice with learning about the current news of Greece, as well as more recent history. My favorite class related to the minor was definitely the Greek film course because along with being an interesting general film class, it touched a lot on what was and still is considered mainstream Greek culture, intertwining history, religion, and regional differences.
Considering your current position and successes, was there anything in the classes or experiences you had, in pursuing Modern Greek and/or Modern Greek Studies, that contributed to your perspectives and accomplishments?
My Greek classes really taught me to appreciate attention to detail; whether it was a language class where we learned the etymology of words and general language structures, or a class about how the past 50 years have changed the Greek economy and thus its way of life.
Were you able to participate in any of the Modern Greek Studies Program’s approved locations overseas — i.e., the summer program in Thessaloniki, or the semester/AY programs at CYA in Athens and ACT in Thessaloniki? How did such experiences impact you?
I did participate in the summer program in 2014. It was an experience that taught me a lot about independence and about what it potentially means to live in Greece in the 21st century. It is to live in and access a place that has an unthinkably long history, but is also dealing with issues that seem so modern but have been so constant.
What advice would you give students thinking about studying Modern Greek, or taking the MGSP minor, but haven’t made up their minds?
I would definitely say it is worth it to study Modern Greek. Learning another language is always enriching, and the Modern Greek program at Rutgers is not just about learning vocabulary and verb tenses, but offers a lot of context with its classes. The classes are great for improving your critical thinking skills in regards to how to approach topics you don’t know and your general knowledge of the world. If anything, you will learn how to appreciate a wider view of the world not just through the lens of Greece, but what it means to study a culture that is not one you live in.