MASTER’S CORNER
A section of The Insider highlighting the Higher Education and Student Affairs Master’s program. For more information about the Higher Education and Student Affairs program, visit http://www.shu.edu/academics/education/ma-college-administration/index.cfm.
GIULIO JOSE REYES
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – GIULIO JOSE REYES
Prior to starting the Higher Education Master’s program, Giulio Jose Reyes attained his bachelor’s degree in Communications with a concentration in Film Studies from William Paterson University in May 2011. In Fall 2014, Giulio interned with the Center for Advising and Student Transitions department at Montclair State University. Currently, he is interning with the Campus Activities and Student Leadership department at William Paterson University.
When thinking about his favorite moment this semester, Giulio recalls participating in the weekly staff meetings at his internship. As his
colleagues present their reports, he finds he is making connections to what he has learned throughout the program. Specifically, since his department plans the alternative Spring Break trip, the material he learned in his Organization and Governance class has been practical, including topics related to insurance, New Jersey laws, budget systems, how they are used, and the breakdown of the budget. Though at first he didn’t understand these concepts, he is happy to be able to apply his knowledge in his work. He has also been able to think about Higher Ed trends such as tenured versus non-tenured faculty.
Giulio’s main goal in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program is to become a better writer. He remembers receiving his first paper which was filled with red marks and comments about his grammar. This lowered his esteem at first, but later gave him the encouragement to work on his writing skills. As each semester passed, Giulio improved his expertise through the papers he wrote for each course. Through the Master’s program, he is proud that his writing has vastly improved.
Since he will be graduating this year, Giulio has some great advice for current Master’s students in our program. He says “don’t rush through the program, instead try to get as much as possible from this experience.” Giulio believes that each course in our program is designed to help develop our understanding of higher education and help mold us professions coming into the field. “Take advantage of the support from the faculty because they are phenomenal in the sense that they provide you with all the necessary resources that you need and are always there if you need them.” Making friends with classmates is also a good source of relationships, networking, and
stress relief as many are also going through the same experiences. “I would also recommend students get affiliated with higheredjobs.com because that will give them an idea of what is expected in the work field and help them narrow what they want to do within our field.”
Giulio’s dream is to get job within higher education as soon as possible in order to help financially support his family. Throughout this journey, his family played a major supportive role in motivating him to finish the program. Giulio is looking forward to networking at the upcoming NASPA conference to explore potential administrative employment opportunities. Best of luck, Giulio!