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.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – KRISTAL ROSS
KRISTAL ROSS
“I was born in Jamaica, and came to the United States to further my education,” says Kristal Ross, a master’s student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. She was drawn to Seton Hall University because of the cultural diversity that it offers: “It truly compliments my experiences by allowing me to understand different backgrounds and being able to compare others’ educational experiences to my own.”
Kristal attended Essex County Community College at the age of 16, where she earned her associate’s degree in criminal justice. Following the completion of her associate’s in 2009, she then transferred to Rutgers University, where she continued in the criminal justice field, earning her bachelor’s degree in 2010. Kristal is currently employed with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office as a Sheriff’s Officer. Her course work does not specifically relate to her professional position, however, a long term goal of Kristal’s is to be able to develop a student affairs program that may assist students interested in the field of law enforcement, by offering civil service testing materials and general guidance in the field.
As an academic advising intern at Montclair State University, Kristal met with students who had low GPAs or were on academic probation. There, she developed several types of communication skills as well as learn how to relate to each student she met with using those skills.
Two goals Kristal has had while in the master’s program are to develop a broader scope of knowledge for herself going from criminal justice and venturing into the field of higher education. She finds it very important to be able to learn other skills and be exposed to other materials than those learned in the required major courses. In addition, taking the program courses allowed Kristal to meet students who were in different programs at Seton Hall University, which has taught her to value their educational paths.
The most important advice is Kristal has for current master’s students in our program is to have organization: “Once a student has a plan and knows what classes to take in the right sequence, it becomes easier each semester.”
Best of luck to Kristal on her anticipated spring 2016 graduation!