As an alumnus of the International Studies Program at Missouri Southern State University, I am extraordinarily saddened to learn of potential changes to the international program.
This amazing international program, right in my “back yard,” is what influenced me to stay home and attend MSSU rather than move away to college. Enrolling at an affordable university with a unique international mission provided me more opportunity to explore the world than many top rated universities.
During my time at MSSU, I traveled to Costa Rica to study Biology 101, participated in a semester exchange in South Korea and received the McCaleb Initiative for Peace to study peace history in Costa Rica. This intensive learning outside the classroom and exposure to the world further encouraged my budding interest in culture, international affairs and environmental conservation. I also had amazing exposure to culture in the classroom, while taking anthropology with Dr. Conrad Gubera, world literature with Dr. Joy Dworkin, and contemporary India with Dr. Wells.
MSSU’s international program and its accompanying mission is not only top-notch, but is a unique and progressive element not found in many institutions of its size. I am grateful for the opportunities MSSU afforded me in my field, to challenge myself, to see the world and to provide me with an education which served as the basis for my career in the international arena. It is my hope that the program will continue to expand, allowing more students these amazing opportunities through MSSU’s top-notch international program.
April Stanley Njari
Arlington, Va.
