Jane Lewis
M.A. Organizational Psychology, 2004
When she celebrated her 40th birthday, Jane Lewis was raising two toddlers and in her third year of full-time motherhood. She thought of it as retirement from a successful yet demanding career in marketing and advertising.
She also had more questions than answers about life and purpose and where she fit in. She was drawn to entering the workforce again, but knew that any time spent away from family would have to be personally fulfilling. After researching several options, Lewis decided to pursue a degree in organizational psychology at Antioch.
"To date, it has been one of the most important and rewarding decisions of my life. In addition to the warm and caring atmosphere created by the faculty and staff at Antioch, my learning has taken me on a journey through the integration of business, science, religion, psychology and personal growth. Self-awareness and reflection are the common thread woven through an education based on theoretical and practical application – and at every turn, students are asked to self-select areas of study we feel most passionate about.
"I now have a treasure chest of tools for effectively managing change and leadership development at the individual, departmental and organizational level of a company. My consulting and coaching practice is underway and it is more rewarding than I could have imagined," Lewis says.
With the experiential learning created in practical organizational development areas such as conflict management, group facilitation and large group interventions, I feel I am making the world a better place by creating positive change, one person at a time."
Wendy Olsen
M.A. Organizational Psychology, 2003
For many years, Wendy Olsen looked for a graduate education that would combine her love of political theory and social psychology while leveraging her experience in operations management.
"I had been accepted into a psychology program at the University of Washington and a political science program at Baylor University in Texas, both of which I decided not to pursue because they didn't seem to be the right path for me to follow.
"When I came across the Organizational Psychology Program at Antioch, I knew I finally had found what I had been seeking. Now, after completing the degree, I know I made the right choice.
"Beyond fulfilling the expectations I’ve described, Antioch treated me to the discovery of systems thinking. It’s a perspective and skill I know will make me stand out among my peers from other university programs.
"Antioch allowed me to explore my own passions in the field, which ultimately led to leadership and staff development programs. I elected to pursue a 400-hour internship in the Boeing Leadership Center as my reflective practicum project. There, I gained practical experience by applying classroom knowledge in a corporate environment.
"Most importantly, this program helped me to discover my own leadership capabilities and enhanced my ability to effectively lead others in the discovery of their own dormant leadership skills.
"Antioch offered many opportunities for involvement and I took advantage of them to further enhance my education and leadership. Of these, assistant teaching as well as membership on the Student Services Council and the faculty selection committee were particularly useful. I was able to take risks and explore my own emerging talents in the field of organizational psychology."
|
