London for Grad School

Rhea Werner '15

 

After Rhea Werner '15 went overseas for the first time in 2013, as part of her travel study course to Ireland, she wanted more. The following spring she returned to the region for a visit to England. As she explored London, “I fell in love with the city,” she said. “There is such a rich history there.” Since that time, returning to the United Kingdom for graduate school has been her goal.

This fall, Werner will attend City University London to earn a master's degree in culture, policy, and management. She will use that degree, along with her Bachelor of Arts degree from MCLA in arts management, to forge a career as an arts events planner. At City University, she anticipates taking courses in managing organizations, culture, digital cultures, and fundraising in and for the culture sector – just to name a few.

According to Werner, “MCLA's arts management courses really helped propel my thinking in the arts. My professors made me think and analyze what they put in front of me, and now I want to expand more on that.”

Also accepted to Queen Margaret University in Scotland, Werner broke her decision down to the area she'd be living in. “I knew in London I would have access to so many museums and art spaces. Edinburgh had a lot to offer, but I was drawn to London because of my experience there in 2014.”

Werner found help with her graduate school application at MCLA's Center for Success and Engagement, where its staff answered all her questions and helped to make certain her resume was the best it could be. MCLA continues to support her, she explained, as she always has someone on campus to turn to for education- and career-related questions, or if she needs a reference, and more.

MCLA also provided Werner with a “very hands-on” experience. “I was allowed to grow as a student with minimal guidance. My professors and advisors guided me when needed, but allowed me to grow on my own,” she said. “I had a lot of experience at MCLA by planning events,” she continued. Whether her career takes her to a museum, a concert hall or a music venue, “I know I will be in an area where I will enjoy myself.”

Looking back, Werner said MCLA was especially valuable in providing her with experiences to prepare for the future. This includes her work as a stage manager for Dance Company for four years, work study, involvement with the National Residence Hall Honorary and the Student Government Association, and an internship with the Advancement Office.

“I was able to work with amazing people to put on events at school. I was happy that I was never once in my time there limited to one thing,” she said. “I was able to expand myself as a person, and learn some pretty valuable skills along the way.”

 
Since he graduated from MCLA in 2013, Max Roman Dilthey has amassed more than five million readers through his cycling, hiking and backpacking website, MaxTheCyclist.com, and with online publications his writing has appeared in, such as The Solar Tribune, The Houston Chronicle, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Livestrong.com.
 
Because of this work, Dilthey, who double majored in English and environmental studies at MCLA, recently won the 2016 New England Outdoor Writing Association's Award.
 
"I write about things that mean a lot to me, and I think anyone can connect with someone's experience if the story they're telling is meaningful and honest," Dilthey said.
 
"I think it's great that a lot of my work resonates with people. I especially love the community on my site, where I have regular readers who comment and tell me what they think about my articles. That feedback really makes me want to write more and more," he added.
 
Dilthey originally planned to major in art. He switched to English after a positive experience in a writing course. Then, during his sophomore year, he became "hooked" on biology after taking a course to fulfill a science prerequisite, and ended up adding the environmental studies major soon after.
 
"I don't think I'd have picked either of these majors if I wasn't inspired by the courses and professors at MCLA," Dilthey said.
 
Now a graduate student in the Sustainability Science program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he is completing his master's degree and beginning work on his Ph.D., Dilthey's many activities include working with a team of Ph.D. students and faculty to co-author a paper on adaptation and mitigation for climate change resilience in coastal environments.
 
Dilthey also teaches his own class," Sustainable Living: Solutions for the 21st Century," a four-credit course for first-year UMass students.
 
In addition, he's working with the Residential Academic Programs Office to develop new connections for first-year students and programming partners across the University of Massachusetts system as they create a general education course on life at college.
 
"I push the benefits and importance of a diverse, rich, and multifaceted education to my students any chance I get, using my time at MCLA as an example of the power of interdisciplinary learning. I am immensely proud of our school, and I am lucky to have started there. I would not be here without MCLA," he said.
 
In fact, Dilthey finds himself spending a good deal of time telling students about the benefits of his experiences at MCLA, such as how they can find opportunities in clubs and the value of  learning from a diverse selection of classes.
 
Dilthey, whose writing also is featured in Adventure Cycling and Bikepackers magazines, discovered his love for camping, hiking and backpacking during his senior year through the MCLA Outdoors Club. There, he learned everything he needed to know to eventually lead trips himself. The experience, he said, was "transformative."
 
At UMass, Dilthey said he has one of the strongest backgrounds in environmental law among others in his department. "MCLA taught me that the courses outside of your major or focus can sometimes be the most valuable to your career. 
 
He recommends MCLA – and the English and environmental sciences programs, in particular – to prospective students.
 
"Both of these degrees are absolutely as rigorous and comprehensive as degrees from other colleges, and I have never once felt underprepared for my career and graduate school. I know a lot of my peers that graduated with me would say the same thing," Dilthey said. "Our entire group is doing amazing things, and we're all still connected because of the sense of community we had at MCLA."
 

Copyright 2019 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts