Megan Wilson, M.A. Psychology, 2010

I came to Iceland in December and have been volunteering at Stigamot until February. Stigamot is an educational counseling center for survivors of sexual abuse and violence. I have been doing volunteer work in their off campus women’s shelter that includes, cleaning, spending time with the women there, organizing, and answering phone calls.

In addition, I have started doing some art therapy with the residents as well as attending outings. There are only 3 women staying in the shelter right now. I have also attended a staff meeting at Stigamot where I presented the work I do with the Seattle Police Department’s Victim Support Team. On January 20th I attended a conference here in Reykjavik titled, International Conference for Sexual Treatment. Persons from various European countries spoke about the treatment of child sex abuse/and sexual violence and the criminal justice system.

This has been a great experience and I am sad to see it end. Not speaking Icelandic is a bit of a challenge but almost everyone speaks English here. I will be returning home to Seattle in February and am keeping my fingers crossed to find a position in Seattle counseling survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and trauma.

Elinor Alexander, M.A. Education, 2011

Elinor Alexander, M.A. Education, ’11, was asked by World Vision International to go to Haiti following the devastating earthquake to strategize and help implement an alternative educational system that would work in countries in a state of emergency and would assist in their overall development efforts. She now works with World Vision as Capacity Building Advisor. Her job is to operationalize a powerful alternative education system provided by the Global University for Lifelong Learning (GULL), making it available to the thousands of community volunteers who make change happen in their communities every day. Below are her thoughts about why she chose Antioch University Seattle and her career path.

Eric Warn
Editor

“I came to Antioch with some educational background and experience working with underserved students in under-resourced schools in the UK, and in the US. Many of these students also live in high risk environments which clouded their ability to see their potential. To address the need, EducateSuccess (www.educatesuccess.com) was co-created to bring holistic educational solutions and frameworks to serve students, teachers, families and the communities in which they lived. However, I wanted to dig deeper into evidence-based best practices for the undeserved and the poor. Doing so through a master’s degree seemed logical. Antioch provided a rich reflective platform to do this.

“In March 2010, I was asked by World Vision International to go to Haiti, shortly after the devastating earthquake to strategize and help implement an alternative educational system that would work in countries in a state of emergency and would assist in their overall development efforts. Seeing the carnage left by the earthquake and the abject poverty endured by the people of Haiti, my work and research project shifted to facilitating and supporting the aspirations of the poorest through culturally contextualized, low or no cost, educational solutions.

“World Vision is based in almost 100 countries in some of the poorest communities in the world. They partnered with The Global University of Life-Long Learning (GULL) to professionalize and validate the professional and personal development of community volunteers, who are not paid but do the courageous work of community development and social change.

“Many of World Vision’s volunteers barely live above subsistence level, yet they are motivated to improve the lives of those in their communities with limited resources. They may never be able to afford traditional education and it is arguable whether traditional learning is the best way to learn. GULL professionalizes who learn and develop by doing (action-learning) and who determine their own curriculum by what they want to achieve.

“As there is none of the usual costly overheads of a traditional university, certificates and degree awards can be achieved at low or no cost. This is great news to community change agents in educationally deprived communities. Many of the volunteers are being certified for the first time in their lives, so they are driven (self-directed) to learn and do more as they are recognized and celebrated in the process. I now work with World Vision as a Capacity Building Advisor and my job is to operationalize personal and organizational effectiveness through self-directed action learning, making it available to the thousands of community volunteers who make change happen in their communities every day.

“I come to the end of my journey with Antioch grateful for the guidance and support over the last 3 years. Antioch University Seattle professors Dr. Ed Mikel and Dr. Wendy Rosen (School of Education), Barbara Spraker (Center for Creative Change) and others have cheered me on and nurtured the vision to fruition. Together, we have all played a part in empowering social change through education around the world.”

Wendy Dahl, M.A. Psychology, 2007

“Here’s a story about one of the service-dog training projects I’m working with:

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/11/30/1927397/a-girl-and-her-dog.html

It’s amazing where an Antioch degree can take you.”

Michael McGilliard, M.A. Strategic Communication, 2008

Eric, just thought I’d drop you a line to let you know what I’ve been up to-

I published my book on Amazon. Mostly for myself, but its a fun read. www.beggars-day.com.

The progressive think tank I helped found, Involved Democracy, sponsored an event on healthcare at which veteran ER doc and UW professor Stephen Bezruchka spoke. It will be broadcast on the KUOW program Alternative Radio on December 14th at 8 PM. A transcript of the talk can be found at www.involveddemocracy.org.

My partner Mary Longhurst (M.A. Stragetic Communication 2009) and I are working on a documentary about the last living coal miner in Wilkeson, WA. Our site is www.retroproductionsvideo.com.

Susan Warner, M.A. Education, 1999

Reprinted from the artdaily.org:

Tacoma’s Museum of Glass recently announced the appointment of Susan Warner as Deputy Director/Curator.

Warner joined Museum of Glass as the Director of Education in February 2001, prior to the Museum’s official opening in 2002. In 2006, she was appointed Director of Public Programs, overseeing the curatorial, education and Hot Shop departments, and in 2009 appointed Deputy Director.

“After reviewing a number of highly qualified external candidates for this position, it made sense to look within MOG’s own talent pool, and Susan Warner was an obvious selection,” noted Museum of Glass director Timothy Close. “She brings over 30 years of museum, curatorial and educational experience to the position and possesses a solid background in the medium of glass. We are very pleased she has accepted this new role in her career at MOG.”

As Deputy Director/Curator, Warner will be responsible for developing the Museum’s multi-year exhibition schedule and developing exhibition content that is both scholarly and accessible for the Museum’s dynamic traveling exhibition program. Warner will work with the Museum’s curatorial, Hot Shop and education departments, as well as with artists, collectors, educators and museums, in researching and developing narrative materials for all exhibitions.

Warner will also be responsible for the Visiting Artist Residency Program in consultation with the Museum’s Lead Hot Shop Gaffer, Benjamin Cobb. She will work jointly with Museum of Glass Director/CEO Tim Close as the staff liaison to the Museum’s Collections Committee, chaired by Trustee George H. Weyerhaeuser, Jr.

Warner’s education work has been honored by the City of Tacoma, with an Art at Work award (2003), and Antioch University Seattle ’s Horace Mann Award (2007, alumni category). Prior to joining Museum of Glass , Warner was Director of Education at the Seattle Children’s Museum. She also served as Curator of Education at the State Capital Museum in Olympia and as Assistant Curator, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Dayton Art Institute. Her early career included extensive curatorial work in collection management and exhibition development. In the early 1990s, Warner made the transition to museum education.

In 1997, she received Washington State ’s Gold Apple Award for Excellence in Education and, in 1998, she accepted a Coming Up Taller award for her program, The Experimental Gallery. Born in Geita , Tanzania , Warner also has a Bachelor of Arts in History degree from Southampton University in England.

Donna Briggs, B.A. 2010

The Rogue River (Oregon) Britt Festivals’ board has named Donna Briggs as executive director for the annual music festival. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from AUS and is currently completing her master’s in organizational development at Antioch.

For more information go to: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111027/NEWS/110270324&emailAFriend=1

Tracy Rector, Former M.A. Education Student

Tracy Rector (Seminole, Mississippi Choctaw) was selected by the Sundance Institute as a 2011 Native Lab Fellow for her film Clearwater about the health of Puget Sound and the relationship of the indigenous people to the water. Keri Putnam, Executive Director for Sundance Institute notes: “What resonates for us at Sundance Institute is that these stories are authentic and personal, and that the filmmakers are not afraid to take risks.”

Linda G. Shepard Salzer, M.A. Environment & Community, 2004

Linda helped translate the upcoming movie Growthbusters, www.growthbusters.org by providing Spanish subtitles. Growthbusters: Hooked on Growth premieres November 2011.

Kathleen O’Brien, M.A. Environment & Community, 2002

Kathleen is featured in the International Living Future Institute’s current issue of Trim Tab, “the magazine for transformational people + design.” Here is the link:

https://ilbi.org/education/trim-tab

Susan Hunt, Psy.D., 2008

Susan is the first AUS graduate from the Psy.D. program to have gone through and completed the registration (or “licensing”) process in British Columbia (B.C.), Canada. Therefore, she is the first “Registered Psychologist” that has graduated from the program.

This has great significance for upcoming Canadian Psy.D. graduates as the program is recognized by the College of Psychologists of B.C., thus allowing graduates to become Registered Psychologists. Going through registration in B.C., which included a comprehensive application, completing the EPPP (licensing exam), Written Jurisprudence Exam (Ethics Exam), and Oral Exam, was a smooth process for her. Therefore, she has laid the ground work for upcoming students to go through this process as well.

Regarding her educational experience at AUS and how has it impacted her career, Susan said
she had a very positive educational experience at AUS. “The strengths of the program included: a strong core faculty, excellent instruction, course flexibility, and having the opportunity to practice/conduct research in the clinical area I am passionate about (e.g. working with children and youth in mental health settings).”

Regarding her career, Susan said she currently works as a Psychologist on the Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) Team (through the Ministry of Children and Family Development) in B.C.,which is an APA Accredited Internship Site. “I am one of the Internship Supervisors for this program, in addition to working there as a Clinical Psychologist. I also work in a Private Practice (with other Psychologists) that provides Therapy and Psychological Assessment Services to Children, Youth, Adults, and Families.

“In addition, I have a First Nations contract where I provide Therapy and Psychological Assessment Services to Aboriginal Children and Youth in a Native Community. Finally, I am an instructor at a large College in B.C. where I teach various courses in the Psychology Department (B.A. Program).”

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