By Jess Johnson, B.A. Urban Studies
If you asked me five years ago whether I thought I’d be a year into my B.A. in Urban Studies at a school in Midtown Manhattan, I might have laughed. And yet, here I am, with my eye set on a big career change.
I was working in real estate. I started showing homes in 2006, I’d done it all – high-end real estate, low-income housing. I showed homes, managed buildings, managed offices. But by 2020, while working for a high-end realtor, I realized I had enough. I saw some things going on in the industry that did not jibe with me. Going back to school after 20-plus years in the workforce wasn’t in my plan. I’d never been a traditional student- I dropped out of high school, for one thing. But I saw an advertisement for SLU on Instagram. I’d never thought of urban studies as an area of study, but it fit into the direction I was hoping to go in – a social justice direction.
With the semester starting again, I’ve been thinking a lot about how hard it is to do things that push you out of your comfort zone, but how much you end up being grateful that you did. I’d never been a traditional student. At 17 I made the executive decision to disenroll from a mainstream public high school to participate in a 9-month DOB-run GED program that allowed me to fast-track my diploma and graduate on time.
As an autodidact traditional classroom setting wasn’t supposed to be my thing—especially at 40+ years-old. But then it was, and I love it. Yes, I was nervous when I started. I’d taken courses over the years, but that’s different from being a student. I was intimidated because I thought I’d be expected to have a fundamental base of knowledge, but it didn’t take me long to learn that I was nervous for no reason.
I love the fact that it’s so intimate and the classes are small. I love the professors at SLU and how they’re so supportive and helpful. I like the resources that are available here. And I love my fellow students. I walked into the student union office around this time last year — my first week of my freshman year. I met the officers, then I met more people. This year I’m an officer myself.
I made it this far because I tried something I never thought I could do, and I encourage you to do the same. Did you hear about a club that sounds interesting but is out of your wheelhouse? Try it. Think you could use help with something like writing or research, but you’re afraid to ask – maybe you consider it a knock to your ego. Don’t be silly. This school is set up with the infrastructure to help. Got an exciting capstone idea that feels a little too overwhelming or intimidating. Go for it. The resources are there for you.
I came to SLU with the intention of finding a new path to help people – maybe in a nonprofit or something like that. My family always helped others in extreme ways. My mother and aunt used to lend a hand to sex workers and give them food and a place to shower. I have witnessed what it means to make people’s lives better. Now I’ve got my vision set on helping in a way I never would have imagined while I was managing buildings. I want to run for public office here in New York. And I know that when I graduate from SLU, I’ll have the know-how and connections to actually build a meaningful campaign and serve the people of my city.