Alumni Spotlight: Alison Forger

COL ’18 JUPS and English majors

What has been your path since graduating from Georgetown? In other words, what are you doing now and how did you get there? 

I graduated last May and moved to New Orleans to start teaching at Success Preparatory Academy through Teach for America. I am teaching the self-contained special education class there and am looking forward to returning next month for year two! 

What is your most memorable experience from the Justice and Peace Studies Program?

Some of my most memorable experiences from being part of the JUPS program were honestly times when I got to meet with Professor Atashi in her office and talk about a lot of big decisions — she was always so accessible and wonderful, and I always appreciated her willingness to talk through the nuances of different events and experiences. Through those talks, I made decisions like going abroad to University of the Western Cape in South Africa, joining TFA, and the best ways to work ethically and responsibly in partnership with communities I had been working with throughout my time at Georgetown. 

How has your experience with JUPS benefited you or shaped your life today?

JUPS develops a lens, a way of seeing and moving through the world, that was always in you, but gets focused and sharpened as you move through the program. I can’t see anything happening in my daily life without that lens, and I am forever appreciative for the ways that this makes me better for the students I serve, the youth I support, and the staff members I work side by side with.

What would you say to current undergrads considering a JUPS major, minor, or certificate? 

I think everyone should take JUPS classes, no matter what you study. It’s a pretty special thing because the content extends through all subjects — it’s a critical way of thinking about the world from the smallest interactions, to the largest systems, to every business or government program or nonprofit you could work for. It makes you better at naming the world’s injustices and the gaps it creates for so many populations, and if you invest in it deeply, it makes you better for the people around you and better at knowing what to do next to make the world better as well, without a doubt.