Alumni Spotlight: Meghan Grimes

Meghan graduated from the College in 2019 as a JUPS major. Currently, she works as a Field Operations Officer at Internews

Why did you choose to major in JUPS? I started Georgetown thinking I’d be a physics major, but after taking Intro to JUPS my freshman year, I completed changed trajectory. I chose the JUPS program because after taking the intro course I knew was incredibly uninformed about the field and the subject matter and I wanted to take the opportunity to change that. I also thought the course options were interesting and unconventional and that really appealed to me. 

What are your research and scholarly interests? At Georgetown, I focused on the field of humanitarian aid and international development. Something I’ve always found interesting is the connection between narratives and storytelling to identity and community building, especially in crises situations. 

What are you doing after graduating from JUPS at Georgetown? I am a Field Operations Officer at Internews, an international non-profit focused on increasing access to reliable, local and trustworthy information in communities across the globe. After working across different departments, I am currently on the Field Operations & Security Team managing our travel portfolio, and improving our global operations, policies and procedures. 

What is your most memorable experience from the Justice and Peace Studies Program? One of my last courses with the JUPS program was an elective class on how to have difficult conversations. I use interpersonal and professional skills I learned from that course all the time. With the JUPS program I also had the chance to attend and present research at the Peace and Justice Studies Association’s annual conference. It was an incredible opportunity that I would never have imagined having the chance to do otherwise. 

What would you say to current undergrads considering a JUPS major, minor, or certificate? 
The JUPS program is such a unique space at Georgetown, and in academia in general, to study texts, events and courses that are scholarly and intellectual but also incredibly personal. I found that I learned a lot about myself and the world we live in as much as I did about the curricula. I would recommend JUPS to everyone, but especially those who are interesting in a learning environment that encourages honest and open engagement with the material.