Get Jason to Oxford
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Welcome
My name is Jason Sturgeon, I was recently accepted into the Oxford Honors Program"”a program affording the opportunity for high achieving students to study at the University of Oxford. At present, I am a graduate student, youth soccer instructor, and substitute teacher. Until this opportunity arose, I was planning on graduating in May and pursuing a job in the field of education.
About Me
I grew up in a suburban-going-on-rural town in Connecticut in a family of five. I graduated high school from the Wooster School in Danbury, CT before eventually going on to receive a B.A. in Social Science with a History minor from Western Connecticut State University.
After working part time at Wooster for several years, I made the decision to go back to school to get a Masters in Education from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Recently, I received licensure from Virginia to teach middle and high school social studies.
During my time at George Mason, I have been able to maintain a 3.9 GPA while working multiple jobs. In addition to teaching youth soccer classes and substitute teaching, I am also a summer camp counselor. While these jobs are very beneficial for me in my career as an educator, unfortunately they do not provide enough income to cover the costs of the Oxford semester.
About the Program
The program is administered through the Center for Global Education at George Mason University in a partnership with the Oxford Study Abroad Programme. I will attend the Fall 2013 semester, which is known there as the "Michaelmas" term which spans about three and a half months. The cost of the semester is $19,995; however, that does not include travel or food expenses.
What Will I Study?
Great question, thank you for asking! Oxford runs what is known as a tutorial system, meaning in lieu of a traditional classroom setting, students meet one-on-one with their professors for one hour each week. During the Michaelmas term, I will take two classes and every week I will be required to write a 2,000 word papers for each class. When I meet with the professor, I will be critiqued on my work and given direction on where to take my research in the upcoming week.
What Will I Study?
Great question, thank you for asking! Oxford runs what is known as a tutorial system, meaning in lieu of a traditional classroom setting, students meet one-on-one with their professors for one hour each week. During the Michaelmas term, I will take two classes and every week I will be required to write a 2,000 word papers for each class. When I meet with the professor, I will be critiqued on my work and given direction on where to take my research in the upcoming week.
One of the exciting things about the classes I will be taking, is that I was given the ability to create them myself. I have proposed four classes and will find out which two have been accepted when I begin in the fall. My class proposals are Anglo-American Relations from 1750-1815, The Role of Asia in the European Age of Exploration, The Arab Spring and 1848, and Application of Collaboration in the Classroom. Please visit this site for more information and course descriptions.
Opportunity of a Lifetime
Getting the chance to study at Oxford is beyond even my wildest dreams. I truly was honored to even be considered for application let alone be accepted into the program. With that in mind this is an opportunity I value and will take full advantage of. However, it comes with an opportunity cost. Instead of entering the teaching profession I will be adding to my student loans. I have until the end of June to come up with the requisite $19,995 for the trip.
I have made a decision to pursue a career in education which is not the highest paying of careers. This is the path I have chosen to take because I feel it is important and it is where I can make the greatest impact on the world; so I have no regrets over that decision. However, any money donated would go a long way towards helping me out both for this trip but also in allowing me to get on my feet once I return and enter into teaching full time. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. If you do not donate, all I ask is that you please share the site with someone.
Thank you for your time and generosity.
Organizer
Jason Sturgeon
Organizer
Arlington, VA
