John Creighton of Wurtsboro, N.Y., a History/Political Science major and Philosophy minor at Mount Saint Mary College, will graduate in May.
With the search for jobs and grad schools kicking into high gear, Spring can be a stressful time for many college graduates – but not so much for John Creighton of Wurtsboro, N.Y., a Mount Saint Mary College senior who has already locked down his graduate school plans.
In March, the History/Political Science major was accepted into both the University at Albany’s Master of Political Science program, as well as the Master of International Affairs (MIA) program at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.
With dreams of becoming a U.S. diplomat, Creighton selected the latter.
“I was a little anxious about being accepted into the MIA program at Albany,” Creighton admitted. “It’s competitive; they have a mandatory internship and capstone project.”
Once he’s completed grad school, Creighton might move on to the University at Albany’s Political Science PhD program. Or, he might get a job at a Non-Government Organization (NGO), then take the Foreign Service Officer Test and pursue becoming a diplomat.
A career in U.S. diplomacy is a rather unusual choice compared to most other pursuits. But if there were ever someone predisposed to becoming a diplomat, it’s Creighton.
“I was the kid who was taking the textbooks home on the weekends,” he explained. “I always had a passion for foreign affairs, international relations, and history.”
Putting together his favorite academic interests, “I figured out I wanted to be in foreign affairs,” he said. “This is definitely what I want to do.”
Surprisingly, his current career trajectory wasn’t always the plan. Creighton first studied at another institution, with aspirations of becoming a teacher. But after a few semesters, he found his true calling. And with his change in major came a change in colleges, a move Creighton doesn’t regret in the least.
“It was a very easy decision,” he said. “I very much fell in love with the Mount when I came here. I like the student engagement, I like the professors, and I definitely don’t think I’d be where I am right now if it wasn’t for my advisor, Dr. [Jeffrey] Kahana,” an associate professor of History at the Mount.
Another professor he credited with helping to mold him into the student he is today is Michael McGuire, assistant professor of History and Political Science and director of the college’s Honors Program. Both Kahana and McGuire wrote him excellent letters of recommendation that helped the industrious student get into the University at Albany.
“I’ve benefited from my professors,” Creighton said. “I’ve valued my time with them. I learned a lot from them and had a lot of great conversations with them.”
Creighton made the most of his time at the Mount, becoming president of the Philosopher’s Forum on campus and a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the International Honor Society of History. He also joined the Mount’s study abroad program and took summer courses in Florence, Italy. And with McGuire’s help, Creighton attended the recent Student Conference on U.S. Affairs at West Point Military Academy.
In reflecting on his time as an undergraduate student, Creighton has come to a simple but important conclusion: It’s been an enlightening journey.
“I knew that I was going to have a good time here, and that I’d leave with a good résumé and a good degree – but I didn’t know I was going to have a lot of the opportunities I had,” he said.