It’s not every day that a Supreme Court Justice comes to class. But thanks to Pace International Special Programs going the extra mile, that’s exactly what happened on a recent Friday afternoon.
International Special Programs (ISP) is a unique wing of Pace University. Among other initiatives, ISP partners with universities from all over the world to create custom study abroad opportunities and programs for international students, who are then afforded the opportunity to study in New York. Tokyo’s Japan Women’s University (JWU), the oldest and largest private women’s University in Japan, is one such school Pace has partnered with over the years.
Currently, 29 students from JWU are engaging in an immersive, four-week experience at Pace. To prepare for their arrival in New York City the students read My Beloved World—Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s memoir about her childhood growing up in the Bronx, overcoming all odds to ascend to the greatest heights of the American judicial system. The students read the book first in Japanese and have been discussing themes of the book in English while at Pace.
Knowing that Justice Sotomayor’s book was going to be studied, English Language Institute Associate Academic Director Jeff McIlvenna wanted to ensure JWU students’ time at Pace was truly memorable. He thought: what if we added a talk with the Justice herself to the curriculum? And after going the extra mile and writing a well-received, snail-mail letter to Justice Sotomayor’s Office, that’s exactly what has happened.
In an hour-long Zoom, Justice Sotomayor engaged in a wide-ranging Q+A session, discussing aspects of her book, her storied career, and offered advice to the 29 young women who were no doubt inspired by Justice Sotomayor’s authenticity and steadfast commitment to her principles. Students asked questions ranging from: What motivates you to continue serving as a Supreme Court Justice? to How do you keep yourself confident and looking toward the future?—among a multitude of others. The students were uniformly engaged, and took Justice Sotomayor’s answers to heart.
I was impressed by what she said about everything with small steps,” said student Honoka Takahashi. “I read her biography, I realize that she is where she is today because of the small steps she had taken. I heard that her answer, I must take small steps to come true my dream, even that step doesn’t looks like to directly connect my dream.”
Director of International Special Programs at Pace Lisa Kraft and McIlvenna were thrilled that ISP and Justice Sotomayor were able to create such a memorable opportunity for students–and believe that the special classroom session epitomizes the quality of experience that ISP provides its students.
“Everything about the experience exceeded any expectations I could have ever had,” noted McIlvenna. “In International Special Programs, we have a unique opportunity to create memorable, meaningful, and innovative student experiences, not just traditional courses. This has set the bar higher than any of us could have imagined, but we are all up for the challenge moving forward.”
Interested in learning more about International Special Programs at Pace? Send an email to Lisa Kraft.
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