Camila Acosta Fernandez, ’20

I will be completing the M.S.Ed. in Reading/Writing/Literacy program at the University of Pennsylvania. This is a one-year master’s degree program that prepares students as practitioners, researchers, and policy makers. The program is interdisciplinary, inquiry-based, focused on diversity and is committed to educational change by recognizing that educational institutions are sites in which educators work for social justice, equity, and transformation.

During my time at Saint Joseph's University certain courses left me curious about the inequalities that lie within reading instruction in different educational settings. I started doing research on different programs that could help me better understand this particular field. That is how I found the program I will be completing.

Through the Education Program at SJU I was able to work in many different schools in the span of my 4 years. SJU helped shape my view of social justice when it comes to education which inspired to work harder in an attempt to close the reading gap.

During my time at SJU I was able to work in a different school every semester. I was also able to study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark where I was able to observe Danish schools and learn about child development in Scandinavia. As a part of my core course I was able to travel to Finland and observe in different schools there.