As a student with a bachelor’s degree in the sociology of law, criminology, and justice with a minor in Spanish, Annie Moen wanted a master’s degree that would match her varied interests. And, as a standout member of the Gopher women’s rowing team, she needed flexibility. “That's something that appealed to me,” she says about the Master of Professional Studies in Civic Engagement degree (CIVE). “You can build your own schedule, and that worked really well for me.”
Moen chose the civic life and social justice track in the civic engagement major, and in addition to six required courses, she took a number of offerings from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing.
Access to a wide range of courses definitely expanded her interests, she says. Many of the instructors have careers in their respective industries, so they bring professional experience into the classroom.
“Civic engagement is about learning from each other and from community members, and that was the focus,” says Moen. “We were practicing that with each other, and it really showed me how valuable that can be in civic engagement work.”
As one of the younger students in the program and without a long work history, Moen says she especially appreciated hearing about the different jobs and roles in the civic engagement sphere.
Internships enhance student learning
As part of the CIVE major, students complete a capstone project of their choice that applies what they’ve learned to an issue or organization that resonates with them.
Moen’s project combined her interest in immigration and refugee settlement with her deep knowledge of physical exercise. “I had an internship with Mile in My Shoes,” she says. “It’s a running program that builds community among different groups of people, like in addiction recovery centers and long-term shelters.”
The experience showed Moen just how important group exercise can be to a person's physical and emotional wellbeing, she says. “So many people built strong connections, and then when they became more stable and moved out of those facilities into their own places, they had job or housing connections. Seeing those networks built when they really didn't have them before was cool.”
Moen gained additional experience at another internship with Arrive Ministries, a local refugee resettlement agency.
She recalls in particular an encounter she had with a woman who had been in the United States only a week. “I went over to this woman's house who had been on the run from war her whole life,” says Moen. “It was in the summer, and she was like, ‘Why is nobody outside?’ She thought it was so dangerous that you had to stay inside and hide.”
She assured the woman it was safe, and they walked outside across her apartment complex together. “I just remember how much joy and freedom was on her face, to be able to do this.”
While these internships were not required for her master’s degree, they inspired Moen’s capstone project: a model for a walking program for newly arrived refugee women in the Twin Cities. The program could be introduced through resettlement agencies and similar organizations.
Still in motion
As a member of the rowing team, Moen accumulated an impressive list of awards for her athletic and academic performance.
“I had such a great time with (rowing),” she says. “It's actually interesting in the Big Ten. They have a very strong walk-on program, so I did that my freshman year. I had never rowed before. I just tried it out, and it was really fun. … I ended up having a path forward there. It was something I never imagined doing, but I'm so glad I did.”
Moen, who recently graduated, hopes to continue to work in immigration services like refugee resettlement, or on global issues that may impact immigration.
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