By Eleanor Boothman ’21
Although I was not able to return home to England this Christmas, I was happy to be able to call home with some good news that I was accepted into the Masters of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) at the University of Notre Dame! Undoubtedly, the best thing about my acceptance has been how happy and proud it has made my parents.
The journey
Over the last few months, I have been lucky enough to intern with the Center for Community Justice (CCJ) in Elkhart, Indiana. Interning with the CCJ has been an incredible experience and I have learned a great deal at the hands of many motivational people. This opportunity was also the first time I really considered what a future as part of the non-profit sector could look like. I was inspired by the staff at the CCJ who left work each day knowing they had improved the lives of people they had been in contact with. My entire internship experience has allowed me to realize that if I want to make the most meaningful impact on the world, the nonprofit sector would be a great place to start.
Then one day I was talking with one of my liberal studies classmates, Steven Viz, when he mentioned his acceptance into the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame. He encouraged me to apply for the MNA which is also at Mendoza. I am eternally grateful for his encouragement!
Thanks to Holy Cross College
Holy Cross has been instrumental in my acceptance into the MNA program. I would like to give a special thank you to Professor Lutz, Professor Giles, and Coach Gallo, all were immensely helpful while I was completing my application and were constantly there to answer all my questions. And then I would also like to thank the whole Polaniecki family who were initially so instrumental in encouraging me to apply for the MNA and have since then, been so helpful and caring.
It is a privilege to attend a school like Holy Cross, where people go much further than the standards expected in their role of classmate or professor, and become invested in your personal prosperity. From teammates to professors to other staff members and classmates, I am so grateful for everyone around me at Holy Cross.
The future
I am not entirely sure what life will look like after Notre Dame. I would ideally like to work in the justice sector, with a special concentration on alternatives to incarceration and paths to rehabilitation. For a long time, I have been passionate about seeing reform in the justice system so hopefully, in a few years’ time, I will be able to work for a nonprofit that will allow me to realize this dream.
In the short term, I am really looking forward to my last semester at Holy Cross. Soccer season is just about to start, I am taking some interesting classes this term, and then fingers crossed for graduation that my parents can fly out for!