A resident of Northern California, Judy focused
her program on communities which operate outside of mainstream
American culture either by choice or circumstance. In studying
the Shakers, the Amish, and the Mennonites, Judy explored
the ways in which these isolated societies create and maintain
those boundaries which define them. Judy’s thesis concentrated
on the Gullah culture of the Georgia Sea Islands, combining
work in sociology, history, and women’s studies. In
2004, Judy returned to Skidmore to begin a second master’s
degree that compares the role of women in different utopian
communities.
When I started looking into graduate
schools, I wasn’t sure that I was master’s material.
I’m still haunted by the grades I got when I was 18—when
I thought college was all about the parties. But the people
I talked to at Skidmore were so enthusiastic about my ideas—they
were so excited by my excitement—that I started to believe
I could do it.
When I began reading the books for
the Core Seminar, I still had my doubts. I thought: Oh no. This
is way over my head. I’ll be a woodchuck in a room full
of smart people. But as soon as I got to Skidmore, I knew this
was the right place for me. I wanted to study separatist communities—the
values they’re built on, the role women play in them,
the strategies they use to preserve themselves—and I was
worried that my topic would sound too far out there. But as
I listened to the other students talk about what they wanted
to study, I felt so happy. I realized that I was part of a group
of people whose passions were just as out there as mine.
I bet a lot of people look at the MALS
program and think: I’ll never be able to handle a master’s
degree. I’ll have to give up my family. Or my job. But
they don’t realize how portable Skidmore’s program
is. I did the reading for my courses in the airport, at lunch,
before bed. I kept a book in the car for when I was waiting
for our little leaguer. And it all added up.
The program gives you a lot of freedom,
but it doesn’t let you off with doing whatever you want.
It’s not about taking 10 courses that sound good to you.
It’s about working closely with your advisors to create
something whole, something with a shape to it, something you
can feel proud of accomplishing. If you need a lot of handholding,
and someone calling you every week to ask where your paper is
and when it’ll get done, then this isn’t the right
program for you. It’s about guidance, not surveillance.
You need to be able to make something out of your own time.
Other programs are flexible, but you’re still tethered
to a semester schedule. They require you to be in certain places
at specific times. At Skidmore, there isn’t that kind
of set structure, and there isn’t a rush. My daughter
got married while I was halfway through the program, and I wanted
to spend a few weeks with her away from my books—and that
kind of pacing was never any problem.
This program understands that people
change, that they can grow past the place they started.
Creative Thought Matters.
Master of Arts Program
Skidmore College ·
815 North Broadway · Saratoga Springs, NY · 12866 mals@skidmore.edu · 518-580-5480
