When an educator has a deep love of learning, perhaps it should come as no surprise that they delight in sharing their graduate studies with their own students. This is exactly what happened to Morgan Gardiner while pursuing the criminal justice master’s program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Even as an undergraduate at Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge studying sociology, Morgan knew that pursuing a graduate degree was in her future. After working as an RTI (Response to Intervention) Tutor at Duson Elementary, she decided to pursue that dream. Because of the high academic reputation and her familiarity with the campus, UL Lafayette become her home away from home. She describes the University as,
"the cousin from Louisiana that you can’t wait to visit at family reunions.”
Shortly after beginning the criminal justice master’s program at UL Lafayette, Morgan realized that her personal academic goals and career objectives were perfectly aligned. Now, as a high school JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) teacher, she was able to have real-world discussions with her students, often focused on the juvenile justice system. JAG Specialists teach elective courses in high schools, middle schools, and out-of-school programs, providing job skills, hands-on experience, and one year of follow-up support to help students transition to employment, military service, or higher education. These discussions with her students helped her dissect and better understand topics tackled in her own graduate courses and encouraged her students to 1) think critically 2) enhance communication skills and 3) actively engage.
Many graduate topics easily transitioned to subjects for debate. Her high school students proved ready to consider the ineffectiveness of programs like Scared Straight and D.A.R.E. in halting juvenile offending, the meaning of the “school-to-prison pipeline,” and insights from labeling theory. Considering topics they understood as highly relevant to them promoted active engagement in the classroom. As both a teacher and a student herself, it was satisfying to see her students absorb the information and engage in meaningful communication with each other regarding the subject matter.
Morgan values being able to spread knowledge to her students through her graduate studies, but she also realizes that doing so benefited her own growth as an engaged thinker and researcher. She was able to take back to her graduate studies the viewpoints of current youth—how teens today understand the problems facing the juvenile justice system. After all, if the goal is to make change for the youth wouldn’t we need to understand how they view the world? She practiced presentations with her students as well. Their critiques prepared her with confidence for the final presentation.
Morgan not only strengthened her relationship with her students, but she also formed critical relationships with faculty and mentors at UL Lafayette. These connections fostered critical knowledge about the criminal justice system and manage moments of imposter syndrome. When asked what she enjoyed most about the criminal justice master’s program Morgan replied,
“I enjoyed meeting people who I never thought I would meet in my life. I thank everyone who I have ever taken a class with because I have learned so much from them as well.”
Morgan has some advice for those considering entering the criminal justice master’s program: “Be prepared and definitely read your material before class. This is a different ballgame from undergrad. Also, know that you are not alone during your time in the program. Your cohort and the faculty are there every step of the way, from your first class to the moment you walk across the stage.”
The M.S. in Criminal Justice program at UL Lafayette, as Morgan Gardiner found, offers a comprehensive approach to criminal justice, with one focus being juvenile justice reform. The program increases knowledge and skills in a wide range of criminal justice challenges producing effective leaders in criminal and juvenile justice systems. Whether you want to make an impact working in the field, teaching, or moving forward with doctoral research, our program will prepare you to make an impact.
Learn more about graduate studies in Criminal Justice here.