Mary Longhurst
Current student, M.A. Strategic Communication
 When she meets prospective Antioch students, Mary Longhurst emphasizes it's an educational experience that offers hope for real world problem solving.
"It also has given me, through the cohort experience, a new community of friends that I know will last a lifetime," she says.
There were numerous reasons she chose Antioch.
"Antioch drew me with its promise of a unique, holistic approach to education," says Longhurst. "Also contributing to my decision was small class sizes and a diverse learning community, including many 'mature' (as in older!) students. Additionally, I was going through some major life changes and somehow felt Antioch was where I was supposed to be."
"B.J. Bullert encouraged me to discover my passions and then inspired me with an all-out, can-do approach."
An independent study in communication media and technology provided her with a new passion.
"Through workshops, I developed media technology skills, including video production. This learning was enhanced with hands-on opportunities using Antioch's camera equipment and editing software. It was through my studies here that I developed a passion for the media reform movement. I wrote a successful grant to attend the 2008 National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis," she says.
According to Longhurst, it was B.J. Bullert, core faculty in Strategic Communication, who inspired her.
"B.J. Bullert encouraged me to discover my passions and then inspired me with an all-out, can-do approach. Her vast knowledge of all things media, and her creative ideas coupled with her plentiful resources are simply amazing. B. J. offers personal attention and genuinely cares about her students' success," she notes.
A best memory for Longhurst was a course she took from Sadruddin Boga, another core faculty member in the Center for Creative Change.
"Learning Systems Theory from Dr. Boga has changed the lens through which I view the world. His quiet, humble way of teaching a different, holistic way of thinking and of viewing how our actions affect the whole has led to many 'ah-ha!' moments for me. I find myself drawing causal loop diagrams in my mind to determine potential problems in any plan of action I contemplate," she describes.
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