Gillian Giordano
I’m from Orange County, California. I would describe myself as open-minded, curious, insightful, empathetic, funny, adventurous, sociable and a hard worker. I’m passionate about a lot of different things, but specifically about women’s equality and equity, migrant rights and the right to a humane migration, the right to reproductive autonomy and the moral and ethical implications around humanitarian interference and institutions. Outside of work and studying, I love to travel, do yoga and try new things.
"Since the first day attending the program, I felt that I had found exactly what I was looking for."
Big plans to address global injustice, one policy at a time
Gillian Giordano is an ambitious individual with big plans for her future, so putting together a detailed five-year plan has never been her style. One thing she always has known, however, is the amount of injustice in the world—something she wants to play a part in changing. She decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree in cultural studies to help her further understand those injustices, and now she is studying the Master in International Development at IE University so that she can do something about them.
Although she describes her bachelor’s degree as “extremely fulfilling and multifaceted,” Gillian felt that she needed more practical experience to help her get closer to achieving her ambitions. She had already spent some time working on various journalistic endeavors and had even started her own small company in the arts industry, but neither felt like the right fit for her.
When she came across the Master in International Development at IE University, she saw that the curriculum was exactly what she needed to take her theoretical humanities background to a more practical level. Now that she is a student on the program, she knows she made the right decision. “I felt that I had found exactly what I was looking for when I walked into my first class.”
In addition to the program’s content being the perfect fit for Gillian’s professional goals, she was also drawn to IE University by its international community. “As I moved from my home country many years ago, I was interested in working with like-minded individuals from all over the world.” And the reality has gone beyond her expectations; she cites her peers in her cohort as her favorite part of the experience: “The people I study with are truly amazing. We are all very dedicated and passionate about what we are doing.”
“The people I study with are truly amazing. We are all very dedicated and passionate about what we are doing.”
What stands out for Gillian is the fact that because everyone is living the same experience, they can all lean on each other for support. The program demands a lot of its students, but the unity and support shown between classmates makes it all worthwhile. “I didn’t expect to build such a strong community so quickly,” she says, “but it has been one of the most rewarding parts of the program.” Gillian also has nothing but praise for her professors, who she describes as both challenging and engaging.
Gillian is already making big strides towards achieving her goals. When it comes to what she sees herself doing in the future, she would like to carry out field work so that later on in her career, she can become an effective policymaker. She aspires to work in different parts of the world on various projects related to the field of international development, and she is also considering further study, either to gain her international law credentials or to obtain a PhD in the field of humanities.
When asked what advice she would give to someone who is thinking about pursuing the Master in International Development at IE University, Gillian highlights the importance of hard work and effective time management: “Make sure you’re ready to work hard, and expect to get out of the degree what you put into it. Take time on the weekends to do things like food prep, talk to friends and family and workout, or whatever you do to let off steam.” Gilian reiterates that the program asks a lot from you but is beyond worth it.
