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Where Do I Go From Here?

Haile Menkerios '70 is an Eritrean diplomat who currently serves as assistant secretary-general for political affairs at United Nations.

Brandeis alumni often sustain their interest in public life and commitment to justice well beyond their studies at the university. Using the analytical, organizational and communications skills they nurtured in courses, research assistantships, internships and other experiences available to Brandeis students on and off campus, they have pursued careers devoted to creating a better and more just society.

Among those whose thirst for justice has led them down the corridors of power are former U.S. Rep. Stephen Solarz ’62, who left his mark on American foreign policy; and Joshua Spero ’85, who was an international security affairs analyst in Washington, D.C., before returning to university life as a professor. Kenya native George Saitoti ’67 took his Brandeis training back to his homeland and embarked on a distinguished career in public service, most recently serving as minister of education, science, and technology.

Confronting conventions and establishments from the outside, attorney Michael Ratner ’66 made history by successfully challenging the U.S. government over the treatment and status of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, while Joshua Kahn Russell ’06 has helped reinvigorate a tradition of the 1960s by traveling across the country to engage youth in left-leaning movement-building, strategy, vision and action through the “new” Students for a Democratic Society.

Many have committed themselves to humanitarian work around the globe. For example, Keren Ghitis ’01 travels the world for the Panos Institute, documenting the impact of ethnic and religious conflict on the lives of individuals and families, while, in her home town of the Bronx, N.Y., Xiomara Gonzalez ’05 works as a teacher and participant in nonprofit organizations devoted to improving the lives of young women.

Understanding the levers of justice and articulating common values are clearly important skills for lawyers, judges, public officials and nonprofit advocates. But the same concerns may inspire professionals in business, medicine, education and the arts to play their part in promoting a more responsible society. Social justice-minded alumni in the United States and abroad have pursued postgraduate education in a wide array of additional disciplines. Many have become distinguished scholars, and some even function as academic colleagues and collaborators of their Brandeis mentors.

In our increasingly complex global society coming decades, the demands of justice will continue to grow internationally. And, of course, the call for justice also commands our attention within local communities and in everyday practice as we seek to improve the quality of life for ourselves and others. An undergraduate curriculum opens up all these dimensions of justice, drawing upon the insight of Justice Louis Brandeis, our university’s namesake, who once said, “The most important political office is that of private citizen.”