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Mark Slobodien ’04 (Metuchen, N.J.) found the classical education he sought at Lafayette.
“Lafayette gives you a broad outlook on life,” says Slobodien, who earned a B.A. with majors in government & law and English.
Slobodien took that broad outlook and applied it to his career plans, which include teaching English in another country.
“There is a lot out there that I don’t know, and I want to live in a country as different from the United States as I can get,” he says. “Teaching abroad is a perfect opportunity to give you that.”
Katalin E. Fabian, assistant professor of government and law, who served as one of his mentors at Lafayette, says she noticed Slobodien’s interest in foreign affairs in a class on social movements.
“He really started to look at the world from a different angle,” she says. “[The class] opened him further to international issues.”
Slobodien has applied for positions in China and other countries in Asia. He says it is easier to get a teaching job in Asia because so many people there want to learn English.
Slobodien says that Lafayette prepared him for working abroad through classes covering areas such as Japanese music and Buddhism, which helped him expand his intellect and learn about foreign cultures.
A three-week trip to London through a January interim session class also prepared Slobodien, who spent three weeks touring London theatres, seeing a different show each night.
“Seeing things other than U.S. culture is fascinating,” he says.
Slobodien competed on the swimming and diving team, served as head resident adviser in McKeen Hall, and was a member of College Republicans. He also was co-chair of the 25th annual Dance Marathon. In addition, he interned with several law firms and legal offices, an opportunity that has sparked an interest to study law one day. Although he plans on returning to the United States eventually, Slobodien says that he might seek to continue his education abroad.
“Who knows,” he says. “Maybe I’ll like [living abroad] better.”
Slobodien says that many Lafayette professors influenced his education, including William Carpenter, assistant professor of English. “Professor Carpenter has a knack for reading students and motivating them,” he says.
Slobodien transferred to Lafayette after attended Rutgers University for a year. “At a school like Rutgers, you’re just another number,” he says, noting that Lafayette alumni recommended the College.
“It speaks well for the school,” he says. “You want to hear graduates say they like the school they went to.”
Lafayette, he says, has an outstanding faculty and small class sizes, which give students one-on-one attention.
“The personal attention from the professors is a definite plus for the school,” he explains. “I have the benefit of having a comparison. You really can’t hide at Lafayette. The professors are very motivating. They want you to do well, but they also challenge you.”
Slobodien says that Lafayette’s facilities also help set the institution apart, students with resources and “top-notch technology” to conduct research.