Jo Horn '98
Majors: Anthropology and Women's Studies
Where do you currently live? I have recently moved to New York City.
How did you arrive at the geographical location where you are? After finishing graduate school in the Detroit area, I knew I wanted to do community organizing work in an urban environment. I am a born-and-bred New Englander, so New York became the place. It also helps to have friends in town.
What is your current occupation? I am the Associate Director of Make A Better Place [MABP], a nonprofit organization on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The mission is to introduce young people to photography and writing as a vehicle for personal enrichment and positive social change. MABP is a small, grassroots organization. My work focuses mainly in the field of development, which entails creating new funding streams, building program support, envisioning sustainable growth strategies for the organization, and initiating community outreach/education campaigns.
Why did you choose this work? From my time at Bowdoin, I have always been interested in the arts as a vehicle for social change and community empowerment. After finishing a MSW at the University of Michigan (concentrating on Community Organizing and Community Arts/Nonprofit management), I was even more confident in my chosen path.
What did you do after graduation from Bowdoin? After graduation, I spent some time working in the public education system in Vermont (and realized teaching in school was not my calling) and then received a fellowship to travel for one year. I studied Kandyan Dance in Sri Lanka, where I had previously been on the ISLE program. Upon returning from Sri Lanka, I moved back to Brunswick and found an amazing job as an artist mentor at Spindleworks on Lincoln Street.
What is the most worthwhile academic/professional experience you have had? My work at Spindleworks was incredible, not only because it was a unique creative outlet, but because I had the opportunity to live, learn, and grow with people in my own community who are often considered incapable or hopeless. Technically speaking, Spindleworks is an art cooperative for developmentally disabled adults. Realistically speaking, it is an opportunity for artists with diverse strengths to collaborate and dialogue.
I also had an amazing time at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. The Social Work program is fantastic; there is a huge emphasis on fieldwork. I had a chance to work with a social justice puppet theatre, as well as directing outreach at a community art center.
What are the one or two events, courses or people that stand out in your mind from your experiences at Bowdoin? I entered Bowdoin with the intent of becoming an archaeologist. First-year classes in more contemporary Anthropology, and the linkages with Sociology and Women's Studies, quickly changed that. I became fascinated by the development and expression of groups of people. I will never forget Women's Studies 101 - it completely altered my philosophy on life. I walked into the class during the fall of my first year as a young woman who did not believe that "gender" was an issue. I had no insight into social construction. By the end of that class, I had registered for two more women's studies classes, and was talking about Feminist Theory in all of my interactions with the Sociology and Anthropology Department.
Has studying sociology or anthropology impacted your perspective? If so, how? Incredibly. As I mentioned above, studying Anthropology and Sociology gave me the tools and perspectives to look at people, to understand social dynamics, and to be dedicated to cultural relativism. Since that time, I have continued to explore this path through studying community organizing, and working in the community arts field.
Is there a piece of advice you wish someone had offered you while still an undergraduate student in Brunswick? If so, what is this advice? Find the rest of Brunswick, and utilize it as a resource. Bowdoin is but a small piece of that world.