Jeanne Monahan

Jeanne Monahan was a Linguistics student at Sixth College during years 2010-2014. During 2011 year, she started as a Sixth Front Desk Intern, where she found enjoyment working with many of the staff members and being a Peer Advisor before Peer Advisors were officially established. Having enjoyed advising students in this role, she started as the Practicum Advisor, which has transitioned into her current position, the Experiential Learning Coordinator as part of the Sixth College Academic Programs. Jeanne works closely with students to find meaningful ways to fulfill the Sixth College Experiential Learning Requirement, one of the general education requirements that engages students with direct, applied experiences that offers students the opportunity to contribute to the community and increase their knowledge. Jeanne loves helping students find personally, professionally, and academically meaningful experiences. She encourages students to step out of their comfort zones, engage with the campus and wider San Diego community, and try new things. 

Jeanne is also involved in all stages of the class development for CAT 124, one of the Experiential Learning Seminars that can be applied to fulfill the Experiential Learning Requirement, from building instructors’ ideas into structured classes to observing the amazing projects that students work on. Jeanne works with students and professors to find purposeful experiences to fulfill their requirement, undertaking challenging yet rewarding opportunities. 

Jeanne reminisced about her experience during the 10th-anniversary party when Conan O’Brien visited. She was involved with the recent 20th-anniversary celebration and helped plan the carnival. It was a new experience for her to handle the rental logistics for the rides, but she enjoyed seeing everything come together on the night of the event. Witnessing the rides, games, food, and prizes made for an incredible night. Reflecting on the night as a whole, Jeanne appreciated all of the months of planning by all the staff involved. 

Jeanne has a passion for learning, constantly gathering information and seeking out patterns in both her professional and personal life. Spending time at Sixth College has been very fulfilling to her, as she finds there is always something new to learn, and the community is always shifting and growing. Jeanne was  apart of the team who created the Sixth College Honors Program, led by Dr. Phoebe Bronstein.  Add a sentence about the how she was a part of the team who created the honors program  

This honors program will be tailored to the unique aspects of Sixth, focusing on community engagement with both the San Diego and UCSD communities. Instead of emphasizing a final project or deliverable, it will prioritize what students gain from the experience. This program will be piloted for incoming first-year students in the 2024-2025 school year, where students can apply during their first quarter on campus. They will undergo a community-engaged (CE) version of CAT 2, where students learn about responsible stewardship and the importance of engagement with communities outside of their own. In CAT 3 CE, students have the opportunity to volunteer at local elementary schools through a program called the Sage Garden Project, which educates students about gardening, cooking, and nutrition. Unique to Sixth, students are involved in all aspects of the curriculum, from hands-on gardening to teaching cooking skills. 

She hopes to establish the transfer student version of the Honors Program. This program aims to cater to transfer students who have less time at UCSD but are deeply invested in the community. Through these experiences, first-year and transfer students can step outside of their major and pursue something different. 

In her free time, Jeanne enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to the beach, reading new types of books/media, and exploring new neighborhoods in San Diego. One really unique place that she had the opportunity to explore was the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) campus, where she got to see how research was conducted. Jeanne saw the SIO archive of fish tissue and bones, samples of full specimens, and the samples studied in the research lab. 

One piece of advice that Jeanne hopes students take away from college is to take advantage of what the university has to offer. There are so many cultural, social, and professional events and experiences that happen on campus that are otherwise less accessible after graduation. She hopes that students utilize the resources offered at UCSD to succeed in their lives post-graduation. In addition, Jeanne wants to congratulate students who’ve made it thus far and to be proud of everything they’ve accomplished. College can be challenging, but everyone should give themselves grace and take pride in their achievements.