Livia Sa dos Santos Souza

Name: Livia Sa dos Santos Souza - Brazil

Major: Social Justice Perspective (SJP)

Your background/experience:

My background is very different but related to the topics I am studying at ISS. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration with a focus on communication and psychology. Wired to numbers, I used to teach university-level math. In my free time, I was a youth leader at my church. I was part of a nonprofit organization that assisted homeless and low-income women. I cared for toddlers who lived in violent and drug abuse homes during their parent's recovery program. I was part of groups designed to collect food for local homeless shelters. I was also an administrative volunteer for a local mutual aid, where we shopped and delivered groceries for families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What major are you in and why did you choose this major?

I joined the Human Rights, Gender, Conflict Studies, Social Justice Perspective major because I want my professional career to be devoted to what I have always been passionate about, which is serving others in need. My focus is on conflict and social justice perspective as I am personally interested to learn more about poverty, inequality, and conflict resolution coming from a violent background.

What are your future plans after you have graduated?

I hope to be part of an organization that works directly with groups dealing with domestic violence and poverty. Combining the knowledge from this master's program, my passion for serving others in need, and my background, I want my future to be purposeful. I want to be part of the small group of people on this planet who don't accept things as they are and have the energy to do something about it.