Alumni Spotlight: Maria Simonetti

Maria Simonetti is a magna cum laude graduate from Farmingdale State College’s Criminal Justice Program and went on to John Jay College to earn her Master of Arts in International Crime and Justice. Maria is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the CUNY Graduate Center with a focus in international crime and correctional reform.

  

Left. Maria at John Jay with graduation balloons. Right. Maria receiving her graduate hood from professor and mentor, Dr. Gohar Petrossian

 

Maria was originally drawn to Farmingdale State College due to the school’s excellent criminal justice program, while also wanting to get into any form of law enforcement since she had the foundation with her administration background. She ultimately decided to proceed with Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement Technology (one of our two criminal justice major options!) as this enabled her to set the stage to branch into different fields later down the line, such as law school, which she considered at the time. Her first course was SOC 101 with Professor Orval Jewett, a standout teacher that paved the way for her educational career in that his teaching style, compiled with his compassion, enabled her to excel academically and get a head start on her career. Another professor within the sociology department, Dr. Clare Forstie, aided Maria with her study abroad program and challenged her to think outside the box and ask questions that she had not thought of asking before, ultimately kickstarting her for her educational and career process. Maria was involved with the school’s study abroad program (check out their programs!) and completed a course in Multiculturalism in Iceland in 2019. She soon became a “Global Ambassador” within this program, in which she actively encouraged students to take the opportunity to study abroad and immerse themselves with various different cultures. She took this opportunity to study abroad twice, remarking it as a life-changing and fabulous experience, while also balancing her enrollment in Alpha Phi Sigma and Golden Key Honor Society.

 

Check out our Criminal Justice Honor Societies and Clubs!

 

Post graduation, Maria continued her studies for the Certified Fraud Examiner credential, hoping that would provide her with a position as a Fraud Analyst, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she also took this time that would otherwise be reserved to sitting at home, to enroll in John Jay College for the Master of Arts in International Crime and Justice degree program. Currently, she is a doctoral student at the CUNY Graduate Center on full fellowship, working as a research assistant for one of her dearest mentors in the ICJ MA program, Dr. Mangai Natarajan. She is also assistant to the director at the Center for International Human Rights, a research center at John Jay College. Maria contributes much of her academic success and foundations to Farmingdale State College, where she had some of the most encouraging, kindest, and hard-working professors.

Prof. Simonetti and her International Crime and Justice (ICJ 101) students field trip at UN HQ

 

Looking back, Maria learned that it is completely okay to go back to college at any age, as she went back to school in her early 30s, and to chase your dreams while working hard toward one’s goals. She advises students to take as many opportunities as they can while they are in school, and most importantly, to not rush the process. Taking the time to figure out what’s enjoyable whether it be extracurriculars, activities, or even just getting to know the environment is crucial for growth in one’s personal, career, and academic wellbeing.

A presentation by Maria on her research into correctional officer training in Norway, Sweden, and the United States, shared at the ACJS Conference in 2023

 

Maria proudly finished her undergraduate degree at Farmingdale State College, excelling in many different areas and achieving many different things. As a first-generation college student from an Italian-American family, she celebrates this opportunity that her family never had the chance to. Maria is deeply passionate about criminal justice reform, including prison reform, corrections training, and comparative prison systems. She remarks how this has been a consistent theme throughout her entire childhood into her adult life, desiring to be a part of the change and now finally doing it. Change comes in many forms, such as being an academic advisor and mentor, where her former professors at FSC taught her, “do your best, show up, do the work, and ask questions.” Maria states that being a positive role model and advocate for her students has been a very defining factor in her life’s purpose, meeting so many extraordinary students that also go on to do incredible things. Maria defines success as doing something that you’re proud of and can effect positive change in the world, and that higher purpose in the world does not come with a paycheck, rather from the experiences and relationships one cultivates.

  

Left. Maria with colleagues at ASC 2022 in Atlanta where they presented our collaborative research on ‘COVID-19 Pandemic on Victimization Risk and Service Needs for Domestic Violence Victims & Survivors’ with mentor Prof. Mangai Natarajan. Right. Prof. Simonetti & Prof. Adamczyk and her ICJ 101 Fall 2023 students field trip at UN HQ

 

Maria is looking forward to the next several years of her doctoral program, passing her exams, publishing, and working in the field of corrections. Farmingdale State College enabled her to go above and beyond, and she hopes to continue to share that success with the students at FSC, or potentially one day adjunct or teach at FSC!