Joshua Hall ’26 to Earn MA in Education at Montclair State
Major/Degree: B.S. in Human Services & Community Justice
Minors: Film Studies
Programs/Clubs: Accelerated Study in Academic Programs (ASAP/ACE); My Brother’s Keeper Connect (MBK Connect); Black Student Union (BSU); Urban Male Initiative (UMI); Office of Student Transition Programs
Mentors: Kayla M. Bassknight, Ed.D., Associate Director Student Transition Programs; Alyssa Hollywood, Assistant Director Student Transition Programs; María E. Vidal-Wynter, Student Life Manager UMI
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Career-Aspiration: Higher Education Program Director
Post-John Jay plans: MA in Education, Montclair State University
What was life like before John Jay?
I always say “I was born and bred in Brooklyn,” but really, I was born in Staten Island. My mom wanted to keep the doctor she had, who transferred to a different hospital in Staten Island. So, immediately after she had me, we returned right back to Brooklyn, specifically Marine Park, where I was raised. My dad was a Black man from the Bahamas, and my mom was from a New York City, white, Jewish family. There was always this intersection of two different cultures in our household. For six years, it was just me, mom, dad, and a dog named Bo. Then, we were extremely happy when my mom had my twin sisters, Amanda and Lindsey. They were always, and continue to be, our pride and joy. Sometimes I even call them my kids.
Sadly, in 2013, my mom passed away from breast cancer after a long fight. At first, my dad had to raise an eight-year-old boy and two three-year-old girls by himself. He spent much of his life making sacrifices to ensure our family always had opportunities and support, which deeply shaped my work ethic. I was young, but I felt like it was my responsibility to help my father raise the girls. Later, my dad remarried and I gained a mother and an older brother. In a way it filled a gap, but when I got older, around when I started high school, I began to truly process the loss of my mother, and it hit me hard. To get through the pain, I started learning as much as I could about my mom. I even found out that she worked in higher education as a registrar at Brooklyn College for 25 years.
Why John Jay?
Around the time I was applying to colleges, my stepmother was taking some GED classes online. Her educational journey inspired me to further pursue my own goals. One of the women in her group mentioned John Jay because she wanted to become a police officer and thought the school was a good fit. I then did some digging and I liked what I saw. My father worked in public safety at Brooklyn College as an NYPD lieutenant, and I always wanted to do police work like him. I thought, maybe I could work my way up from patrol officer to detective. That’s why John Jay felt like the right school for me and it was my number one choice. Once I got the acceptance letter from John Jay, I took a tour of the campus and went to orientation. After that, it was a done deal. I didn’t even respond to the other schools I applied to. I was like, Y’all can stop emailing me now. I’m officially a Bloodhound.
When did you develop a passion for education and supporting students?
When I started out at John Jay, I was taking a lot of police science and corrections classes. What surprised me was that it didn’t feel like the right fit. Luckily, I had conversations with my mentors, Ms. Bassknight, Ms. Hollywood, and Ms. V. (Maria Vidal Wynter), and I figured out that my real passion was in higher education programming. So many of the roles I thrived in at John Jay involved working with students as a mentor or team leader. I loved doing things where I got to meet with students and help them while also being a student myself. I was drawn to work where I could be of service to others and learn from the people around me. I started to look at the work that my mentors did and I realized that was my ideal career path. Seeing that both of my parents worked in higher education, I guess it’s in my DNA.
How has being part of MBK Connect, the Black Student Union, the Urban Male Initiative, and ASAP/ACE enhanced your college experience?
One of the most memorable moments for me was in September of 2022 at the UMI Fall Welcome Back Social. That event made me realize how important it was to be in spaces where people who look like you and have different stories exist. I didn’t have that in high school and it was one of the most miserable times in my life. In high school, I didn’t feel like I had a sense of community. I was just going to classes and going home. But when I went to that UMI Welcome Back Social, I made friends who are still my friends today. Those friends helped me work through the first-year jitters and going to that event eventually led to me becoming an orientation leader over the summer.
MBK Connect, the Black Student Union, and the Urban Male Initiative helped me understand my personal identities on a deeper level. Being a Black man, and being a part of those organizations and hearing stories from people with similar backgrounds and experiences, allowed me to see my full potential. I also started to see things more clearly—like, I learned about the graduation and retention rate discrepancy with men of color. Before, I thought that everyone graduated from college at the same rate, but MBK, BSU, and UMI opened my eyes to the fact that everyone’s college experience is different. It made me see that by walking across the stage on June 1, I’ll be breaking a stereotype. Men of color are oftentimes a forgotten demographic that flies under the radar. These organizations gave a student like me, a Black man, a guaranteed safe space with the mentors and peers I needed to succeed.
I don’t think I would have gotten through College without ASAP/ACE. That free MetroCard and tuition assistance allowed me to go to college and focus less on how I was going to pay for things and more on my studies and experiences. My advisors at ASAP/ACE also provided me with a lot of support regarding what classes I should take. Everyone at ASAP/ACE is a great resource for students.
In what ways have your John Jay mentors put you on the path to success?
Ms. V. was never afraid to ask me the hard questions to help me find my way. When I first met her, she said, “Okay, your major is criminal justice. What do you want to do with that?” When I said I wanted to become a police officer, she went deeper. “What field? What agency?” Her asking me all those questions early in the game helped me focus on my future and figure out what I truly liked and didn’t like. I carefully watched her at her job, even though she had a lot on her plate, she was always happy doing her work. I wanted to be happy at my job, too.
The best thing Ms. Bassknight and Ms. Hollywood did was put me in different rooms where I could have conversations with influential people and leaders in the community. As a peer ambassador and orientation leader, I would meet deans, professors, the provost, and even President Mason. When I’d see them in the halls they would acknowledge me, ask me how UMI or MBK was going, or give me some advice on my future. I could not be more grateful to Ms. Bassknight and Ms. Hollywood for putting me in these rooms to have conversations with people who have dedicated years of their lives to higher education. Knowing that those people are rooting for you can get you through challenges.
Why did you decide to get a master’s degree in education?
I feel like a master’s degree will help me take a deeper dive into the challenges and complexities within the education field. I hope that it will help me enhance my current skills and allow me to learn new skills that would benefit students.
Working in the Office of Student Transition Programs as a Peer Ambassador Team Leader, I got to see all the facets of student life and learn so much about higher education. I enjoyed helping students and letting them know that they could contact me whenever they needed me. Sometimes the students were experiencing really difficult situations and I was happy to offer advice or point them in the right direction to alleviate their problem. Through this role, I learned how to navigate different offices and programs to fully address the needs of each student effectively. It was an invaluable experience for my future career in higher education.
Why was Montclair State University the right graduate school for you?
It’s hard to explain, but when I looked at Montclair, saw the photos, and reviewed the coursework, I instantly saw myself there. It was like it was almost calling to me in the photos. When I read the bios of the faculty and staff, they felt like people I wanted to meet and learn from. Then I found out that there was a Montclair student-led NAACP organization that was very similar to MBK. That got me really excited. What officially sealed the deal for me was getting into their Graduate Assistant Discovery Program, where I’ll be able to provide comprehensive advising services to students as they explore their academic and career interests. Being in the Graduate Assistant Discovery Program will also help me pay for grad school.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope to be working at a college or university with either a pre-existing program like the ones that helped me, or I could help create one. In a dream world, I’d actually be coming back to John Jay with a full-time job in student affairs. John Jay gave me so much, I’d be more than happy to give back.
