Jonah Leff
Jonah Leff is from Brooklyn, NY and is currently enrolled at the Monterey Institute of International studies pursuing a Masters in Public Administration. Working for an international record label, Jonah did not feel focused on his future goals in international affairs, so he broke his routine to volunteer in the northern Indian Himalayas, teaching and community building with women and children in a poor, rural village. This led him to his goal in International Development.
To qualify for a program, he moved to Japan to teach English for three years. The president of Aeon company commented that "Mr. Leff's conscientious attitude toward his work was apparent from the reactions of his students, who regarded him as a sincere, caring and qualified teacher... He was a perfect role model for other teachers and staff and proved to be popular with the students as well."
Upon acceptance to Monterey, Jonah found himself traveling and volunteering in Southeast Asia, raising funds for a grass roots orphanage and coming to the aid of tsunami victims in a village with little government support. These experiences shaped his goal to concentrate his degree in Security and Development.
Jonah describes this approach as coming from a "security standpoint, claiming that without security, a path towards sustainable peace and development is unachievable. Organizations in this field address issues such as landmines, proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), governance, and Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration of ex-combatants (DDR). He was elected President of the MIIS UN Club, and has been raising money for measles vaccinations in Africa as an intern of the Red Cross".
"Jonah has taken advantage of every opportunity to grow in knowledge and experience at MIIS," writes his professor of International Policy Studies. "He has painstakingly plotted his career development so that his IPSS assignment will be the logical starting point for a successful career."
We, the BAA scholarship committee, are confident Jonah will excel as he realizes our mission Surgo Ut Prosim in his life's work.
"I am thankful for what Bradford taught me," Jonah writes, "and I continue to uphold and expand those lessons in everything I do."
