As colleges nationwide grapple with protests over the Israel-Hamas war, the timing of Sam Joustra’s book is coincidental.
But it couldn’t be better.
Sam Joustra, at her Staples graduation.
The 2007 Staples High School graduate has just written a free online guide. It’s called “Finding the Best-Fit College for Jewish Students: Determining the Right College Fit and Finding a Community of Like-Minded Peers from a Shared Faith Background.”
Sam knows the scene. After Goucher College, she worked for 10 years in admissions at Hampshire College, Vanderbilt University (where she earned a master’s of higher education administration), and the University of Michigan.
In 2021 she joined Collegewise. She now applies her experience on the other side of the desk, helping students navigate the admissions process.
Sam spent the last year researching and preparing her guide.
It is not designed to be a social or political commentary. But, Sam says, antisemitism has been on the rise for years. She believes it is important to share a resource that offers support and advice for Jewish students during this chapter of their lives.
Sam’s guide includes considerations students may have when looking for ways to find Jewish community on campus, and resources to help in their search process.
She cites examples from a variety of colleges. Hillel is featured prominently, but she cites other resources.
There is no one way to be Jewish, and no one way to approach the search process as a Jewish student, Sam notes.
Her guide is not about finding the “right” Jewish experience on a college campus. Instead, Sam hopes to empower students and families to reflect on what matters most to them in what they want their college experience to look like, then use resources that will help them find answers to their questions.
(To download Sam Joustra’s guide, click here.)
(“06880” often highlights the interesting career paths and lives of Staples graduates. If you enjoy these types of stories, please click here to support us with a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
