Alumni Spotlight: Kristen Guskovict

Over the past 110 years, more than 200,000 individuals have graduated from Webster University around the world.

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Meet Kristen Guskovict, who earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Webster in 2000.

What enticed you to choose Webster University for your degree?

I wasn't a very good standardized test taker. I remember Webster weighed our applications in their entirety; looking at all the accomplishments of the student. That gave me a sense of being welcomed in this environment. I didn't have to worry about my ACT score being the primary lens through which Webster assessed my skills. I also wanted to be able to study abroad. Which I did, twice! As a freshman, I studied at the Webster University campus in Geneva. And as a junior, I spent a semester at a partner University (Monash) in Melbourne, Australia.

What stood out about your studies at Webster?

During my freshman year, I lived in a foyer in Geneva. Similar to a youth hostel. Each floor shared one kitchen and because it was 1996, a pay phone. Many of my neighbors were fleeing the war in former Yugoslavia. We talked in those common spaces, and we overheard emotional phone calls of each other on the pay phones. My emotional conversations involved finances. I had my wallet stolen that year as I was on my way to campus to pay that term's bill. Because they overheard me on the phone to my parents that day, my neighbors knocked on my door that night (and every night for weeks after that) to invite me to share dinner with them. Explaining to me that they had “made too much food.” The landlord, also a former refugee, asked me to help in the bar in lieu of rent that month. With a little relief from daily expenses, Webster University's financial services and my parents were able to help me find a way forward. That was also the beginning of my interest in understanding the experiences of refugees and others forced to flee their home countries.

On Webster's main campus, I remember my professors! Professors Kelly-Kate Pease and Dan Hellinger were two that stand out for helping me learn how to engage with people on an academic level. I remember our final project, for students in the Department of History, Politics and Law, was to read the book "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. After reading the book, we each were invited into a conversation with several professors about the book. That assignment has stuck with me throughout my career. It helped me feel invited into those more academic spaces, like I could belong at that table or in that group.

How did your Webster degree help advance you in your career?

Since my time at Webster, I have gained two graduate degrees: one in Global Affairs from New York University and one in Social work from Florida International University. When I started at Webster, I was a first-generation college student who lacked confidence and organizational skills. But by the time I left, I knew I could achieve my goals. My freshman year in Geneva set me on a path toward working with refugees and other immigrants domestically and internationally. My overall experience gave me the confidence to continue pursuing my academic interests. I've even co-authored several articles in peer-reviewed journals. I see that as a direct result of feeling like I could belong at the table wherein people I admire enter a conversation with me and each other with curiosity.

What is your favorite part about your job?

This is a tough question right now. My career has primarily focused on refugee and immigrant mental health. I worked with the Danish Refugee Council in Greece and Bangladesh to help protection workers utilize trauma-informed care with their beneficiaries and each other. I worked in Ukraine with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe supporting an international staff as a stress management advisor. I loved working with interns to help them think through the challenges newly arrived refugees faced in the U.S. I utilized my degrees in International Relations and Social Work. But almost all of that is closed in the U.S. right now, and the work overseas is suffering dearly without the support of USAID. Thankfully, working refugee mental health means learning about trauma and how it impacts people. Over the years, I've developed a small private practice as a trauma therapist. Now, that is my primary job. I truly enjoy helping people unravel the patterns created by traumatic experiences, and I also miss working with people who have experienced forced migration.

What is something valuable you have learned during your career?

I learned to be curious. I learned to think about what I thought I knew and then think again. I learned to ask questions. These skills are foundational to all of my work with organizations, groups and individuals.

What advice would you give to others who are considering Webster University for their degree?

There is a world of information out there waiting for you to discover it. Webster gives students the tools to learn and the opportunities to study abroad and gain valuable new perspectives.

What is your favorite spot on your Webster campus? Favorite spot around the University?

I remember spending a lot of time on the Quad and in the library. I also remember the turrets in Loretto Hall. My friends and I spent a lot of time talking in those beautiful corners of the building.

What has your life journey looked like?

I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. My years at Webster University led me from Geneva, Switzerland, to St. Louis, Missouri, to Melbourne, Australia. Upon graduation, I kept traveling and gaining new experiences. First as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso. Later, I lived in Connecticut; New York; Washington, D.C.; Greece; Bangladesh; Ukraine and Miami. Miami is a good fit for me. It’s culturally and linguistically diverse, and I love being near the ocean.

My journey has allowed me to look at the macro and micro ways in which people are impacted by the environments they live in. I've worked with refugees, trafficking victims, torture survivors and everyday people. I see the impressions we make on each other. Personally, I carry with me the experiences of all my previous homes. I enjoy the chaos of a more communal setting such as a big family gathering or a normal day in Burkina Faso. I appreciate the small moments together with family and friends. Those are the moments that people who experience forced migration crave the most.

What was your first job, and what do you remember most about it?

I had a paper route as a kid, and I worked at a movie theatre in high school. I also worked as a waitress in college ... but the first job I had in my field was Peace Corps. I was a health volunteer, and my work centered around health promotion. I remember going out on vaccination tours of the villages served by my health clinic. I would bike to these remote areas and while the nurse was providing vaccines, I would talk with people. I wanted to understand how such pervasive poverty was perpetuated and how people thrived, despite it. When I came back to the U.S., I felt a need to understand poverty in our country better, as well, and I began working at a food bank.

How do you spend your free time?

Now I enjoy exploring the more artistic reasons I was attracted to Webster University. I like to take dance classes and improv classes, and I love creative writing. I never had a chance to take those classes while at Webster, but one of the reasons I chose Webster was so that I would have the choice to take those types of classes.

Is there anything else you want to share?

Thank you for letting me share all that I already have. And thank you to the History, Politics and Law Department for having a final project. Twenty-five years later I still remember that book!