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<\/a>For the last 25 years, Jim Bernat has worked in Culpeper, Virginia, a town that is mid-way between the two universities in his state that offer master\u2019s degrees pertaining to conflict transformation: EMU and George Mason University (GMU). Jim holds an undergraduate degree in counseling from GMU. But he passed up a chance to get a master\u2019s degree at his alma mater \u201cfor a fraction of the cost of going to EMU,\u201d because he preferred the practice focus of EMU\u2019s program and because he felt more welcomed by EMU.<\/p>\nJim started his multi-decade career with the Rapidan-Rappahannock Community Services Board as a substance abuse counselor, working with lots of people who had criminal records. Today he is an administrator, charged with supporting and improving the work of 300 employees in three clinics serving thousands of people with mental health problems.<\/p>\n
He calls Howard Zehr his \u201cmost quoted person\u201d and only wishes CJP had offered courses on organizational development when he was a student. (It does now.) On a sobering note, Jim says: \u201cOur system is clearly broken, because we\u2019re seeing the second generation of people we saw when we first came here. The cycle is continuing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim had to hold onto his job while he was taking CJP classes \u2013 his income was needed for his family of four \u2013 so he commuted 90 minutes to class and home immediately afterwards. \u201cAs a commuter, there is something you do lose,\u201d he says, referring to his absence of bonds with his fellow classmates. He would recommend that commuting students try to do at least one semester in residence or live on campus for the Summer Peacebuilding Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"