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St. John's University draws students to Lower Manhattan
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St. John's University's Manhattan campus sits right in the middle of Lower Manhattan's hustle and bustle. But despite its busy location, the school provides an oasis of calm. Says Kate Marshall, manager of Graduate Enrollment Services, "When you walk into this building, everything stops." The school's soaring, five-story, sun-drenched atrium only adds to the serene atmosphere.
But though it may offer respite from the constant commotion of the urban environment just outside its doors, the building is far from quiet. In fact, with 249 students attending classes, eating in the cafeteria, using the computer labs, and exercising in the gym, there's a constant buzz of activity.
St. John's has been an important part of the Lower Manhattan community for years. The university absorbed the College of Insurance, formerly located at 120 William Street, and moved to its current location at 101 Murray Street in 1985. The College of Insurance evolved into the School of Risk Management, which offers the only comprehensive undergraduate/graduate program of its kind in New York City.
One of four satellites complementing the school's main campus in Queens, St. John's Lower Manhattan campus was dealt a serious blow in 2001, when, just a week into the fall semester, the events of 9/11 caused total chaos. The campus shut down for the remainder of the semester, serving instead as an emergency headquarters for rescue workers. Students, meanwhile, were shuttled to Queens to continue classes.
But today the campus has experienced a complete rebound, surpassing its 2001 enrollment figures and showing steady growth year over year. Perhaps most notable has been the growth of international students choosing to make Lower Manhattan home. Since 9/11, international students have grown to represent 35 percent of St. John's student body.
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| International students, like Tsao above, are coming to St. John's in increasing numbers |
"New Yorkers make me feel at home," explains Johua "Linda" Tsao, a St. John's student who elected to trade Hong Kong for Lower Manhattan after 9/11. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Tsao had been working in Hong Kong for several years when she began to look into programs at St. John's. The events of 9/11 gave her pause, but in the end she was swayed by visibly tightened security downtown, as well as by friends who assured her that New York is a safe place to live.
Having made the move, she has no regrets and is working hard toward a master of science in the risk management program. "It has been a wonderful, very positive experience," she says. "It is a city with so much variety and many things to explore."
And Tsao is not alone. International students, many of them from China, have been coming to Lower Manhattan for school in increasing numbers. "It has become the place to be," Marshall says. "It has become a fabulous neighborhood to live in, the architecture is incredible, and it's family oriented."
With such prominent alumnus as former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, Congressman Charles Rangel, and Gary Muto, president of the Gap, St. John's has established itself as a school that offers a top quality education both in and out of the classroom. According to Marshall, students choose St. John's Lower Manhattan campus for three main reasons: the location, the history of the school and professional success of its graduates, and the amazing, accomplished faculty members. "St. John's offers the best of everything," she says.
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