Dana Ochia '09 - Conflict resolution

Portrait of Donna Ochia - conflict resolution

Conflict resolution degree

'Powerful and Universal'

A full-time job — including 40 hours of overtime per month. Four children. A residence in Queens, N.Y.

The option to earn a degree online was essential for Dana Ochia, who graduated in 2018 with her master’s degree in conflict resolution.

“Flexibility was the main consideration,” Ochia says. “It would have been difficult for me to earn this degree, almost impossible, but the online format let me work around my schedule.”

Ochia came to the United States from Romania in 1995. She already has a master’s degree in international affairs and plans to enroll in a doctoral or juris doctor program this fall to further her understanding of international law.

She works for the United Nations Federal Credit Union but would like to apply her education to international peace and conflict resolution. She has experience in the nonprofit sector, volunteering for issues related to human rights, poverty and inequality.

“I find the conflict resolution degree powerful and universal,” she says. “It’s a powerful tool and can be utilized in any situation — politics, human resources, even your own personal life.

“It is our moral obligation to leave this world in a better condition than we have found it, because the future is contingent on our ability to alter the conditions of our circumstances today.

“PennWest California gave me the opportunity to make a difference through the support and learning experience I received.”