Buccino Leadership Institute

Sarah Czochanski

Diplomacy and International Relations, Philosophy; Arabic minor

Old Bridge, New Jersey

Sarah CzochanskiSarah Czochanski, B.S. '21 graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Diplomacy and International Relations and Philosophy, completed the University Honors Program and obtained minor in Arabic. Now completing an M.S. program at Johns Hopkins University in Intelligence Analysis, she aims to one day tackle a broad range of issues related to social justice as either an attorney or an intelligence analyst. 
 
Completing a double major in three years is no small feat, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything so rapidly and cut her in-person learning time in half. Though the transition to virtual learning was a difficult period, fraught with many hardships, Czochanski routinely landed on the dean’s list, completed two internships with the Middlesex County Democratic Organization and a congressional campaign, and participated in the 2019 Servant Leadership Experience in Limerick, Ireland.
 
This Servant Leadership Experience, through Seton Hall's College of Arts and Sciences, led Czochanski to discover her passion for serving the community. Students in the program hosted a mental health awareness campaign through the Hunt Museum, prepared meals with Saint Mary's Aid, and helped clean up the community with Tidy Towns. She cherishes her memories and experiences in this incredible program.
 
Initially, her passion for civic engagement and eventually international relations was sparked by her late father, who was quite the history buff, as she recalls. He inspired her to want to learn more about the world, and his memory continues to push her towards success each and every day.
 
Czochanski attributed many of her fond memories at Seton Hall to the dedication and patience of her many professors while attending. "It was their kindness and passion that made that time a little easier and had a big impact." One professor in particular, Dr. Miller, who taught many of her courses in international law and human rights, became a very important professor, advisor, and mentor for her.
 
Even though the pandemic drastically altered the college experience for her and her classmates, Czochanski is immensely grateful for her time at Seton Hall. One piece of advice Czochanski has learned to live by, "not everything will turn out the way you want it to, but that's not necessarily indicative of failure. It might be that there's another path for you out there, and without that setback, you might not have known it was even there."

Seton Hall Career Highlights

  • University Honors Program
  • Graduated Class of '21, Magna Cum Laude
  • Secretary of Active Minds
  • Participant, Seton Hall Servant Leadership Experience 2019 in Limerick, Ireland
  • Two Internships
  • Member; Sigma Iota Rho
  • Member; Phi Sigma Tau