by James Gibson (AL '02)

Birmingham, Alabama is the setting for the latest Truman Scholar success story.

The Birmingham News recently published a piece on John Joseph (AL '00) and Global Grad, his innovative startup that draws on his experiences as a teacher and in education policy to provide a “step-by-step plan for personal, academic, and professional success in college” and helps students stand out from all the other future college graduates. John (full disclosure: a personal friend of mine) is an accomplished person who stepped away from a promising career in law and development to craft Global Grad. He is committed to this venture because, as we all know, it has been the case for some time now that a college degree alone is no longer enough to guarantee postgraduate educational or career options. 

There is a crucial need for Global Grad, both in Alabama and nationally, and in making it happen John is truly living up to the “change agent” label the Foundation bestowed on him 11 years ago.

The web site is www.globalgrad.com, and you can find Global Grad on Facebook as well. John can be reached directly at johnj@globalgrad.com. Please don’t hesitate to contact him, and to circulate the article and links widely – to parents, educators, or just anyone who may be interested in the next great innovation in undergraduate education: http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2011/02/birmingham_entrepreneur_john_j.html.

James Gibson (AL '02) is an attorney in Washington, DC.