Jesse Masterson was a cherished colleague with a huge heart and a passion for depth psychology. In his role of Vice President on the Executive Committee for Depth Psychology Alliance, Jesse and I often spent many hours a week on video calls, planning and carrying out projects before he received the devastating diagnosis of late-stage pancreatic cancer in 2015.
We also shared time in a small weekly online process group of 7 individuals that I started in 2014 where we discussed dreams, archetypal considerations, mythology, symbolism, and much more. Even though Jesse had a full schedule of coursework at Pacific Graduate Institute, followed by the intensity of the doctoral dissertation phase, Jesse was always available to lend a listening ear, and never failed to offer creative solutions to the challenges we faced as an growing organization attempting to serve a community of thousands.
Jesse lost his short battle with pancreatic cancer on 1/7/16 while completing his dissertation at Pacifica in the CLIE program on the embodied self in nature. Now, in Jesse's honor, PGIAA (Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association) and the Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies Specialization (CLIE) of which Jesse was a part at Pacifica have collaborated to create the Jesse Howard Lash Masterson fund to provide interest-free loans to CLIE students who are financially struggling to complete their graduate work and who are confronting a financial emergency that requires support.
If you 1) knew Jesse (or knew OF Jesse), or 2) would like to play a part in helping those students pursuing graduate work in depth psychology who have a desperate need for financial support in order to continue their studies, please consider making a small donation in his honor.
Make your contribution online (Click "Make a Gift") at https://alumni.pgiaa.org/givingx/r-jesse-masterson-student-support-fund-for-community-liberation-indigenous-and-eco-psychologies/
Learn more about Jesse's life and the fund created in his honor at https://pgiaa.org/featured/jesse-howard-lash-masterson-student-support-fund-for-community-liberation-indigenous-and-eco-psychologies-doctoral-specialization-clie/
I'm also told you can post a check (via USPS) payable to:
R. Jesse Masterson Student Support Fund
c/o Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA)
1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 728
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Thank you, Jesse, for being such an incredible friend and inspiration--and gratitude to all who honor his life in whatever way you do.
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