BIOGRAPHY

I graduated in December 2006 from Butler University, in Indianapolis, with a Bachelor’s in Economics and minors in mathematics and Spanish.  After graduation I returned to the Kansas City area and took my first job in Topeka with Kansas, Inc. a quasi-government agency that performs economic development research and strategic planning for the state of Kansas.  As Policy Analyst my responsibilities focused around the activities of the Kansas Legislature from January through May.  I was a part of creating the 2007 Kansas Economic Development Strategic Plan and spent a large portion of my time researching workforce development, resulting in the report Creating Demand-Driven Workforce Development in Kansas. 

 

After working for Kansas, Inc. for a year, I decided to look for other opportunities and expand my professional horizons.  I began to look for a position in Kansas City working in a larger corporate setting – possibly in the area of finance or other field which would require and use my degree specializations: economics, mathematics, and/or Spanish.  After interviewing for a position that required Spanish-language use and knowledge, I realized that my personal confidence and skill level were not what they should or could be in order to take on such a position. 

 

After exploring various opportunities, I realized that I was interested in international economic development and non-profit work, particularly in the area of microfinance.  I feel that many of the agencies that are looking for someone in the field of microfinance wanted someone who already had significant experience in the field.  I decided the best way to get the experience needed and to advance my Spanish-language skills in a way that would position me to be successful in the area of international business was to find an international microfinance volunteer opportunity.

 

After some searching I found an opportunity with the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD).  Headquartered in San Francisco, this agency sends interns to various countries to work with local Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to help in the areas of microfinance/microenterprise, environment, health, youth and education, women’s empowerment, community development, and human rights.

 

I applied to the FSD program in Argentina the first of May and was promptly accepted.  On June 21, 2008 I would be moving to La Plata, Argentina (the capital of Buenos Aires province, just outside the federal capital Buenos Aires) to work with a “comedor”.  An Argentine “comedor” is similar to a soup kitchen, they are located in impoverished areas and provide daily meals to local families; many also take on the function of community center for the area.  In the comedor in which I will work, the women have started a small baking cooperative or microenterprise to provide food for their family and to produce a small income for the comedor so they do not have to rely solely on government subsidies.  The baking cooperative is fairly new and I hope to learn about starting a microenterprise and hope to help them grow their panadería. 

 

My personal goals for the project are get practical experience working with microenterprise that will provide me with valuable insight for within microfinance and to gain the personal confidence and skills necessary in order to prepare myself for in the field of international business.

 

Please read my blog to find out what daily life is like living in Argentina and working for a comedor.