While I knew that teaching was not the path for me in pursuing a degree in French at Illinois State, I was first unsure exactly of what I wished to do with my degree. After interning a summer in San Francisco with the International Rescue Committee, a refugee and asylee resettlement agency, I gathered a vague sense that I was interested in the work of non-profit organizations.
During my final year at Illinois State, however, after a growing interest in issues of international trade, economics, and poverty reduction, I searched for opportunities to witness the application of theory I was studying in a development economics course. After studying French, I was eager to pick up another language, and I went to Paraguay shortly after graduation. Here I worked in a microfinance organization, which had programs in microlending, Junior Achievement and sustainable agriculture. I had a wonderful experience during my four months in Paraguay, learning about microfinance, speaking with clients about their loans and small businesses, and seeing new development projects evolving within the organization.
I returned to the U.S. with a renewed enthusiasm for economic development, and spent the summer of 2007 working with another financial non-profit organization in San Jose, CA which distributes small business and community development loans to clients in the Bay Area.
My degree in French has been a major starting point for engaging in international issues. I am currently applying to masters programs in public policy and agricultural economics, with hopes to eventually work in developing country economic development policy and consulting. As French and Spanish are spoken in many developing countries, my language degree will prove a valuable asset in future work experiences.
