I spent my summer working at She’s The First on two different projects, but with one equally challenging mission: to ensure equality of girl’s education on a global scale. The first part of my fellowship was spent in New York City, where I worked to develop an “Action Network Website” in order to educate individuals involved with She’s The First about important issues. I developed modules for topics such as structural inequality and worked on a diverse team to ensure that all content reached expectations in a timely matter. One-half research, one-half tech management, and fully challenging, this was an exciting new project to be a part of.

After finishing up my tasks in New York, I headed to Peru for another month of work. My priority was working with an organization called “Sacred Valley Project” where I focused on program management and assessment. Sacred Valley Project consists of three dormitories where girls from the Andean communities of Peru are housed and cared for so that they are able to attend school. This is only one school of a broad network that She’s The First has built across the globe, which allows them to support girls’ access to the best possible education. It was an incredible opportunity to learn how to enact the exciting mission of She’s The First in practical and creative deliverables. 

I am currently a graduate student at Columbia’s School of Social Work, but I am also concentrating on Social Enterprise Administration. I have always been equally interested in social justice and social entrepreneurship, and I strongly believe that the greatest potential for progress lies at the intersection of these fields.

As a social worker, I was able to bring an empathetic perspective to macro-based issues; and as a social entrepreneur as I was able to come up with fast-paced solutions with limited resources. Additionally, with the knowledge I have learned at Columbia, I was able to work on these issues while maintaining strong values such as cultural competence and gender equality. Most importantly, social work has taught me that people are always the most valuable resource and that respecting human dignity is the building block for all successful programming.

Throughout the summer, there were many times when I felt frustrated or disappointed in myself due to the challenging nature of my objectives. I felt I would not be able to complete the project that was asked of me, or that I would be unable to find a solution. In New York, I faced the biggest challenge when learning a new website platform for SEO analytics and data collection. I had to find solutions that maintained the integrity of data for the organization, while still producing engaging and accurate content. In Peru, I was faced with an entirely new culture and the challenge of finding workable solutions when I was still adapting to a new environment. Both of these projects were challenging in different aspects, but I enjoyed being a part of a small team where I had room to grow and learn in equal measure.

This summer has changed my perspective in so many ways, both of myself as well as my understanding of international organizations. I learned firsthand how important it is to maintain a micro-perspective in order to prioritize the cultural integrity of partner organizations. Moreover, I learned how to utilize a broad based perspective that encompasses a mission-focused strategy, in order to facilitate integrity within an organization. I had the unique opportunity to be part of both aspects, which encouraged me to use all of my skills as both a thinker and a doer. I loved working on a small team with big goals, as I learned how to be flexible and come up with creative solutions.

She’s The First pushed me to grow in an indefinable number of ways, and I am deeply appreciative for all that I have learned. More than ever, I am confident that I belong in the world of social enterprise just as much as social justice. As I look forward to graduation and future employment opportunities, I know that I will be able to adapt to any challenge, no matter how large. More importantly, in doing so I will be part of the ever-growing frontier to build a world respecting human dignity and equality.