I promised in my first post to detail all my adventures, beyond just Vietnam, and since my return over a year ago, there have been many. I now stand on the edge of the next four years of my life, as I head to Columbia University at the end of August. I look forward to living in New York, with the best shopping, eating, and internship opportunities! I plan to study economics to build a base for an MBA and career in microfinance. Inspired by my work with Kiva in Vietnam and Grameen Foundation in DC, I developed a business plan with a friend for a microfinance bank. This spring, the plan won the Yale Bulldog Business Challenge, the only business competition for high school students. The plan is constantly developing, but you can learn more about Sunshine Bank at www.younoodle.com/startups/sunshine_bank.
On a related note, the same friend and I, as co-presidents of the NCS International Club, hosted NCS’s first ever Student Summit on Sustainable Solutions to Poverty (www.ncs.cathedral.org/studentsummit) on May 21st. We invited high school students from the DC area to hear from over twenty speakers about sustainable ways to address the core issues of poverty. Highlights include an inspiring address from Alex Counts, president of Grameen Foundation, on the importance of persistence and creativity in the fight against poverty; former National Security Advisor Bud McFarlane’s speech giving insightful background and analysis on the different ways governments and individuals have tried to address poverty in the past; and from USAID, Holly Wise’s talk questioning the meaning of “sustainable,” and encouraging us to think inside, outside, and around the box.
This summer, however, I am taking a break from microfinance to focus on what may be my last summer kayaking. After difficult races in April at National Team Trials (Chula Vista, CA), two demanding weeks of camp at the Olympic Training Center in June (Lake Placid, NY), and two stressful days of racing at the Lake Placid International Regatta in July, all the hard work paid off. I qualified for the Junior Worlds team (www.usack.org), and will be racing in the K4 500m in Brandenburg, Germany at the end of July. For now, I’m headed back up to Lake Placid for two more weeks of training before Junior Worlds. I hope to keep you updated, so wish me luck!
Won the K1 500m at Lake Placid International Regatta, July 2011, Photocredit Blaise Rhodes
