“I have always had a passion for health and fitness, and I’d like to use my knowledge and experience to share that same enthusiasm with others,” said Lindsey Kren. The Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development will soon welcome Kren as a Peace Corps Fellow in kinesiology and recreation.
Kren majored in exercise science with a focus on health and wellness at Rockhurst University. After graduating, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji. In this role as a community health volunteer in a small rural village, she taught nutrition, exercise, and prevention of noncommunicable diseases to elementary school students and families.
Most recently Kren worked as a nutrition educator at Operation Food Search in St. Louis. That work gave her “a deeper desire to give back to the community by addressing the underlying causes of health and racial disparities that exist not only in my community, but across the country.” She added, “I think the program at ISU is the perfect opportunity for me to gain more relevant knowledge and experience to pursue a career in community development work.”
In addition to playing rugby, when Kren is not working she can be found with family and friends or playing and reading with her 3-year-old son. She enjoys the outdoors and cooking as well.
Through its applied, interdisciplinary graduate programs, the Stevenson Center cultivates leaders in public service. The center welcomes those who have at least one year of full-time experience in community development or social services, whether through employment or programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. The Stevenson Center also manages the Peace Corps Prep program for undergraduate students interested in Peace Corps service or careers in the public sector.
Shaylin Quaid is the Stevenson Center’s public relations intern.