The Stevenson Center offers a rare opportunity for students with service experience: a master’s degree with a concentration in applied community and economic development in applied economics, sociology, anthropology, kinesiology and recreation, or political science. This program offers an interdisciplinary approach to give students the tools they need to go out and make a difference in the communities they choose, with a 100% tuition waiver and paid, hands-on work experience.
The Stevenson Center is pleased to welcome the fall 2023 cohort, each bringing their own unique set of experiences and dreams to the mix. Students from this cohort have already served communities in Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Chicago, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Vanuatu, and Ethiopia both independently and through programs such as AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. Some plan to bring this experience back to communities they have already served, while others plan to go out into the world and find new communities to develop.
“Peace Corps is something I dreamed of doing ever since a returned Peace Corps volunteer came to my seventh grade social studies class,” said Laura Keeran, an anthropology major. “I set my mind to working in international development.”
As an undergraduate, Keeran focused more on archeology and museum work, but when she eventually did serve in the Peace Corps at Vanuatu, she was reminded that development work was ultimately what she wanted to do. Keeran felt the Stevenson Center’s program was perfect for her as she could combine both her passions for international development and anthropology.
“I am able to make a lot of connections with my past experiences, which is not something I expected,” she said. Keeran plans to go into nonprofit or NGO work in international development after she graduates.
Community is particularly important to ACED Fellow Sierra Mack-Erb, who applied to the program to have a chance to interact and connect with a cohort of other service-oriented students. “I knew that sense of shared values would foster a special community with opportunities for thoughtful debate and dialogue regarding social change,” she said. Mack-Erb served in AmeriCorps’ VISTA in New Mexico and Utah with a focus of intersecting sustainability and creative reuse. “It especially cemented my desire to grow as a community advocate which influenced my decision to return to graduate school and broaden my perspective further.” She also hopes that the skills she gains as a researcher will help her make her mark in the fashion industry.
The Stevenson Center is proud to have a new cohort with such impressive credentials and powerful ambitions and looks forward to seeing what they will accomplish during and after their time with us.
