Name:

• Amy Finnegan
  afinny3@yahoo.com

Title of your project:

• Latino Communities in Minnesota

• Utilizing my Spanish skills and passion to understand further the challenges faced by immigrant Latino communities, I spent the summer of 2000 with three different non-profit groups that worked with Latino communities in the Twin Cities of Minnesota : Neighborhood House, Resource Center of the Americas , and Centro. At the Neighborhood House, a community-building organization in a diverse immigrant neighborhood of West St. Paul , I interned in the maternal health program, researching resources for their library. At Resource Center of the Americas , an education and action organization, I learned about advocacy and political campaigns surrounding issues of human rights pertaining to both Latinos living in the United States and Latin America in general. And at Centro, a social service agency that empowers Latinos to become more self sufficient in their new communities, I assisted in housing and health education programs by linking clients to resources in the community.

What did you learn as a Stern Scholar?

• As a Stern Scholar, I became more aware of the vast array of social services available to the Latino and Spanish speaking communities in Minnesota . Working at three different organizations gave me an interesting perspective on diverse approaches to serving a particular vulnerable community, from providing direct service to a more advocacy based initiative.

Advice for Stern applicants:

• My advice is to delve into the depths of your mind and heart and reflect on what it is specifically that you seek to understand more fully as well as what skills you may bring to your pursuit. When the summer comes, immerse yourself in your endeavor and try to keep in mind the value of humility. Undoubtedly, you will likely gain more in a summer than what you may contribute.

How would you describe the Stern Summer Service Scholarship?

• The Stern Summer Service Scholarship is a fantastically unique opportunity to explore social issues and new communities. Submerged in the frenzy of classes in the privileged environment of a university, it can often be difficult to fully engage questions of social justice. The Stern Scholarship creates an opportunity to probe these issues and to form relationships with individuals that you may not have come to know otherwise. The Stern Scholarship also alleviates some of the financial stress that can traditionally be associated with volunteering or working with a non-profit, since the stipend enables you to focus on the issues and work, rather than the funding.

What are you doing now - and how did the Stern Scholarship influence your current pursuits?

• Currently, I am a graduate student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University . I am studying international negotiation and conflict resolution and am particularly interested in understanding the dynamics of violence, and war, and how governments, organizations, and individuals can more fully embrace nonviolent strategies to resolve conflict. The Stern Scholarship really was a stepping stone in my unearthing social issues that affect the under-resourced and less privileged communities in our world. While much of my emphasis has been abroad in Eastern Africa and Latin America , the Stern Scholarship gave me an opportunity to learn more about the hardships faced by individuals right here in the United States.
  
  Click here to read Amy's update (fall 2005)

Other thoughts/comments?

• This is an excellent opportunity to combine one's skills, academic training, and passions to embrace difficult questions and create awareness on social issues. I encourage all interested to apply!