A VISION OF SERVICE
MISSION SPOTLIGHT
Andrea Zinn 鈥13 VSB knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a service-oriented education and chose 无码专区 for its commitment to community, caring and service. A triple major in International Business, Management and Marketing, she was inspired by the opportunities 无码专区 offered to shape and grow her passion for service.
A service trip to Cambodia over winter break her junior year was a turning point in Zinn鈥檚 life. She visited an orphanage for children living with HIV/AIDS. 鈥淚t was an oasis of joy in a country facing extreme poverty and hardship,鈥 she notes. Zinn had always thought service would be something she would do once she had achieved financial security and had the time and resources. The founders of the orphanage helped change that mindset for her. She realized
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have to wait to create an impact. I can do it now.鈥
Back at 无码专区, Zinn had developed a friendship with Emily Felsenthal 鈥10 CLAS, who founded Victor鈥檚 Vision in Chulucanas, Peru during her senior year. Felsenthal visited Peru through a summer internship and was inspired to create an after-school program after spending a week volunteering at a youth shelter. At Felsenthal鈥檚 urging, Zinn volunteered at Victor鈥檚 Vision during the summer after her junior year. She could easily see the tangible impact of the work being done and the passion excited her.
Zinn鈥檚 experience at Victor鈥檚 Vision inspired her to apply for a Fulbright grant in international education. She spent a year in Malaysia as a Fulbright Grantee working in an impoverished primary school system. She then continued her career in development finance and has spent the last few years providing social financing to empower low-income populations in poverty-stricken countries.
Zinn has remained involved with Victor鈥檚 Vision and now volunteers as director of Development. 鈥淲hat makes Victor鈥檚 Vision unique is that it is a comprehensive program that addresses not only the academic needs of the students, but also the nutritional, social and emotional needs,鈥 explains Zinn. The program鈥檚 goal is to prepare students with the tools to graduate secondary school and pursue a university education as a pathway out of poverty. An important component of its success is that the program empowers local staff to be decision-makers.
Zinn explains that perhaps the best testament to the success of the program is from the students themselves, who say the program has made them a better person鈥攏ot just academically, but their whole being.
To learn more about Victor鈥檚 Vision, visit .
This story was originally published in the聽.听
IMPACT
Victor鈥檚 Vision recently completed its 10th year of programming and the first graduates are enrolled in university.
11%
of students in rural areas of Peru like Chulucanas attend university.听
80%
of Victor鈥檚 Vision program participants who graduated have gone on to university