Recent grad Roberta MacLean ('07) is one of 10 Canadian youth who will soon begin a six-month placement overseas with a development organization as part of the
Coady International Institute’s Youth In Partnership (YIP) Program.
Roberta will leave on July 24, 2007 to begin her work with the Kembatti Mentti Gezzima (KMG) organization in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Read her story:
The Summerside, PEI native says she wanted to participate in the unique internship program to gain valuable hands-on experience, and to witness as well as understand the obstacles faced each day by minority populations.
“I want to apply and expand on the knowledge that I gained while at Mount Allison by actually putting it in action in a new and diverse setting.”
Roberta emphasizes that she believes this is important, as she plans to do a master’s degree in social policy and believes that this practical experience is needed in order to balance her perspective gained from living a “privileged life” in Canada.
This commitment to community involvement and social development is not new though.
Roberta graduated from Mount Allison this spring with a bachelor of arts in psychology.
Throughout her university career, she was involved in a number of organizations, including the Town of Sackville’s Best Buddies program (working with mentally-challenged adults). She also served as an off-campus councilor with the Students’ Administrative Council, and as Shinerama chair at Mount Allison, one of the largest fund raising campaigns for Cystic Fibrosis that takes place on campuses across the country each Fall.
