Team El Salvador in transit between Monterey and Bajo Lempa.

Since its inception in 2006, Team El Salvador has provided 105 Monterey Institute students with the opportunity to hone their development and language skills while making a meaningful contribution to the lives of people in the Bajo Lempa region of El Salvador. This January, nine MIIS students were joined by two Middlebury students and, for the first time, a student from California State University, Monterey Bay.

Faculty director Adele Negro is the glue that keeps Team El Salvador together, but each year the leadership of projects is in the hands of students. The student-driven leadership model is, according to Negro, a key component of the program’s effectiveness. Another important factor is the consistency and longstanding partnership that has been developed and nurtured over the years with the two community partner organizations in El Salvador, la Coordinadora and the Mangrove Association.

This year, the students worked on four major projects:

• The “PLAS” Project, to help improve the functionality and implementation of the Local Sustainable Resource Utilization Plan.
• The Microcredit Project, to strengthen the administrative system of the NGO’s microcredit program under a new profit-based organization in order to improve its sustainability.
• The Public Spaces Project, to assess community perception and utilization of spaces and structures so as to answer the question: ”What makes for a strong, healthy, cohesive community?”
• A Photojournalism Project, to capture in visual and narrative forms the history, experiences and people characterizing the evolution of an eight-year relationship developed between Team El Salvador and its partners.

Many Monterey Institute alumni have spoken about the transformative effect their Team El Salvador participation has had on their studies and careers. Lauren Lambert (MAIEP ’15) appears to have a similarly meaningful experience: “While I have lived abroad on and off throughout my entire life, the three weeks I spent working in El Salvador contextualized what I am doing here at MIIS in a way that nothing else could have.” It “connected the dots,” and clarified how she can make the most of her time at MIIS, so that when she leaves she can have a more profound impact on what she sees as our shared “project human” – to leave this world a better place than when we arrived.

Xiao’ou Zhu (MAIPS ’14) in Sri Lanka on her Frontier Market Scouts field assignment.

Xiao’ou Zhu (MAIPS ’14) says she has always been interested in international development work, but that she had a very narrow view of what that meant until she came to the Monterey Institute. Her view before could best be described as a “brick and mortar” view of development involving official development assistance (ODA) and infrastructure support. That all changed when she took Professor Nukhet Kardam’s Development Theory and Practice class; “it opened a window into the possibilities of international development,” says Xiao’ou.

“For me the most interesting lessons were connected to sustainability and the importance of community involvement,” says Xiao’ou, who along with two other students from the Development Practice and Policy program, Sarah White (MAIPS ’13) and Abdul Khabir Mirzakhail (MPA ’14), worked on a proposal for a small-scale irrigation project in Ethiopia for a non-governmental organization. “It was a perfect team,” Xiao’ou says happily, explaining that they each brought different expertise and experience to a project they all believed to be applicable to their future careers.

More recently, when Xiao’ou applied for a very competitive internship at the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, she included their paper as a sample of her work. “I was thrilled when they contacted me and said they were very impressed with the paper!” She was offered a management role in a World Bank agriculture project in China but could not accept, as it would have meant a six-month commitment and she wanted to complete her studies at MIIS. Instead, she decided to join the Frontier Market Scouts program and work on a summer project in Sri Lanka.

Xiao’ou’s decision to decline the internship surprised officials in the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, but they continued to be interested in her work and contracted her to work on a research project for them while in Sri Lanka. “So I ended up with two simultaneous internships!” Xiao says, adding that she is working on the deliverables for the ministry as part of a directed study with Professor Wei Liang.

Gregory Singfield (MATFL ’14),Haley Berl (MATESOL ’14), Pére Noé (Director of St. André’s school), Marie Snider (MATESOL ’13), Evens Israel (English teacher at St. André’s).

In October of this year, Monterey Institute staff member Lisa Donohoe Luscombe (MATESOL ’09) traveled to St. Andre’s school in the central plateau of Haiti on a volunteer mission to conduct an English language needs analysis for the 900-student school and to introduce One Laptop Per Child XO machines to teachers and students. The project, nicknamed “Team EFL Haiti,” attracted a team of four students in the fall curriculum design course led by Professor Jason Martel.

The students—Haley Berl (MATESOL ’14), Dane Carson (MATESOL ’16), Maggie Rodgers (MATESOL ’16) and Syd Schulz (TESOL Certificate ’13)—developed a curriculum design for both English and computer literacy at St. Andre’s. In January over winter term, Haley, fellow student Gregory Singfield (MATESOL ’14) and alumna Marie Snider (MATESOL ’13) traveled to Haiti to work on a three-week project that included teaching evening English classes for the community, working with local English teachers on teacher training and professional development, and setting up a computer lab for students.

As far as real-life professional training goes, it does not get much better than this. The students have all worked exceptionally hard, knowing that their class project can make an immediate difference in people’s lives. Being able to follow up and implement the first phase of the curriculum is another amazing learning experience. In the evening, when the team in Haiti has a few moments to unwind, they use it to hang out with members of the community, laughing and talking into the night. They are dutifully recording their experiences on a blog and will share their reflections and lessons learned with fellow students when they return.

And this is just the beginning—starting in the spring semester, a new group of students will begin developing an official English language curriculum for St. Andre’s school.

Michael Murphy (MBA/MAIEP ’08)

Growing up in hot and dry Austin, Texas gave Michael Murphy (MBA/MAIEP ’08) a deep-rooted understanding of the value of water as a resource and how stressed many of our water sources are. In true Monterey Institute fashion, Michael has made global and local water challenges the focus of a highly specialized career that also relies heavily on his skills in developing community connections.

After working on water supply and sanitation issues for the World Bank for several years, Michael has now taken on the high profile task of leading efforts to build the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ nascent water technology cluster—a $4 billion dollar sector “poised for strong growth” according to the National Law Review. His role is to bring together the nearly 300 organizations, companies, and institutions working within state borders on water technology, with the goal of transforming the disjointed cluster into a world-class hub of water innovation.

“It is very exciting and humbling,” Michael says, noting happily that it has already led to exponential growth of his professional network. “I feel very fortunate to get to work on water, policy, and business in a position that also has includes international development components—it combines all of my professional interests!”

Michael came to the Monterey Institute after spending two years in Bolivia, where he specialized in water resources as a Peace Corps volunteer, planning and building water wells. He quickly connected to the community, finding the knowledge and experience of his fellow students invaluable and working closely with faculty on several long-term projects. But perhaps the most meaningful lessons came from serving as the second co-director of Team El Salvador (’07-’08), the winter term development practicum he says had “tremendous, tangible value.”

Almost 40 Monterey Institute faculty, staff, students and alumni participated in the recent NASFA Association of International Educators conference. Photo: Lars Schlereth.

The Monterey Institute made its presence in the field of International Education Management felt at the recent NAFSA: Association of International Educators Region 12 conference in San Diego. Thirty-seven students, one staff and two faculty members from the International Education Management program attended the conference.

With record attendance, this conference offered professional training for international education practitioners in the areas of study abroad design and administration, training in international student immigration regulations and strategies for marketing and student recruitment. Students and faculty took the opportunity at the conference to deepen their knowledge of the field, expand professional networks, and identify organizations interested in hosting students during the professional practicum that is part of their master’s degree program.

Eight Monterey Institute community members presented their research or facilitated sessions at the conference. They included:

• Juliet Tyson (MAIEM ’14) and Anessa Escobar (MAIEM ’14) “What’s Up with Culture?”
• Kirsten Greene (MAIEM ’13) and Alex Nichol (MAIEM’14) “Mentoring in International Education: Strategies for Success”
• Alisyn Henneck (MIIS staff member and MAIEM ’13) “EducationUSA: Global Student Mobility Trends Go Local”
• Alisyn Henneck and MacKenzie Hizon (MATESOL ‘06) presenting “Building Your Institution’s Brand: Using Video to Showcase the Student Experience”
• Jay Ward (MAIPS ’83)) presenting “Professional Development Opportunities with the International Education Administrators Fulbright Program”
• Dr. Katherine Punteney, professor and IEM program chair also co-facilitated a nine-hour training on J-1 immigration regulations

“I really enjoyed attending the Region XII NAFSA conference in San Diego last week,” says Chanel Bell (MAIEM/MPA ’15). “Being new to the field, it was great to network with other professionals and learn about the topics affecting international education. I also appreciate how much support and encouragement the IEM faculty gave us in preparation for and throughout the conference. I am looking forward to attending the national conference next May.”

Matt Jira (right) with his father and cousin in Baghdad

“After visiting the Monterey Institute, I was all in,” says Matt Jira (BA/MPA ’13), a veteran of the U.S. Army who is on the verge of launching a new career in international development. “I was drawn to the international community but especially to the pragmatic focus of the academic program,” he shares, adding that now, as he prepares to graduate, he is confident in his skills and “feels fully prepared to transition from military service to a career in development.”

Matt enlisted in the Army at the age of 17 and served for fourteen and a half consecutive years. He served as a military police sergeant at the Camp Delta Terrorist Detention Facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and as the leader of the only Department of State-certified High Threat Target Protection unit in Bagdad, Iraq in 2008. In the latter role, he was responsible for the daily security of U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, as well as visiting dignitaries such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, then-Senator Barack Obama, and King Hussein of Jordan during their official visits to Bagdad.

Encounters with extreme poverty during his overseas military service led Matt to seek a career in development, and he can think of no better place to prepare for that than MIIS. He is already on his way, with a paid internship and several positive job prospects on the horizon. He and his family feel “so blessed to be here” in Monterey, where they have enjoyed living by the ocean and being part of a “great community.”

Students like Matt enrich the Monterey Institute’s small international community with their wealth of experience and knowledge. The Institute is proud to be recognized, yet again, as a Military Friendly School for supporting and embracing military service members, veterans and spouses as students.

The Monterey Institute Veterans Association will host a celebration in honor of Veterans Day at the Irvine Auditorium on Monday, November 11 at 6:30 p.m., with a panel discussion featuring veterans from four different Monterey Peninsula schools and a reception. “Based on who is attending, it promises to be a great event,” says Mike Sanford, president of the MIIS Veterans Organization.

Lucy Jodlowska (left) with Jose Lopez-Cantal, Morgan Tucker, Monica Kelsh, and members of the Las Tias Board of Directors.

Spark Ventures is a Chicago based non-profit organization that partners with grassroots organizations in developing countries to provide children in poverty with healthcare, education, and training. Their director of partnerships, Lucy Jodlowska (MPA ’10, MBA ’11) was intimately involved with finding their first partner in Latin America, the Asociación Las Tías, a non-profit dedicated to serving vulnerable children, founded by eight women merchants in the town of León 23 years ago.

This summer when it came time to move the project further, Lucy wanted to make sure to do it right. She decided to recruit students from the Monterey Institute to work on proposals for a sustainable business that would provide a revenue stream for Las Tías to pay for the expansion of their programs benefitting children in their area, providing meals, basic healthcare, and vocational training. “I came back to MIIS because I was looking for a specific blend of characteristics and skill sets,” she says, explaining further that she was specifically looking for experience working in developing countries, high language proficiency, quantitative and analytical skills, sensitivity, humility, and adaptability to working in a challenging context.

Three current students, Jose Lopez-Cantal (MBA ’14), Morgan Tucker (MPA ’14), and Monica Kelsh (MAIPS ’13, MBA ’14), took on the challenge and gained valuable professional experience. They started by analyzing the Nicaraguan legal and business environment and then worked in two teams to explore opportunities in agriculture and tourism. MIIS alumnus Andrew Leighton (MBA ’12) also assisted the team remotely. The Spark Ventures board recently agreed to move ahead with an investment into agribusiness, as per the agriculture team’s recommendation. Jose Lopez-Cantal says the experience of working closely with the boards of Spark and Las Tías, as well as numerous professionals from the academic and business world in Nicaragua, was “unbeatable.” And Lucy couldn’t be happier with the result: “I wanted the whole package and knew I could find it at MIIS.”

For more stories about the Monterey Institute community check out the newest edition of the Communiqué.