Hometown: Maple Grove, Minnesota (Julia) and Waukegan, Illinois (Adrian)
Current location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Major/Emphasis: Sustainable Community Development and Sociology ’16 (both of them)
Experience/Internships while at Northland College:
Both: Wendy and Malcolm McLean Intern at Compatible Technology International
Julia: HECUA participant (NC’s first for many years) to Northern Ireland. Completed capstone work on the conflict in Northern Ireland. Intern for the Peace Corps on Northland’s campus to promote opportunities to NC students. Interned with Center for Victims of Torture in the Twin Cities and was a research assistant for the Center for Rural Communities.
Adrian: Founded the Multicultural Club at NC, which laid the foundation for the Student Diversity Center. Completed two pre-law internships. To read more about his project in Nicaragua.
Q. What drew the two of you to Northland College?
A. The environmental mission, the gorgeous natural capital, and of course, scholarships drew both of us to Northland. Our favorite memories are with our professors and the friends that we made during our four years. We met each other at Northland during our freshman year and shared a great group of friends. Both of us declared majors in sustainable community development and sociology and we truly enjoyed the courses in both fields.
Q. Julia, what are you doing now?
A. I’m beginning my second year of graduate school in the Master of Development Practice program with a minor in Human Rights. I just returned from two months in Punta Gorda Belize working with Maya Leaders Alliance and Toledo Alcaldes Association to begin developing a Maya economy through visioning workshops. I conducted twenty interviews with local organizations and individuals to map economic stakeholders in the Toledo District of Belize. The visioning workshops are being held to discover how Maya people desire to move their economy forward in a sustainable manner and what work they would like to develop that supports their culture and way of life.
Q. Adrian?
A. I am working as an urban planner at Community Design Group (CDG) and a Program Coordinator at La Oportunidad. Both jobs allow me use my sociology and SCD background. At CDG, an urban planning consulting firm focused on pedestrian and bicycle mobility, I support the cities’ efforts to envision more people-focused communities and economies. I work on comprehensive plans, pedestrian and bicycle master plans, and redesign guidelines. At La Oportunidad, I coordinate programs to empower Latino high school students to apply to college and build a career, as well as organize a 300-student conference. Last summer I organized and launched a new program to encourage Latino students to become future public servants and leaders, partnering with the Minnesota Governor’s Office and multiple community organizations to work with students.