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I studied International Relations at Tufts with a focus on Latin America, and I knew I wanted to work on these issues upon graduation. With the Dan Dutko Memorial Fellowship’s help, I spent a year working at the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Inter-Hemispheric Trade Division.
During my time at the IDB, I learned a lot about the work that Latin American and Caribbean countries are doing to create regional free trade areas. I also learned a lot about how a large, non-profit organization functions. One of the most valuable parts of my experience at the IDB is that I was able to improve and maintain my Spanish language skills. The working language of the IDB is Spanish, so I spoke, read and wrote in Spanish during the majority of my time there. Having studied and traveled in South America during my junior year at Tufts, working at the IDB was like having a piece of Latin America in Washington, DC.
As wonderful as my time at the IDB was, the best part of the experience was meeting interesting and accomplished people. Deb Jospin and those at the Dutko Foundation introduced me to wonderful people. Deb also mentored me and took care of me like a mother. Since my own mother lives in California, I was especially grateful for her attention. Deb also arranged for us to meet and visit with many interesting people in Washington. Mark Irion, a partner at Dutko Worldwide, was another wonderful source of guidance and advice for me. He was very generous in helping me decide what to do after the fellowship was over.
After the Dutko year, I accepted a position on Jimmie Lou Fisher’s campaign for governor of Arkansas. I spent nine months working on the campaign and then was hired by the newly-elected senator from Arkansas, Mark Pryor, to work in his Washington, DC office. In the beginning of 2004, Senator Pryor asked me to move back to Little Rock and serve as his Community Outreach Director, where I am responsible for reaching out to the state’s new and rapidly growing Hispanic Community. I have also now begun to study law part-time.
One of the things I learned through my experience as a Dutko Fellow and since I finished the program is that the world is interconnected and very fluid. I come across many of the people that I met and worked with in Washington in my current job. Also, while I worked on a macro-policy level at the IDB, the issues that impact inter-hemispheric trade also impact the lives of many of the Latino immigrants who have ended up in Arkansas.
More than anything, though, I was inspired by the legacy of Dan Dutko. While I didn’t have the opportunity to know him, his commitment to service and to young people changed my life. I hope to make such an impact on those who come behind me, and I sincerely hope that the Dan Dutko Memorial Foundation will continue to provide college graduates to have experiences like mine.
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