As an International Affairs major and Economics minor, Kristen Paonessa sought out an opportunity that connected her areas of study with her interest in social entrepreneurship. Kristen was responsible for two major hands-on projects during her four-month co-op at Fundacion Paraguaya.
Fundacion Paraguaya located in the nation’s capital, Asuncion, is a social enterprise that was established in 1985 strictly as a microfinance institution. Throughout the years, it has developed two additional initiatives: the Junior Achievement Program focused on entrepreneurial education for youth and self-sufficient agricultural schools. Kristen was predominantly focused in the microfinance aspect of the organization, but was involved in other programs as well.
Kristen’s first assignment was a team effort in which she helped to research the organization’s defaulted loans. Kristen conducted interviews with clients represented primarily by women in the metropolitan area. Soon enough, she began to recognize that the lack of solidarity between the women borrowers was influential in a village bank’s repayment rates. Kristen then presented her recommendations to bank staff. With this particular project, she very quickly came to realize the logistical difficulties of conducting field research in a developing country, especially due to the language barrier.
Later in her co-op, Kristen was presented with another project for which she was solely responsible after the organization’s Program Director of the agricultural schools was sent to Tanzania to implement a new school. Fundacion Paraguaya was given fifteen computers to be used for data collection through Hewlett Packard’s Corporate Social Responsibility program. In this role, Kristen launched the pilot project and helped to train FP’s field officers. She was also expected to go into the field to make sure the devices were being used properly.
Having taken Professor Shaughnessy’s Social Entrepreneurship class her junior year, Kristen was able to leverage her knowledge by taking on a leadership role throughout her co-op. Although she was working mostly with young professionals, her undergraduate academics provided her with a more intimate understanding of the fundamentals and implications of micro-finance.
While in Paraguay, Kristen lived with ten other international interns from all over the world, from India to Switzerland, with ACCION and Kiva fellows. Prior to her Paraguayan experience, Kristin co-oped at the Environmental Protection Agency in D.C. and at Harpswell Foundation in Cambodia, where she engaged in women’s empowerment through teaching English and providing leadership skills to women. She also ventured to Armenia for a Dialogue of Civilizations. Despite these unique opportunities, Kristen felt her work at Fundacion Paraguaya truly rounded out her educational experience and career aspirations.
In regards to her future, Kristen is currently in the final rounds of Teach for America. Despite her international experiences, her motivations for teaching reflect her belief that when it comes to international development, “Education is the way,” says the graduating senior. Kristen also advises international co-op seekers to create their own experiences by using websites such as Idealist.org She encourages fellow students not to settle for something less than desirable. “You really just have to self-reflect and think what you’re trying to get out of it and go after it,” says Kristen.
