WORTHINGTON, Minn.— Andrea Duarte-Alonso has joined Southwest Initiative Foundation as a Lead For America Fellow. Duarte-Alonso will be based in Worthington during her two-year fellowship, marking a return to the community where she grew up. In her role, Duarte-Alonso will focus on Census Outreach, facilitating conversations among young leaders and expanding efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion in southwest Minnesota.
“With this position, I hope to build bridges between community members and local government, as well as help change the narrative of what rural America and rural Minnesota are like,” Duarte-Alonso said.
Duarte-Alonso holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, women’s studies and English from St. Catherine University. Her interests lie in journalism, story-telling, immigration law and politics. In 2016, she was selected as a Minnesota Jay and Rose Phillips Scholar and used the opportunity to create “Stories from Unheard Voices,” a collection of first-person stories from Latinx immigrants and their children. She has been honored as a Harry S. Truman Scholar, recognizing her leadership, public service and academic achievement. Most recently, Duarte-Alonso interned at the Obama Foundation in Washington DC with its International Team.
“As we continue deeper into the work of Grow Our Own and closing the opportunity gap facing kids in southwest Minnesota, we are looking to amplify voices that have previously been marginalized. We’re so fortunate to engage Andrea’s skills and talents in this, and it’s really just exciting to work with this bright young woman,” said SWIF Community Impact Director Nancy Fasching.
Southwest Initiative Foundation received funding from Blandin Foundation to support the Lead For America Fellowship.
About Southwest Initiative Foundation
Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) is a nonprofit community foundation connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities to create a southwest Minnesota where all people thrive. Since its founding in 1986, SWIF has distributed more than $82 million through its grantmaking and business finance programs. Learn more at swifoundation.org.
About Lead for America
Lead for America recruits, trains, and places the nation’s most promising young leaders in two-year paid fellowships as a means of strengthening America’s public institutions, supporting local communities and cultivating a new generation of transformational public service leaders.
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