JB
Jessie B.
  • Accounting
  • Stow, OH

Jessie Bose took part in the Leadership Experience Project

2015 Mar 12

Jessie Bose of Stow, OH was one of fifteen University of Akron students to take a trip to Haiti and the Dominican Republic December 14-21, 2014, as part of a Leadership Experience Project supported by The Institute for Leadership Advancement and the College of Business Administration (CBA). The purpose of the project was to provide University of Akron students with an opportunity to serve a Haitian community while growing in their own personal leadership skills via global immersion. The trip was planned with help from a recent CBA graduate, Zeke Isaac, a Haitian citizen. UA staff and faculty, Kevin Smith of the CBA and Major Chad DeBos from the Akron ROTC accompanied Zeke and the student team for the duration of the experience.

Read the full story online and see more photos.

The 8-day trip took students to two countries - Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which are distinctive from one another in language, socio-economic demographics, and culture. The majority of the trip took place in Ouanminthe, Haiti where students visited and stayed with Instution Univers, a non-profit supported school which serves students ranging from Pre-K through Grade 13, and adult learners through technical programs. UA students provided service to the school through purchasing and assembling 5 benches for the school grounds, purchasing paint, supplies, and painting many portions of the school, and served as English language conversation partners for high school students studying for the TOEFL exam in preparation to one day enter an institution for higher learning in the United States.

Additionally, UA students experienced tours of historic sites, took part in cultural opportunities, and toured examples of economic development, including a growing industrial park, micro-lending institutions, and small start-up businesses, which included day-markets, medical clinics, and a new bakery. Students ended each day of their experience with a personal and team reflection period, linking their activities to their own lives.

The Institute for Leadership Advancement is made possible through the generous support of The J.M. Smucker Company.