2021 Stabler Donor Impact Report R4

ARTS AND SCIENCES Name: Allison Duane Hometown: Plainsboro, NJ Major: International Relations and Economics Class: 2023 Favorite activity: Women’s Cross Country and Track Team Favorite faculty or staff: Professor Jessica Brandt, Spanish Dream job: Working for a nonprofit or Patagonia Lehigh supports many of my goals simultaneously. I have been able to pursue my athletic goals by running at a division one university while pursuing my degree in international relations and economics. The international relations department has a lot of connections with the UN, and the UN is one avenue I am considering for my professional career. Lehigh’s staff, support systems, and programs have helped me build my knowledge and confidence in my academic field, prepare me for my professional life, and enjoy my athletic aspirations. For that, I am extremely grateful. I was accepted into the Global Social Impact Fellowship (GSIF) program in the spring semester of my freshman year. My project is a social venture in Kazakhstan that focuses on environmen- tal sustainability. We began creating a gamified app that will be implemented into schools in Kazakhstan. We have an alpha version of the app and are hosting focus groups with students and teachers in Kazakhstan to get feedback on the design and functionality. We have been speaking consistently with students and staff at Almaty Management University for this project on Zoom calls, over text, and through email. We were supposed to go to Kazakhstan last summer to do fieldwork; however, due to COVID-19, we were unable to travel. We hope to be able to go this sum- mer! It has been an amazing experience, and it has taught me so many professional skills and brought me out of my comfort zone. The GSIF is my favorite program that I have been a part of at Lehigh so far. I can say I have done re- search on a social venture that I helped start. My work has been published, and, hopefully, I will travel to Kazakhstan to do fieldwork soon. Most importantly, I gained a lot of experience in disciplines that I never would have without this opportunity. While I do not know much about coding, I am able to focus on other aspects of our venture to help it be successful. “Giving back” to me is synonymous with “pay it forward.” It doesn’t always have to be a big action but just something that will create a positive impact in the world that will hopefully spread and continue. Giving back means doing what you can for your community, a person, or an institution that has helped you in some way. Hopefully, the way I’m able to give back creates a positive cycle. Without this scholarship and the grants I have received, I would not be able to attend Lehigh. I know that Lehigh is the school for me and will help me become my best self. Thank you so much for help- ing me succeed as much as I can and giving me this amazing opportunity.