3 April 2012
Dear Potential Donor,
After taking
a course in Peace Studies my freshmen year, I felt a true vocational calling to
continue in this disciplinary track at the College of Wooster; I hope to attend
graduate school next year in a Peace Studies program. Now during my final semester at Wooster, I am fortunate
enough to be participating in a seminar course called Global Social
Entrepreneurship (GSE), a student-developed, and award-winning program here at
Wooster. Social entrepreneurship
in general seeks to find new, innovative ways of meeting the demand of social
needs that are inadequately addressed by either private businesses or
governments. GSE will help give me
the skills I need to begin a career in Peace Studies. This semester, I am enrolled in a preparatory seminar in
which my classmates and I discuss issues of poverty, development, and
inequality, and how these issues can be addressed in entrepreneurial ways.
The second
part of the course involves a six-week field experience in Bangalore, India,
working with three Indian non-profits with a focus on education and livelihood:
Hippocampus Reading Foundation, PremaVidya, and Sattva Media. Since we are guests in a foreign
country, we will not be there telling these organizations what to do. We strive to create a “co-learning”
relationship as culturally sensitive Social Entrepreneurs. Therefore, we will be working side by
side with the people from these organizations, sharing ideas and skills.
Lastly, as
part of our entrepreneurial “training,” I must raise $5000 for the cost of the
program, which includes housing, travel within India, vaccines, and much
more. I have already raised $1700,
but still have a long way to go. I
am working with other GSE students on organizing a silent auction and a variety
of other fundraisers on campus, but I am also fund raising individually by
writing this personal letter to you explaining why GSE is an important step
towards my vocational goals. Any
contribution to this program will be greatly appreciated, and will be matched
by a Wooster grant for up to $750.
I have created a blog documenting my experiences in GSE so far, as well
as my future travels in India, which I would be happy to share with you (the
address can be found at the bottom of the page). Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for
considering to support me in this endeavor.
Sincerely,
Kristen
Connors
The College
of Wooster 2012: International
Relations & Religious Studies Major
Personal GSE
Blog: http://kristenglobalsocialentrepreneur.blogspot.com/
Official
Wooster GSE Blog: http://global_se.scotblogs.wooster.edu/
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