UNA-NYC Summer Scholars 2015 Winners
The United Nations Association of New York proudly salutes our inaugural Summer Scholar 2015 fellowship winners: Stephanie Mikkelson and Tyler Bird. We warmly congratulate them and wish them both the best!
Their achievements and work in Lesotho and Paraguay will immeasurably add to a deeper appreciation of the work of the United Nations and Plan International. The mission of the Summer Scholars program is to enrich and foster direct knowledge and understanding of the United Nations and nternational organizations.
Look up this page again soon for Stephanie's and Tyler's blogs this summer, as they write about their experiences in Maseru and Asuncion. We will feature links to them both here in the near future.
Read more about Stephanie and Tyler below.
STEPHANIE MIKKELSON | Summer Scholars 2015 : Lesotho Fellowship
Stephanie is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Public Administration in Development Practice from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
Prior to attending SIPA, she worked in a rural Tanzanian village, where she taught at a public secondary school for over a year. It was where Stephanie discovered a deep passion for gender equality, which initiated an adolescent girls' leadership program as a result.
Stephanie has received her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley with a major in Peace and Conflict Studies from the International and Area Studies Program.
While completing her degree she worked for a gender-based violence nonprofit that empowers Iraqi women through legal education.
Stephanie is very excited to be focusing on adolescent sexual and reproductive health with UNFPA in Lesotho this summer.
Read Stephanie's blog HERE
Watch Stephanie's video from the 2015 UNA-NYC Gala Dinner HERE
TYLER BIRD | Summer Scholars 2015 : Paraguay Fellowship
Tyler has just received his Master's Degree in International Affairs and Urban Development from the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at The New School.
Upon earning a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs at the University of Colorado, he spent over two years in Colombia where he worked in post conflict development, with a focus on programs which benefited and empowered women and children.
Tyler has also worked as a translator and English teacher at a University in Medellin, Colombia.
Last summer, he spent two months researching public private partnerships as a delivery mechanism for affordable housing in Kampala, Uganda.
Tyler is interested in incorporating data visualization into development strategies in order to improve information sharing, communication, and to strengthen advocacy efforts.
Read Tyler's blog HERE
Watch Tyler's video from the 2015 UNA-NYC’s Gala Dinner HERE