With varied experiences research, teaching and training, data collection, and report writing, I

believe that I can contribute to SEED Madagascar’s mission of collaborating with local
communities to achieve sustainable change. The Project Development Intern position would
enable me to integrate my experiences, passions, and talents toward sustainable development.

As a Product Strategist at Philosophie Group, I use data to validate market problems by

interviewing and working closely with users and stakeholders to understand and articulate their
pain points and needs. Utilizing my research findings, I collaborate with internal and external
teams establish a shared vision by building consensus on a product roadmap along with short
and long-term business strategy and goals for continuous improvement and scalability. During
the entire lifecycle of the project, the synthesized research continues to inform the
development of the highest impact features.

Producing research and content for international contexts, I have demonstrated my

commitment to producing contextually relevant and actionable content. Conducting research
for the Education Commission, I analyzed and mapped out school-level data from available
Ministry of Education websites for low and middle income countries. Portions of the research
were eventually integrated into a report presented to the United Nations Secretary-General at
the UN General Assembly in September 2016. At the United Nations, I was contributing to the
research, writing, and editing of sections of the report that focus on national policy approaches
to ensure that human development researches everyone, especially marginalized groups. Most
recently, I completed a consultancy supporting research and fact-checking for the Global
Sustainable Development Report. As a curriculum developer, I have created a 113-page
facilitation guide for OMID Foundation, an organization that works with vulnerable, abused,
and neglected girls in Tehran. In communication with the Program Director, I researched
mindfulness, cultural competence, conflict resolution, and teambuilding approaches to improve
staff interactions with diverse clients in a changing organization.

As an Intercultural Communications Manager for African Education Network (AEN), I led a team
of international volunteers from United States, Yemen, and Uganda toward building the
foundations to foster mutual understanding and enriching connections among all partners
involved in AEN’s programs. To establish collective values and understandings along with an
efficient workflow, I developed a Manual to the IC Section that outlined current and ongoing
projects along. To inform the organization’s projects, I led the team in Uganda in conducting
primary research. After developing an interview protocol, the team conducted intensive
interviews with local non-profit leaders, international volunteers, and community members. In
consultation with a technical advisor, I also developed a pre-departure training and
accompanying workbook for incoming volunteers that addresses concepts of surface/deep
culture, cultural dimensions, communication styles, and stages of cultural adjustment in an
interactive way and fosters self-reflection. My experiences demonstrate my ability to manage
and motivate international teams to produce high-quality work.

With more than 4 years of experience working with refugees, survivors of torture, and
incarcerated people through direct service in prisons, refugee camps, hospitals, as well as
classrooms, I have demonstrated a commitment to working with diverse, vulnerable
populations. As a Court Appointed Special Advocate, I also served foster youth by liaising with
lawyers, government departments, social workers, foster parents, and birth parents to move
cases forward and achieve goals in the best interest of the young people. Through interviews
and research, I meticulously documented the progress of the case and updated information to
deliver a court report to the judge during court hearings. In my role, I was able to help obtain
social security identification and education services for some clients.

The Project Development Intern position promises to be a dynamic, challenging, and

meaningful opportunity that would allow me to leverage my research and writing skills along
with project management experiences toward delivering results. I have demonstrated my
commitment to the organization’s mission and flexibility in applying my skills across contexts. I
am confident that there is no other position that better reflects my talents and passions.