Michael Averill
Siena College
Michael Averill, a junior at Siena College, is pursuing a double major in International Relations and Spanish, and a certificate in community development. An important element of his collegiate career has been his involvement in the Bonner Service Leadership Program. Through Bonner, he committed to fulfilling 1,800 hours of community service during his college career. Michael has come to understand the complexities of urban, rural, and international development through various Bonner experiences including internships at a bilingual Montessori school and a fair-trade organization based in both Albany, NY and in Guatemala, among others. His Capstone work will be a culmination of both academic and Bonner experiences, as he plans to research the root causes of emigration from the Northern Triangle countries of Central America and how fair trade can be used as a solution to ameliorate cyclical poverty in developing countries. Michael aspires to create a Capstone project that will create sustainable change for the fair trade organization he works with, as well as improve conditions on the ground for Maya women artisans through the implementations of a community asset-mapping project. Overall, he hopes that his contributions will expand awareness on the topics of immigration and sustainable community development.
Personal Statement
My name is Michael Averill and I am a junior at Siena College. I am pursuing a double major in International Relations and Spanish, as well as a certificate in community development. An important element of my collegiate career has been my involvement in the Bonner Service Leadership Program. Through Bonner, I have committed to fulfilling 1,800 hours of community service during my four years of college. I have come to understand in depth the complexities of urban, rural, and international development through my various Bonner experiences including internships at a bilingual Montessori school and a fair-trade organization based in Guatemala, among others. For my Capstone project I will research the root causes of emigration from the Northern Triangle countries of Central America and how fair trade can be used as a solution to combat cyclical poverty in developing countries. This work combines my passions for foreign policy, community development, and Spanish language. My Capstone project will create sustainable change for Mayan Hands, as well as improve conditions on the ground for women artisans through a community asset-mapping project. Overall, I hope that my project expands both knowledge about immigration and sustainable community development.
