Alumni Spotlight: Meseret ’11 Co-founds Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship

Originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Meseret (Class of 2011) has a newfound mission as Program Director and co-founder of The Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship (EDF): to connect Ethiopians living abroad with service and leadership opportunities back in Ethiopia. Through training, mentorship, service, and storytelling, fellows of the EDF become catalysts for growth and change in Ethiopia. The organization accepted its first class of five Fellows in 2015.

A Flex Funding grant from Greenhouse Scholars gave Meseret the chance to research the effectiveness of public health and health initiatives in Ethiopia. After earning her BA and BS, Meseret attended Regis University, where she received her MS in Biomedical Sciences. She then discovered her passion for teaching and mentoring students while serving as a faculty member at both Regis University and Red Rocks Community College. Today, she is a Ph.D student at The University of Denver, researching access to education for marginalized women in Ethiopia.

Launching EDF successfully required extensive surveys to understand community needs, as well as extensive research—skills she developed with Greenhouse Scholars. “I learned the importance of informational interviews and how to build relationships with professional liaisons through Greenhouse Scholars. This has helped me tremendously as a program director at EDF because I am constantly interacting with potential partners and donors.”

Stories like hers strengthen our resolve to continue providing support to incredible people—and students—like Meseret. To learn more about the Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship, visit http://ethiopiandiasporafellowship.org/.