My professional journey began with a phone call. When I was 10 years old, I phoned my local bicycle shop to help troubleshoot a problem: the brakes on my vintage Schwinn were not working properly. With the shop owner’s verbal guidance, I removed the faulty part, procured a replacement, and successfully completed the repair. A short time later, the bike shop owner reached out to my parents, inquiring whether I might want to apprentice as a mechanic.

Megan received a B.A. in History and English Literature from the University of Tennessee and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina. She is using her skills and passions to impact childhood immunizations in Elkhart County.

Elkhart County launched the dark fiber connectivity initiative in 2018. Dark fiber is a vendor-neutral optic strand that can be “lit” by any service provider to provide internet service. According to FCC Broadband statistics in June 2021, 70% of Elkhart County residents had no access to fiber optic broadband and 24% of residents had availability to only one provider.

enFocus, a nonprofit founded in 2012, believes the key to regional economic development lies in attracting and retaining talent. Our unique model attracts recent graduates to our Fellowship program, then matches them to business and technology projects with partners ranging from school systems and city government, to manufacturing and healthcare.

Jody Suryatna and Francie Fink, civic and industry innovation Fellows, joined forces to support a local nonprofit with website development. Their different skills came together to create a website that reflected the programs and services of the ETHOS Stem Center.

My name is Matthew Barlow, and I am from South Bend, IN. Sports have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Since junior high, I have been in the gym, lifting weights. I went on to play football at John Adams High School and was a student-athlete while earning a degree in Business Management at Valparaiso University.

Jeremy studied at DePaul University and earned his Bachelor’s of Economics in 2020 and his Master’s in Economics and Policy Analysis in 2021. Now, Jeremy is helping enFocus discover, design, and implement solutions in the education sector.

Born in Jesus do Norte, Brazil, Diogo earned a B.S. in Business Administration in Brazil and an M.S. in Business Analytics from DePaul University. Diogo’s experience in supply chain management and data analysis is pertinent to his work with enFocus and regional partners.

I remember my first time driving on I-65, on my way to meet my host family after arriving in the U.S. I had never seen the sky so wide, stunningly blue, and unrecognizably high.

Kartik received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Indus University in India, and he received a Master’s degree in Astronautics and Aeronautics Engineering from Purdue University. At enFocus, Kartik is committed to supporting regional businesses and manufacturers with operational improvements.

Francie, a native of Valparaiso, Indiana, graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2020 with a degree in Environmental Science. Francie partnered with the City of South Bend Department of Innovation and Technology to advance the Technology Resource Center by promoting lifelong learning and technology skill development.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “change is the only constant in life.” I didn’t think much of it at first, but those words perfectly describe my life over the past few years.

After finishing my Master of Social Work in Italy, I had a job offer to work as a therapist in Rome. That was my dream job in the city I love the most, and a only two-hour flight from my home country, Albania.

Perfect, right?

Carlos, originally from Argentina and Bolivia, earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Communication from the Universidad Mayor de San Simón. Now, he is securing student connectivity to support academic success in our region.

South Bend Connectivity Coalition partners, South Bend Community School Corporation and enFocus, are excited to report Citywide Classroom has provided free at-home solutions to over 4,200 South Bend students without adequate internet connection at SBCSC schools. The Citywide Classroom program is now expanding to School City of Mishawaka and aims to connect an additional 200+ students and their families.

As a child in Taipei, Taiwan, I was fascinated by the 2008 financial crisis. I remember, even as a young boy, trying to figure out the fundamental cause of the economic recession. I researched economics, the stock market, bonds.

Maxx received his undergraduate degree from the Virginia Military Institute and a Master's degree from the University of Notre Dame in Nonprofit Administration. Now, Maxx is committed to improving food access and impactful change for residents in our region.

In February 2020, I was beyond excited about the chance to study abroad in Germany, even if it was only for four months. I had only ever known the same old milieu of rural Indiana, and I was ready to, as they say, “broaden my horizons.”

Patrick is an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame where he studied Economics and Sociology. Patrick is now bridging the digital divide for South Bend Community School Corporation students.

Celine is a recent graduate of The University of Michigan with a degree in Psychology. Now, she is acting on her passion to help others by working to support residents in need with rental assistance.

I was an unplanned child, born from two teens just starting middle school in Kamuli–one of the most rural districts of Eastern Uganda in Africa.

Mum and Dad came from low-income families that couldn't support their continued education and pregnancy at the same time; they had to drop out of school and part ways. I was raised by my beloved grandparents who never went to school, rural peasant farmers whose only dream was to see me succeed in life.