The tree line blurred as her eyes became unfocused. Shaking her head, she glanced back at her computer. She had been reflecting on her hometown: South Bend, IN.

She wondered what her past self would think of where she had landed. Her past self had thought she would be a professor considering her degrees from Bethel University (IN) were in Biblical Studies and Philosophy.

When I was a child, I was full of curiosity. Like many kids, I wanted to be a part of everything and I wanted to understand the world around me.

Citywide Classroom is a collaborative partnership to expand connectivity resources typically found in South Bend and Mishawaka classrooms into neighborhoods and homes of students. Citywide Classroom was initially launched in South Bend mid-pandemic to provide internet connectivity to approximately 30% of students without reliable access in the South Bend Community School Corporation. Citywide Classroom provided and continues to provide free at-home services to 4,200+ South Bend students without adequate internet connection.

I got this job by asking questions. I blame my mother. She has always told me, “You’ll never know until you ask,” and while she was not wrong… I don’t think anyone anticipated where those questions would take me.

“What do you want to do in the future?”

That’s a question I remember being asked by one of my best high school friends. I had always known the answer, “I want to be an entrepreneur,” I said.

Recruitment and hiring of international individuals can have a positive impact on communities through attracting skilled talent to difficult technical roles, supporting population growth, and driving economic development. The City of South Bend recognizes the potential for economic growth with international talent.

In the summer of 2017, I realized working a desk job left me wanting more, it’s not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I needed to take a step back, figure out how to reevaluate my life and discover what I’m truly passionate about and what I want to accomplish. My next decision fell in line with my all or nothing attitude towards life.

Approximately 45% of 4th-6th graders in Elkhart County school districts are obese. In response, the Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition (NIHHC) created the Healthy Hearts program to educate Elkhart County students in 4th-6th grade on the importance of heart health. The program teaches students about nutrition and exercise through hands-on activities led by a trained facilitator during the school day.

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?