Rose Allen

Rose Allen—2015 Fellow

Year: Class of 2016
Major: Political Science
Minor: Latin American Studies
Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs (MCLA)

This summer I worked as a Chuck Green fellow at the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs (MCLA). MCLA is a government agency that works to empower the Latino community by conducting research, leading community forums, advising the legislature on matters of importance to Latinos, and carrying out projects aimed at supporting Latino Minnesotans.

As a Chuck Green fellow, I worked with MCLA to help develop a Pilot Education Program in Southeast Rochester. Specifically, I conducted research on similar educational models that have succeeded in Minnesota, gathered data on the particular region they will be working in, and assisted in writing grants to carry out the project.

In addition to working on the education program, I helped MCLA develop a broader demographic profile on the Latino population in Minnesota so that they could identify important areas to focus on in the future. I gathered data to create maps with information about specific counties in Minnesota One map, for example, reflected the disparities in graduation rates between majority and Latino students in Minnesota counties. Finally, I worked to revitalize MCLA’s social media pages and Web site as an avenue to inform the community members about their current activities and connect them to important resources. Working at MCLA as a Chuck Green fellow, I felt like I was able to truly understand the dynamics of the organization, engage in meaningful work, and contribute valuable ideas to the projects I helped develop.