{"id":301,"date":"2024-03-20T17:15:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T21:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/advancing-food-security-and-education-in-laos\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T14:35:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:35:28","slug":"advancing-food-security-and-education-in-laos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/advancing-food-security-and-education-in-laos\/","title":{"rendered":"Advancing food security and education in Laos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The odds were daunting. Of the 3,790 applicants vying for fellowships from Catholic Relief Services in November 2022, only 12 would realize their dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Marissa Kelly HeadshotMarissa Kelly, M.A., International Development \u201923<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When she applied, Marissa Kelly \u201923 was unaware of how coveted the fellowships were. What she did know is she wanted to do humanitarian work abroad, which has been the mission of Catholic Relief Services since 1943.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of my life philosophies is to knock on doors, make every effort, and see which doors open up to me,\u201d Kelly says. With the Catholic Relief Services fellowship, making every effort meant persevering through a rigorous five-month selection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only 76 of the applicants were invited to complete video interviews \u2013 fewer than 2%. \u201cThen 24 of us went on to complete the language test, which we all passed,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cSo there were 24 finalists.\u201d Being named one of the 12 fellows was surreal, Kelly says. \u201cI felt honored and, of course, I\u2019m excited.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark Career Services and the Clark alumni network were a big part of Kelly\u2019s success in getting her fellowship. \u201cSharon Hanna, director of IDCE Career Development, was directly responsible for making me aware of the fellowship and helped guide me every step of the way,\u201d Kelly says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cSpeaking with a Clark alum who did the fellowship provided me with valuable insights. It was also very helpful to talk with Professor Denise Humphreys Bebbington, who for several years worked at Catholic Relief Services.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Doing work in line with her values<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before coming to Clark to pursue her master\u2019s degree in International Development, Kelly was a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica. \u201cI heard about Clark when I applied for a Coverdell Fellowship<\/a>,\u201d she says. \u201cThe Coverdell Fellows program helps returned Peace Corps volunteers continue their service to underserved communities while also pursuing graduate studies at a reduced cost. Clark is one of the program\u2019s partner universities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from Olympia, Washington, Kelly found the application process at Clark to be a positive experience from start to finish. \u201cI felt like Clark was a place that cared about me as a person,\u201d she says. \u201cClark was willing to invest time in me. They were willing to have numerous conversations with me and answer my many questions. Right off the bat, I felt that Clark was a supportive community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a fellow with Catholic Relief Services, Kelly will focus on food security and education in Laos. She credits Clark with preparing her for the work ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cClark cares about developing professionals who are going to do good things in the world. My professors nurtured my commitment to justice, to having difficult, honest conversations, and to taking action. They all had real experience \u2018doing development\u2019 and shared their best practices with me. And in addition to being experts in their field, they are great people who care about you,\u201d Kelly says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Kelly is hopeful that her fellowship with Catholic Relief Services leads to a long and rewarding career with the organization. \u201cI can see myself growing professionally and personally,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s important to me to do work that is in line with my values, and I believe I have that opportunity with Catholic Relief Services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A similar alignment of values is one of the reasons Kelly found studying at Clark so rewarding. \u201cI think being respectful, critical, and honest is important,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I think that\u2019s something that Clark encourages and inspires in its students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The odds were daunting. Of the 3,790 applicants vying for fellowships from Catholic Relief Services in November 2022, only 12 would realize their dream. When she applied, Marissa Kelly \u201923 was unaware of how coveted the fellowships were. 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