Niagara Foundation welcomes Kathleen Ferraro as a new addition to our Chicago family. She will be joining us as Communications & Membership Coordinator, and will be working on boosting our Blue Dot Network and developing communications strategies.
Interview by: Mevlut Hilmi Cinar, VP of Development and Strategy
Hilmi: Kathleen, how did you end up Chicago? And how did you become a part of the Niagara community?
Kathleen: I’m originally from the Twin Cities in Minnesota, but have lived in the Chicago area for the past four years. I recently graduated from Northwestern University, where I studied Anthropology, International Studies and Global Health Studies. Since arriving at Northwestern, I’ve been involved with international cultural research and exchange, all of which aligned me with Niagara’s mission. I also worked as Niagara’s Writing & Reporting intern prior to coming onboard as a staff member!
Hilmi: What cultural work have you been involved with?
Kathleen: I’ve conducted research about cultural disparities in Quechua health in the Peruvian Sacred Valley, research on public health trends in Ireland, and have lived abroad in Ireland and Iceland. Here in Chicago, I’ve worked with an international health NGO, been a global health blogger and specialized in cultural anthropology
Hilmi: How have your experiences made you a good fit for Niagara?
Kathleen: Based on my deep interest in and experience with cultural research and intercultural exchange, I find Niagara’s mission of intercultural and interfaith cohesion and dialogue to be incredibly important and essential to becoming a global citizen. Meeting, learning from and fostering relationships with people that are different from ourselves is critical to developing peaceful relations and filling the gaps between unnecessarily divided segments of society.
I also enjoy writing, non profit development and membership development, so I’m excited to get started as Communications & Membership Coordinator.
Hilmi: We’re excited to have you onboard! Thank you!