MSW Student Jordan Lummus wrote about her experience in the Peace Corps for Michigan Global. For two years, she served as a Youth and Families Development Promoter in Baeza, Ecuador, a small town in the Amazon Rainforest. Working with the Department of Social Development and the Department of Rights Protections, she taught life and employability skills, facilitated a parents’ school, and conducted home visits with local social workers.
“My coursework in interpersonal practice, policy analysis, and community-level change provided a foundation for this work, which drew upon skills in all three areas. The cultural humility and adaptability I developed in Ecuador deepened my understanding of how social work systems differ across contexts,” said Lummus. “Since returning, I have continued to apply these lessons as a Strategy and Operations Program Manager at the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan and as a Research Assistant at the University of Michigan’s Child and Adolescent Data Lab while completing my MSW.”
