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?

Carlos, originally from Argentina and Bolivia, earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Communication from the Universidad Mayor de San Simón. Now, he is securing student connectivity to support academic success in our region.

South Bend Connectivity Coalition partners, South Bend Community School Corporation and enFocus, are excited to report Citywide Classroom has provided free at-home solutions to over 4,200 South Bend students without adequate internet connection at SBCSC schools. The Citywide Classroom program is now expanding to School City of Mishawaka and aims to connect an additional 200+ students and their families.

As a child in Taipei, Taiwan, I was fascinated by the 2008 financial crisis. I remember, even as a young boy, trying to figure out the fundamental cause of the economic recession. I researched economics, the stock market, bonds.

Maxx received his undergraduate degree from the Virginia Military Institute and a Master's degree from the University of Notre Dame in Nonprofit Administration. Now, Maxx is committed to improving food access and impactful change for residents in our region.

In February 2020, I was beyond excited about the chance to study abroad in Germany, even if it was only for four months. I had only ever known the same old milieu of rural Indiana, and I was ready to, as they say, “broaden my horizons.”

Patrick is an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame where he studied Economics and Sociology. Patrick is now bridging the digital divide for South Bend Community School Corporation students.

Celine is a recent graduate of The University of Michigan with a degree in Psychology. Now, she is acting on her passion to help others by working to support residents in need with rental assistance.

I was an unplanned child, born from two teens just starting middle school in Kamuli–one of the most rural districts of Eastern Uganda in Africa.

Mum and Dad came from low-income families that couldn't support their continued education and pregnancy at the same time; they had to drop out of school and part ways. I was raised by my beloved grandparents who never went to school, rural peasant farmers whose only dream was to see me succeed in life.

Raphael graduated from Knox College with degrees in International Relations and Business. On the enFocus team, he has applied his skills and worked with community partners to create the Community Non-Profit Program (CNPP) to meet post-pandemic transportation needs.

Growing up in South Bend, it always seemed like my peers were counting down the days until they could leave – for college, for jobs, or even for military service. For many, success was measured in how many East Coast schools offered admission, or how far away from Michiana a job would take them. I, too, did my fair share of exploring opportunities outside the region, but something always kept me rooted at home. The sense of possibility and genuine civic pride in the wake of the region’s revitalization over the past ten-plus years definitely played a big role in my formative years, and kept me invested in the community’s success.

I grew up in South Bend, always expecting to leave it some day. However, of all the places I’ve been and lived since high school, South Bend has felt the most like home–so it comes as no surprise that I’ve returned here to serve the South Bend - Elkhart Region as a Civic Innovation Fellow at enFocus.

From education to healthcare and supply chain management to process improvement, enFocus Fellows lead projects across sectors. While each project presents its own challenges and opportunities, one thing is common: data. Fellows collect, clean, or analyze data for nearly every project. The insights gained from this data allows our team to make and implement changes to drive impact in the region, save organizations time and money, make processes more efficient, and work to build stronger communities.

Most children grow up with a burning passion to hold a particular occupation or to achieve something amazing with their lives. My friends knew from a young age what they wanted to be in the future: doctors, scientists, or–as is the case of one friend, even a dinosaur. As crazy as their ideas were, they knew who they wanted to be and what they wanted to achieve with their lives.

After six long days of driving from Fort Worth to Minneapolis under a hot, dry sun, the Plano Academy Solar Car Team–composed of fourteen high school students, including me–was shocked to learn we won our division. Our car had powered us nearly 230 miles along the way–less than a mile further than the second place team.

I grew up in the suburbs of Lancaster County where I spent my childhood riding my bike down to the creek, catching lightning bugs, and playing late-night games of kickball with the neighborhood kids in the cul-de-sac. On Wood Lot Lane, my dad taught me independence and problem solving, and my mom taught me patience and creativity.

A teacher points to the blackboard and asks emphatically: “What is an email?”. She wants her students to answer using Jakobson’s communication model, a topic they just learned in class. On the other side of the classroom, four of the eight students who attend La Ciénaga, a rural school on the border between Argentina and Bolivia, were trying to draw the “@” symbol on their notebooks.

Many who are wrapping up their final year of undergrad are uncertain of where life will take them next. Expecting to eventually take over my family’s business, I did not have this uncertainty. Then 2008 happened.