Student Spotlight: Tina Kiehn, MNO Candidate
Q. You have lived and worked in several different parts of the country. What influenced you to come to Cleveland and enroll at the Mandel Center?
When I made the decision to apply to the Mandel Center, I had reached a point where I was being given increasing responsibility at work, but simply did not have the skills required to do my job efficiently. I knew that if I wanted to continue to take on new challenges in my career and not lose my mind, I would have to gain more knowledge and skills. As I knew I was committed to a career in nonprofit sector, I did not want to spend a lot of time studying other disciplines and just take a few classes in nonprofits. The Mandel Center seemed like a perfect fit and it ended up being the only program I applied to. Having a close friend in Cleveland made the decision even easier.
Q. What are your personal and professional goals upon graduating from the Mandel Center and how do you think your Master of Nonprofit Organizations degree will help you accomplish these goals?
I like to say that I have a life plan du jour - just like the soup, it changes daily. My tentative plan post graduation is to hike the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia. This is a goal I have had for years and it will be a good time to process all I have learned in school and figure out my future plans. My areas of interest include youth, the environment, employment training, civic engagement, housing and disaster response. I am excited about my future adventures in the nonprofit sector, and am confident that what I have learned at the Mandel Center will allow me to be much more effective in my work.
Q. Currently, you have an internship at the LeBron James Family Foundation. Please tell us a bit about this new position and what kinds of experiences you have had so far.
I have had the chance to work on several exciting projects, including developing the grant program, writing content for the new website, and working on the Meal & a Movie event in both Cleveland and Dallas. In recent years, I have become intrigued by the interplay of celebrity and philanthropy through my work with Habitat for Humanity, which has many famous supporters. I am excited to be at LJFF and learning more about how to leverage the financial and social capital of celebrities and major corporations for the benefit of the nonprofit sector.
Q. What advice would you give to a new or prospective Mandel Center student?
Get to know your classmates. Their passions, experiences and ideas have taught me a lot. It is so inspiring to be in classes, day after day, full of people who are committed to making this world just a little bit better.
Q. What other interests, hobbies, etc do you try to make time for?
Grad school pretty much consumes my life right now, but when I do have a free moment and a spare dime, I love to travel. I am only seven states away from my goal of visiting all 50 states, and I have been to several countries. I also love to bike, cook, read, brew beer, build things, and spend time with my friends and family.
Q. What is something that your fellow students or Mandel Center faculty members would be surprised to know about you?
I have picked flowers out of President Carter's hair. I hosted a visit for him and Roslyn to a Habitat for Humanity project in a tsunami affected village in India. The children that were welcoming him by tossing flower petals got a little overzealous and pelted him and the other guests.
Q. Is there anything else you would like to share with us about yourself?
I am a very proud Minnesotan.
