JennyI graduated from American University – Central Asia as a Sociology major in June 2011. During the undergraduate time, I actively took participation in various academic conferences on social issues and conducted my internships on social researching. Critical thinking and analytical learning experience sharpened my perspectives on societal issues. Meanwhile, as a co-founder of a youth-led volunteer group, “Unity Fund”, I applied my passion and commitment in helping our vulnerable people into the action with other dedicated members. Founded in 2010 for providing humanitarian aids to victim families and children in the Southern region in Kyrgyzstan, we now keep organizing social volunteering projects to advocate for the needs of the most powerless population. I’m pleased to see our works being recognized and appreciated. Most importantly, a new young leadership generation has been growing in the Fund. I was granted from the Youth Minister of the Kyrgzy Republic at its International Youth Conference in 2011, and Unity Fund was granted with the James Wade Emison III Alumni Leadership Award from AUCA, among many other awards.

I got enrolled at Columbia University as an OSF fellow in Master’s degree program in Social Work in 2012. I felt honored with this treasured opportunity, and also sad for knowing it was the last year with this fellowship program for our citizens. This made me extremely value this last opportunity, and I keep thinking to make a long-term impact in developing social work in our country.

The present graduate life experience at Columbia in New York City drives me dedicated in advocating for social justice and needs of the most vulnerable population. At the same time, I’m gaining various direct, as well as management, social work practices through my internships in New York local NGOs. Meanwhile, I consider myself as a strong self-motivated individual. I’m learning Social Investment and Impact Evaluation on my own besides the school learning. Moreover, I’ve been actively involved in our university’s student community. This year has been my second year working in Student Union Executive Board, as an International Student Representative.

Currently, I’m designing my home project, «Youth Resource Mobilization and Community Development through Volunteerism«. Kyrgyzstan is rich of its youth resources, but our youth tend to be disconnected from being fully involved in civic engagement. Applying my volunteering experiences in American community, I desire to design a “Social Credit System” in community development in my project. And hopefully I will be able to conduct a pilot study in Kyrgyzstan after my graduation. I am passionate about youth empowerment and I vision that every young citizen can be a potential community leader.

(JENNY) Ensi Tszie

www.linkedin.com/in/jenny1025

Master of Science (expected in 2014) from Columbia University School of Social Work, specializing in

Social Enterprise Administration.

Citizenship: Kyrgyz Republic