- Conducted research for an evaluation of Belmont’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program which helps Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher participants increase their earned income. Created, administered and analyzed a survey to determine what factors motivated or facilitated successful completion of the program and conversely, what inhibited some from completing.
- Interviewed program participants and graduates to better understand barriers to economic selfsufficiency and the effects of gender, family size, race and housing location on achievement of selfsufficiency.
- Represented Belmont at a meeting hosted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau where discussion focused on local examples of predatory practices and community-driven solutions.
"Some people are focused on getting into the top law school, or working for an investment bank, but I chose the High Road because I wanted to do something different—to get involved in a community on a grassroots level. This summer, I am working for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program at Belmont Housing Resources. Even in my first week there, I could see first-hand the real difference Belmont is making in the lives of its clients: people getting their GEDs, or buying their first house when they otherwise might not have been able to.
To me, the High Road method means doing the right thing and for the right reasons. One of my supervisors at Belmont told me that she had only expected to work there for a few years, and then move on to helping people through a career in government or law. Fifteen years later, she is still at Belmont, because she now thinks that there is no better way to help people. I am not sure where the High Road will take me, but I know that it has already given me new priorities—meaningful work that has a tangible, positive impact on the quality of life for individuals and communities. "
