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August 2008
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ALUMNI NEWS |
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2008 Rising Star Award Winner Plays Fair for a Living She’s funny, she’s frank, but above all she plays fair. Carmen K. Iezzi, SIS/BA’00, SIS/MA’01, has time and time again risen to the top, both in her professional career and in her time at AU. So it is only fitting that she’s the recipient of AU’s 2008 Rising Star Award. Just seven years ago, Iezzi received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the School of International Service in the time it takes most people to finish just their bachelors. Iezzi's work ethic has served her well beyond the classroom as she has since gone on to pioneer programs in three different nonprofit organizations— at American University, the Atlantic Council of the United States, and now the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) where she has served as the executive director since October 2006. Supported by a staff of “two fabulous interns,” Iezzi is solely responsible for ensuring that FTF’s message reaches consumers and businesses throughout the United States and Canada. It’s almost impossible to fathom how she fits in all the tasks necessary to run her office amidst the endless stream of correspondence from stores across the country, requests from federation members and international vendors, and of course, responding to requests from AU as to her availability to speak on the next SIS career panel. But she does. Iezzi first learned about fair trade at SIS. One of her classmates, Brad Hamrlik, SIS/MA’01, founded the SIS Fair Trade Student Association, which was one of the first fair trade student chapters of the association in the nation. Iezzi was attracted to the organization’s philosophy. “It’s not just another charitable contribution or hand out,” she notes. “Fair Trade injects change into a community in a way that is proactive for the people who are trying to help themselves out of poverty. It also delivers great products to customers, so it’s a win-win.” “Fate has a way of making decisions for you,” she mentions as she reflects on how the ethos of SIS made a lasting impact on her entire AU experience. “The faculty at SIS are wonderful, and Dean Goodman’s commitment to student engagement is remarkable. We had a unique opportunity to actively shape the school community.” In addition to her work with FTF, Iezzi is vice chair of the Board of Directors for Ten Thousand Villages of Alexandria, Va., and she writes and conducts research on a freelance basis. She also chairs the Millennium Development Goals Task Force for the U.N. Association of the National Capitol Area where she had her first internship as a freshman – an organization she found through the Freshman Service Experience. Despite her always hectic schedule, Iezzi has always made time to bring her energy and optimism to her volunteer efforts with AU, whether it's working with the AU Abroad office, SIS, career panels, or the AU Honors Alumni Board. “I’m particularly proud to play and have played a part in the SIS’ building campaign," she notes. "We have been in need of a better space for so long, and now that there’s an actual hole in the ground, it should finally happen!” Iezzi strives to maintain the valuable relationships she’s gained through her experiences at AU, although she does not make it back to campus as often as she’d like, especially the Davenport Lounge where she spent so much time as a student. One thing that has always been a constant in Iezzi’s life is the stream of AU alumni who surround her in her professional work and personal pursuits. “So far, I’ve found three SIS alumni who are also fair trade entrepreneurs: Beth Provo, SIS/BA ’98, of Marigold Fair Trade Clothing, Allen Joseph, SIS/MA ’85, of Living Wage LLC, and Tripp Pomeroy, SIS/MA ’94 of Café Campesino Coffee. We’re everywhere. It’s wonderful!” The Rising Star Award recognizes alumni who have received their undergraduate degree within the past 10 years who are already making significant contributions to society through professional or philanthropic work. In its third year, the Rising Star Award was awarded to Neal Sharma, SPA/BA’98; Ken Biberaj, SPA/BA’02; and now, Iezzi. Interested in reconnecting with any of AU’s three Rising Star Awardees? All have profiles on AU’s social network, inCircle. - Heather Buckner | |||
