The Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development at Illinois State University provides students with rigorous and interdisciplinary academic coursework combined with real-world professional experience. This prepares graduates to make a difference in organizations focused on community and economic development. Alumni have gone on to work in non-profits, government, academia, and international development organizations. They credit the Stevenson Center's practical learning approach and supportive faculty and staff with providing them with skills and confidence that have helped advance their careers in public service.

1. Opportunities Abound at the Stevenson Center
Graduates from the Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development are
making a difference all over the country and abroad. Thanks to rigorous and relevant
coursework, combined with real-world experience, alumni looking for full-time employment
after graduation are able to take their expansive knowledge of community and economic
development and provide their expertise for organizations who are focused on exactly that.
Receiving degrees in applied economics, political science, sociology, and the newly
formed degree options in the fields of anthropology and kinesiology and recreation, alumni go
forth from the Center holding a variety of jobs.
“The Stevenson Center provided me with a
unique opportunity to grow academically,
professionally, and personally,” said former
Applied Community and Economic
Development Fellow Casandra Fritzsche.
“The coursework and professional practice
gave me real-world training that easily
translated to a career in non-profit

2. management. Working with a cohort of like-minded, yet diverse students challenged my way of
thinking and encouraged me to pursue a career in public service.”
After graduation, Fritzsche worked as the Executive Director of the Northeast West
Virginia chapter of the American Red Cross where she developed a diverse board of directors
and engaged with community partners to spread awareness of local Red Cross programming.
Currently, Fritzsche is a Learning and Development Consultant with the Gallup Organization in
Chicago where she trains clients on leadership and engagement strategies.
Bunmi Akinnusotu’s experiences at Illinois State set her on a journey in nonprofit and
government management, from the YWCA and United Way in Chicago to her current role as
special assistant at the Environmental Protection Agency. Reflecting on her master’s in
sociology, Akinnusotu, M.S. ’07, said the field experiences and the relationships stand out.
“I would absolutely recommend the Stevenson Center to others. I found the practical
learning approach to be extremely helpful to my
career. I gained an appreciation for how to unpack
tough questions, and bring a more critical lens to
research that can actually help change or influence
conclusions. When I sit in meetings or when things
come up, I listen differently because of what I
know about how communities operate and what
tools are at my disposal to address problems.”

3. “The Stevenson Center was life changing for
me,” noted former Peace Corps Fellow and
2013 political science graduate, Nancy
Ouedraogo. “Even having done the Peace
Corps in one of the most challenging places in
the world, and then working through the
rigorous graduate fellowship whilst being a mother, I still found that the environment and staff at
the center facilitated me going above and beyond what I thought was I was capable of. They
supported me in times of duress and success. I completed the program with a very strong base of
confidence taking me forward into my future professional life.”
Ouedraogo served with Habitat for Humanity and then the City of Bloomington as an
AmeriCorps member. Building on intensive data work during her professional practice,
Ouedraogo is now an International Data Management Specialist at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign where she is working to implement a new information system that will help
the university better serve its international population.
Also employed in academia is former Peace Corps Master’s International sociology
student Dustin Stoltz. Stoltz is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the department of sociology at the
University of Notre Dame where he is active as a research assistant focusing on monitoring the
latest developments in cognitive science, cultural sociology, and social network analysis.

4. “It is safe to say without exaggeration, if not
for the Stevenson Center, I would not be where I am
today,” Stoltz noted. “Very few master’s programs
provide interdisciplinary coursework and an
opportunity to do international research, while also
maintaining a constant dialogue between theory and
real-world practice. Most importantly, the faculty and
staff were some of the most supportive I’ve
encountered in my academic career.”
As part of his master’s degree program at the Stevenson Center, former Peace Corps
Fellow in applied economics, Lloyd Banwart spent 11 months working with the Land O’Lakes
International Development Division. During this professional practice experience, Banwart’s
primary responsibility was to organize and analyze baseline data for the Cooperative
Development Project. He remarked, “Not a day of my
fellowship went by that I was not challenged by the
project or given the opportunity to contribute
meaningfully to the project.” Banwart feels his
experience as a Peace Corps Fellow at Illinois State
enhanced his professional growth due to this balance
between learning and responsibility.
Prior to his graduate work, Banwart served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines,
where he worked with livelihood cooperatives. He also worked as a Business Manager for a

5. Minnesota nonprofit providing mentorship and artistic opportunities to at-risk youth. Currently,
Banwart is an economist for TANGO International and leads quantitative and qualitative data
collection activities across resource-scarce settings in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Banwart notes, “My Stevenson Center fellowship shaped my career and future life. The
Stevenson Center has a lifelong advocate in me."
Graduates from the Center work for institutions that create change at local, regional,
national, and international levels across many sectors. Recent alumni surveys show that 86% of
respondents were employed within six months of graduation.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in community and economic development, visit
our Student Spotlight page created by current Applied Community and Economic Development
Fellow in anthropology, Cecilia Montesdeoca!