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Lisa Finkelstein '00
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| Women's Studies Graduate Makes Activism a Career |
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Within a year of graduation, Finkelstein became Executive Director of the Jared Polis Foundation. She is now leading a staff of ten and working toward her master’s degree in non-profit management.
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Three years ago, Lisa Finkelstein was getting ready to enter the workforce. Today, she's running her own business. As the Executive Director of the Jared Polis Foundation -a non-profit organization dedicated to developing teaching and technology programs-she is working to make the technology resources more accessible.
Finkelstein spent many of her days at the University of Oregon taking women's studies, geography and African dance classes. She attributed much of her success to strong instructors.
"Judith Raiskin and Barbara Pope led us through such passionate intellectualism that it carried me into what I do now," she said. "The study of gender in society provided me a sense of social justice that I try to bring into my career everyday."
Her instructors praised Finkelstein's efforts.
"She was so into learning and just was very engaged and willing," said Judith Raiskin, Finkelstein's advisor in Feminist Praxis, a two-term senior year internship. For Finkelstein's project, she volunteered at New Roads alternative high school for homeless teenagers. Raiskin said that Finkelstein approached this challenge with enthusiasm and courage.
"It was difficult working with these kids on the street. They were not very open to having her being their college pal," she said. "But she was not naÔve. She was trying to do what she could under the constraints of their lives and learn from them."
Outside school, Finkelstein was active in Oregon Hillel, a Jewish student organization.
"I grew into a whole person in that unique community. I feel so fortunate to have been part of a group of open-minded and caring individuals," she said.
On campus, she was also in the University of Oregon Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Queer Alliance.
"As a Jewish Queer on campus, my worlds were met very positively. I felt a tremendous amount of support from both & I never felt that I had to choose between my Queer activism and my Jewish activism. They were unique but intertwined," she said.
"Many different social service organizations collaborated frequently, and I think this is a unique partnership on the majority of American college campuses."
By June 2000, after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in women's studies and a certification in Substance Abuse Prevention Programming, Finkelstein moved to Colorado to be closer to family. There, she worked as a youth treatment counselor at the Denver Children's Home.
Six months later, she elected to work on a campaign for the Colorado State Board of Education candidate, Jared Polis. She recognized that his philanthropy efforts were thriving, but realized that they needed a clearer mission. This thought was the starting point for the Jared Polis Foundation.
She said that many of the outreach efforts came after Colorado legislative budget cuts and federal funding took a nosedive. She knew that technology and education were two of the strongest assets for any community's growth, and thought she could help focus these efforts.
From her experiences, Finkelstein offered advice for up-and-coming graduates. Individuality, she said, is one of the utmost lessons she learned-and would teach-to college students.
"Take time for yourself as an individual being, work for social justice no matter where you are after college, and find community wherever you are in this great big land," she said.
Although she has a career, Finkelstein is also still a student, working to develop herself and her community simultaneously. She currently attends graduate school for non-profit management at Regis University in Denver, CO.
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1245 University of Oregon • Eugene, OR • 97403-1245
(541) 346.3950 • FAX (541) 346.3282 • alumnidev@cas.uoregon.edu
Copyright © 2003 University of Oregon
Updated May 5, 2003
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