Originally Posted: March 26, 2018
“There are good people everywhere.” Tiffany Jelke didn’t waver in her declaration. It was a truth that she had seen, lived, and heard. But that truth wasn’t easily earned.
As a child, Tiffany’s mother brought her on global adventures, visiting cities in Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. Interacting with people from so many different cultures broadened Tiffany’s worldview. Her interest in people led to beginning her college career as a Psychology major at Texas Christian University in the early 90’s. But rather than finishing her degree, Tiffany earned a certification from the American Institute of Commerce. This move opened doors for Tiffany at EDS, the one-time tech giant started by Ross Perot. Tiffany funneled her love for people and cultures into her job as a corporate travel administrator, then transitioned to marketing and graphic design positions.
But when the entrepreneurial bug bit Tiffany, she decided to focus her talents and passions on a new local publication for the north Texas suburbs called Discover Frisco. Targeted toward moms, the community guide grew quickly over four years, reaching the growing area and attracting large advertisers. “I was just in the right place at the right time with the right skills,” said Tiffany.
It was only a personal struggle that could have forced Tiffany to close her successful business. A difficult divorce wore through her emotions and finances, forcing Discover Frisco to stop circulation. “I lost faith in people for awhile,” Tiffany shared. “And honestly, it took me almost ten years to recover emotionally.” But Tiffany did recover. As she began to see the light of what could be, she made up her mind to go back to school and finish her college degree as an example for her children. But at 37 years old, she wasn’t a typical student.
In December of 2015 she graduated with her AA from Collin College, but close to graduation, she was looking for a bachelor’s program that would allow her to work directly with people. Thankfully she bumped into a representative from Southern Methodist University (SMU) who happened to be setting up a recruiting table at Collin College – Tiffany applied on the spot.
The atmosphere at SMU was exactly what Tiffany was looking for, with a mix of traditional and non-traditional students, as well as plenty of people who, like her, were looking to make a difference in the world. And after one week in Dr. Halperin’s Intro to Human Rights class, Tiffany changed her major to Human Rights. Within a year she was traveling with Dr. Halperin and other students to Poland and then on a Civil Rights Pilgrimage of the southern United States, bringing new meaning to her love for people and travel.
During her first semester at SMU, Tiffany approached her required community service project with careful thought. She decided to volunteer at Refugee Services of Texas (RST), helping with administrative projects. A year later, during her last semester of undergraduate work, Tiffany was hired as the RST advocacy intern. “It was a new position,” said Tiffany. “But it allowed me to get my feet wet in the advocacy side of refugee support.” She collaborated with 20-year veteran, and now Tiffany’s mentor, Linda Abramson Evans, on educational events like the Interfaith Forum on Refugee Resettlement. “Instead of being in shock about the new wave of anti-refugee thinking, Linda got proactive and created space for dialogue and learning,” Tiffany shared. Through all of these experiences, Tiffany fell in love with the important work of refugee support.
Tiffany graduated from SMU in May of 2017 with a degree in Human Rights and minor in religious studies. But during her last semeseter, she learned about the Embrey Human Rights Community Outreach Fellowship, an award which offered a year of funding for a human rights project. Tiffany quickly applied, and the project she proposed was straightforward – a podcast in which refugees could share their own stories. “I pictured it as the refugee version of This American Life,” said Tiffany. “I wanted to feature refugee voices along with expert advocates.” READ MORE