Alumnus-to-Alumnus, a new edition to @TFAS, is an article which features one alumnus interviewed by another. These pieces serve as a chance for alumni to get to know one another as well as a chance for alumni to talk a bit about their careers and what they are doing post-graduation.
New York City Chapter President Paul Glader (J 99, A 00), reporter for the Wall Street Journal, interviewed NYC Chapter Member Raymond Ratti-Beato (B 06) about his non-profit project in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Ratti-Beato is 26 years old and was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
PG – Tell us about yourself in 30 words or less:
RRB – I went to John Jay College and graduated cum laude with a B.A. in justice studies and I studied abroad in Tel Aviv University in Israel. I have been playing baseball since I was little. When I have free time, I love to watch movies. Currently I live in East Harlem, in NYC.
PG – I understand you are moving from New York to attend graduate school?
RRB – Yes, this fall I will attend the University of Manchester in the U.K., pursuing a master’s in international development: public policy and management.
PG – What is your organization?
RRB – The organization that I started is Transformative Global Learning. Our mission is to allow students and professionals the opportunity to experience the challenges faced by certain societies. TGL is committed to forming global citizens and proactive social engineers equipped with the necessary skills to address global challenges. This can be achieved through an intercultural exchange of ideas, people and transformative experiences. Also, another TFAS alumnus, Jason Bomberger (B 06) serves on the board of TGL. CLICK HERE to check out a video about our summer 2010 program.
PG – What motivated you to start this organization?
RRB – I started TGL to give students and young professionals an opportunity to experience different cultures though intercultural learning. The goal is to give a first-hand experience outside of the classroom, where theories learned in books can be seen in practice.
PG – What has TGL done recently?
RRB – We brought a group of young professionals to the Dominican Republic and Haiti for intercultural learning, community service and other activities. To see the full video of the program, CLICK HERE.
PG – You seem to be working more in the DR and not Haiti, even though Haiti just had the earthquake last year. Why is this?
RRB – Our program was actually in both countries. In fact, we worked in communities in the DR where Haitian immigrants resided. We provided technical help to a cooperative of Haitians and Dominicans looking to export honey to Europe and the U.S. We are also helping to expand their business plan and providing the group with research. Also, we hosted a community exchange with Haitian youth in order to identify what they perceive as the most pressing challenges affecting them. Last but not least, TGL purchased a variety of plants to be planted in Haiti. Please refer to our video for more information HERE.
PG – What are your plans for the future?
RRB – The plans of TGL are to organize different programs in different cities. We are going to continue working in the DR and Haiti but we are also expanding next summer. We are organizing a program in New York and D.C. and for the winter of 2011 we hope to develop a program in Argentina.
PG – How can TFAS alumni help?
RRB – The TFAS family can help in many ways. One of them is by helping us organize the next upcoming program and by becoming more involved with our organization. We are new and welcome any help/feedback available. Please contact us for more information on how to get involved. You can write to me at r.ratti@tglearning.org.
If you would like to interview a fellow alumnus and be featured in a future edition of @TFAS, please contact alumni@TFAS.org for more information.
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