Hawa Abarchi
Margaret “Greta” Hacker
The University of Central Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development has selected undergraduate students Hawa Nouhou Abarchi of Niamey, Niger, and Margaret Hacker of Jonesboro, Arkansas, for the fall Community and Economic Development (CED) Fellowship.
The fellowship seeks to expose students to a variety of community and economic development careers while enhancing career preparedness through networking, coaching and mentoring. The program allows fellows to participate in site visits to showcase community and economic development at the local and state levels of government and in the nonprofit sector.
Fellows engage in activities customized to their needs and interests such as job shadowing, organization tours and mock interviews. Fellows will have the opportunity to join the Arkansas Community Development Society and attend the 2019 Community Development Institute.
Abarchi, a senior international relations major, recognizes what the CED Fellowship has to offer. “The Community and Economic Development Fellowship is a great opportunity for me to be exposed to different careers and develop some skills required to work a real job,” Abarchi said.
The fellowship will run through November with site visits to organizations including the Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research, Arkansas Community Foundation, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, Heifer International and Winrock International.
Hacker, a sophomore public administration major, has hopes for personal gain through the CED Fellowship. “I hope to develop marketable skills, build a professional network and gain more insight into potential career options through this experience,” Hacker said.
Shelby Fiegel, managing director for CED, wants the program to be a resource for students. “Our team is excited to continue to provide UCA students interested in community and economic development with resources and connections they can utilize after they graduate,” Fiegel said.
For more information on the CED Fellowship, visit uca.edu/cced/ced-fellowship/ or call Fiegel at (501) 450-5269.
