Hailing from Springfield, Illinois, Erin graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. After school, she pursued a career as a consultant in technology management in Chicago. Reading about the life of a Sudanese refugee in the book "What is the What" inspired her to volunteer at a Chicago refugee resettlement agency. The experience created both a desire to help people empower themselves through education and a thirst for learning about other cultures. That desire and thirst led to a nine month journey through South America where Erin had incredible experiences such as volunteering at an after school program in Peru and an orphanage in Bolivia. Working at a money services startup in Buenos Aires also gave her exposure to the lack of financial services available to the unbanked population in Argentina. Upon returning to the U.S., Erin became a lender and volunteer translator for Kiva. She is excited to pursue her passion for empowerment and sustainability with this fellowship. Erin is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as a Kiva Fellow in Kenya with Honey Care Africa and Evidence Action and further Kiva’s mission.