Meet Kim

IRIS is glad to announce that Kimberly Hope has rejoined our family, this time as our new Operations Manager. Hope graduated from Iowa State University in 2008 with a B.A. in Political Science, emphasizing in NGOs and international non-profit work. Having many exciting and important memories of her time at IRIS in the past, Hope was drawn to work for IRIS again and “give back to the local community and the world.”

Hope first became interested in international programs even before her college years. During high school, Hope went on a few service trips to Mexico and Peru. In college, Hope also had an exciting experience interning for a summer on a medical houseboat in the Amazon rain forest.  “I’ve always been interested in learning more about the world, different cultures, and different perspectives. Getting an internship at IRIS my last semester of college was kismet,” Hope said.

In 2010, Hope moved to South Korea to teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in a public elementary school. “Living in South Korea was definitely exciting. There is truly nothing like living as an expat—learning a new language, figuring out how to buy groceries, looking out the window to see mountains or the sea, instead of cornfields. Learning about what makes people from a different society happy, angry, curious, or concerned are all perspective-shifting experiences,” Hope said.

But she never forgot about Iowa. “Iowa has so many values and customs that make it a unique and lovely place to live. Iowa has a lot to share with the world, and also a lot to learn.” These are a few of the reasons why Hope believes that it is so important to connect Iowans to individuals and communities worldwide. Hope believes that staying connected to communities worldwide will create rich international relationships.

Kim is ecstatic to reconnect with the IRIS family and looks forward to meeting new volunteers and guests from all over the world. Likewise, we are excited to reunite with Kim and continue to help promote international understanding, development and peace by connecting Iowa to individuals and communities worldwide.

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