Matthew Tomlin served as an Urban Agriculture Extension Agent in Senegal, West Africa since 2014 through the Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development program at Illinois State University. The experience provided hands-on community development training and an opportunity to represent the United States. While abroad, Tomlin gained lessons in persistence and patience. Returning to campus for his December graduation ceremony is important for Tomlin to feel a sense of completion after his years of study and service. Several other students from the Stevenson Center program will also graduate, including those who studied public policy, sociology, and applied economics.