Understanding Cultures through Entrepreneurship
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My name is Nicoleta Dvornicov and I am a Sophomore at Berea College. I intend to double major in International Political Economics and Spanish. The purpose of this presentation is to share my Entrepreneurship for the Public Good( EPG) Summer Institute experience in Berea and Eastern Kentucky by emphasizing key insights, key concepts, and how those shaped my understanding of who I am and how I see Appalachian culture.
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Understanding Cultures through Entrepreneurship
- 1. Understanding Cultures through Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Final Presentation presented by Nicoleta Dvornicov 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 1
- 2. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 2 SOCIAL MEDIA REVIEWS Facebook Trip Advisor Yelp Total reviews: 31 Likes:10 33 Helpful Votes:6 Viewers: 2,271 36 Useful Votes:2 100 Source: Social media personal pages.
- 3. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 3 Source: Personal e-mail from Trip Advisor.
- 4. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 4 EXPECTATIONS Source: Google picture, http://lifecoach-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/HighExpectations.jpg
- 5. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 5 Source: Google picture, http://www.spiritualriver.com/wordpress-2.0.4/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/personalGrowthLinear.jpg PERSONAL GROWTH
- 6. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 6 Sources: Google pictures, http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780813108681_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG, http://img1.targetimg1.com/wcsstore/TargetSAS//img/p/13/60/13606407.jpg, http://upstream.se/sites/default/files/blog/switch_book.jpg. ACADEMIC GROWTH
- 7. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 7 Sources: Heath, Chip and Dan Heath. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. New York: Broadway Books, Crown Publishing, (2010). Google picture, http://paramitamohamad.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/elephant-030.png?w=560&h=420. Elephant Rider Path Internal Locus of Control External Locus of Control Purposeful Work Empathy Bright Spots Bootstrapping Solution-Focused Therapy KEY CONCEPTS
- 8. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 8 Source: Personal pictures. MEMBER OF A GROUP
- 9. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 9 Source: Personal pictures. INDIVIDUAL WORK Williamson, West Virginia Torrent Falls Adventure Climbing
- 10. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 10 WORK NOW, REST LATER.
- 11. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 11 Source: Personal pictures. GROUP WORK Abingdon, Virginia Berea Cemetery
- 12. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 12 Source: Google picture, http://www.spiritualriver.com/wordpress-2.0.4/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/personalGrowthLinear.jpg. COLLABORATION
- 13. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 13 Source: Google picture, http://www.enworld.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=51814&stc=1&d=1338974650. TEAM SUPPORT
- 14. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 14 Source: Personal picture. EASTERN KENTUCKY
- 15. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 15 OWSLEY COUNTY Source: Eller, Ronald, D. Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky (2008). Chapter 6. Jacob's Trade Center, Booneville
- 16. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 16 MOLDOVA Source: Eller, Ronald, D. Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky (2008). Chapter 6. OWSLEY COUNTY
- 17. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 17 PINE MOUNTAIN, LETCHER COUNTY Source: Eller, Ronald, D. Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky (2008). Chapter 6.
- 18. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 18 PINE MOUNTAIN, LETCHER COUNTY CODRI, MOLDOVA Source: Eller, Ronald, D. Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky (2008). Chapter 6.
- 19. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 19 ECONOMIC ISSUE Sources: Eller, Ronald, D. Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky (2008). Chapter 6. Hackbert, P.H. Rural Atlas Database for the 2013 EPG Program. A modification of the Atlas of Rural and Small Town America download data of people, jobs, agriculture, and county classifications from 2010 Census data, and 2011 American Community Survey. Population in 2010 Unemployment Rate in 2009 Population 65 years or older, 2010 Percent of persons with no high school, adults 25 and over, 2006-2010 Economic dependence Owsley County 4755 10.8 797 42.3 Nonspecialized Letcher County 24519 11 3476 29.04 Mining- dependent
- 20. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 20 124 YEARS LATER Sources: A Historical Perspective of the Old and New Appalachia. By Chad Berry. Appalachian Center, Berea College. 14 May 2014. Speech. Personal Reflection.
- 21. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 21 Source: Personal pictures. OWSLEY COUNTY Jason Reed, the owner of Hometown Café in Booneville
- 22. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 22 Source: Personal pictures. MOLDOVAOWSLEY COUNTY Jason Reed, the owner of Hometown Café in Booneville
- 23. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 23 Sources: Google picture, http://sandhaninc.com/sandhan/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/goal.jpg. GENERAL GOAL
- 24. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 24 Source: “Who We Are.”OwsleyActionTeam. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 July. 2014. ACTION TEAM
- 25. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 25 ACTION TEAM Source: “Owsley County Action Team.”OwsleyActionTeam. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 July. 2014. Booneville, Owsley County
- 26. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 26 Source: Personal picture. WELCOME IN THE COURTHOUSE
- 27. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 27 Sources: Google picture, http://www.tobacco-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/public-passive-smoking.jpg. “Owsley Drug Awareness.”OwsleyActionTeam. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 July. 2014. UNHEALTHY HABITS
- 28. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 28 Source: Google picture, http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/assets/images/hand%20knocking%20at%20door.jpg HOPING FOR RESPONSE
- 29. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 29 Sources: Google picture, http://wisewordsfromadecentman.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/thirst-picture.jpg. Heath, Chip and Dan Heath. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. New York: Broadway Books, Crown Publishing, (2010). BEING THIRSTY
- 30. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 30 Source: Personal e-mail from Sandy King. APPRECIATING CULTURE
- 31. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 31 MAPPING ASSETS Source: “Owsley County Action Team.”OwsleyActionTeam. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 July. 2014. Saundra King, the Owsley County Property Valuation Administrator
- 32. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 32 Source: Personal pictures. OUTCOME
- 33. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 33 WHY? ?
- 34. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 34 Source: Distance Calculator, http://www.happyzebra.com/distance-calculator/Moldova-and-USA.php WHY? 4958.6 Miles
- 35. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 35 Source: “The World Factbook.” cia. gov. General Intelligence Agency. n.d. Web. 4 July 2014. “Census Bureau Data: Richest Counties Get Richer, Poorest Get Poorer.”.” abcnews.go.com. Kim, Susana. 19 Dec. 2010. Web. 4 July 2014. Heath, Chip and Dan Heath. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. New York: Broadway Books, Crown Publishing, (2010). Personal pictures. How do you see a different culture? Pasca- traditional Easter bread. Codri- Ethnic Dancing Group Vineyard in Moldova
- 36. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 36 Sources: “The World Factbook.” cia. gov. General Intelligence Agency. n.d. Web. 4 July 2014. “Census Bureau Data: Richest Counties Get Richer, Poorest Get Poorer.”.” abcnews.go.com. Kim, Susana. 19 Dec. 2010. Web. 4 July 2014. Heath, Chip and Dan Heath. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. New York: Broadway Books, Crown Publishing, (2010). Personal pictures. How do you see a different culture? Jacob’s Trade Center, Booneville Booneville Presbyterian ChurchOwsley County Veteran’s Memorial
- 37. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 37 WHITESBURG, LETCHER COUNTY Source: Personal picture. “Cooperative Extension- Letcher County.” letcher.ca.uky.edu. College of Agriculture, Food and Environment., n.d. Web. 4 July 2014.
- 38. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 38 WHITESBURG, LETCHER COUNTY Source: Shad Baker, County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources, UK 1-Historical Section 2-Wildlife Section 3- Arts Section
- 39. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 39 Source: “Cooperative Extension- Letcher County.” letcher.ca.uky.edu. College of Agriculture, Food and Environment., n.d. Web. 4 July 2014. SHAD BAKER-the UK Extension Agent in Letcher County
- 40. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 40 Source: Personal document. OPPORTUNITY DISCOVERY CANVAS
- 41. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 41 Source: Personal picture. INTERCEPT INTERVIEWS
- 42. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 42 NEW WAY OF LEARNING
- 43. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 43 Source: Personal picture. PERSONAL ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP THEORY
- 44. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 44 Source: Google picture, http://leadershipcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/thinkinggears.jpg “MULLIGANS”
- 45. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 45 CONCLUSION Source: Personal picture. Bill Best, the owner of Heirloom Beans, Berea
- 46. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 46 Source: Personal picture. WHAT IS NEXT?
- 47. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 47 Source: Personal picture. WHAT IS NEXT?
- 48. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 48 WORKS CITED • A Historical Perspective of the Old and New Appalachia. By Chad Berry. Appalachian Center, Berea College. 14 May 2014. Speech. • “Census Bureau Data: Richest Counties Get Richer, Poorest Get Poorer.”.” abcnews.go.com. Kim, Susana. 19 Dec. 2010. Web. 4 July 2014. • “Cooperative Extension- Letcher County.” letcher.ca.uky.edu. College of Agriculture, Food and Environment., n.d. Web. 4 July 2014. • Distance Calculator, http://www.happyzebra.com/distance-calculator/Moldova-and-USA.php • Eller, Ronald, D. Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky (2008). Chapter 6. • Google pictures. • Hackbert, P.H. Rural Atlas Database for the 2013 EPG Program. A modification of the Atlas of Rural and Small Town America download data of people, jobs, agriculture, and county classifications from 2010 Census data, and 2011 American Community Survey. • Heath, Chip and Dan Heath. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. New York: Broadway Books, Crown Publishing, (2010). • “Owsley County Action Team.”OwsleyActionTeam. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 July. 2014. • “Owsley Drug Awareness.”OwsleyActionTeam. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 July. 2014. • Personal pictures. • Personal reflections. • “Shad Baker, County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources, UK • The World Factbook.” cia. gov. General Intelligence Agency. n.d. Web. 4 July 2014. • “Who We Are.”OwsleyActionTeam. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 July. 2014.
- 49. 7/8/2014 NICOLETA DVORNICOV, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 49 THANK YOU!
Editor's Notes
- Good morning. My name is Nicoleta Dvornicov and I am a Sophomore at Berea College. I intend to double major in International Political Economics and Spanish. The purpose of this presentation is to share my EPG Summer Institute experience in Berea and Eastern Kentucky by emphasizing key insights, key concepts, and how those shaped my understanding of who I am and how I see Appalachian culture.
- During the EPG summer institute I wrote 31 reviews on Facebook, 33 on Trip Advisor, and 36 on Yelp. In total, 100 reviews. My reviews on Trip Advisor were read by 2,271 people. Also, on Pinterest I made an album called “Adventure Tourism” where I posted pictures from rock-climbing, cycling, zip-lining, and hiking.
- From all the platforms, I enjoyed writing reviews on Trip Advisor the most because Trip Advisor maintains a relation with the users by providing valuable information, such us: how many people have read your reviews, or what position, as a reviewer, you have in your community. For example, this is a screenshot of the e-mail I received on July 1st.
- I started EPG with certain expectations. I expected to train my critical thinking, and learn entrepreneurial skills while advocating change in Berea and Eastern Kentucky. I was not sure, though, what kind of change I would be advocating, but I learned later. I set a goal to gain as much knowledge as possible from the EPG experience so I can utilize this information when going back home. This, actually, was the reason why I came to study in the USA.
- While doing EPG in Berea, I expected to be challenged from an academic point of view.
- During the 8 weeks of the Summer Institute, we were exposed to multiple readings. The books that we read were Work on Purpose by Lara Galinsky and Doug Ulman, Appalachia’s Path to Dependency: Rethinking a Region’s Economic History 1730 – 1940 by Paul Salstrom, Who Owns the Ice House? by Clifton Taulbertand Gary and G. Schoeniger, and The Business Model You by Tim Clark. I have read Work on Purpose and Business Model You in the fall of 2013. During this summer, however, the 3 books that are represented on the slide influenced me the most. First, the book Appalachia’s Path to Dependency was the most challenging reading because of the abundance of detail and unfamiliar language. At the beginning of the summer program, I failed many quizzes and I was very frustrated because the amount of the hard work did not equate with my expected outcome. But, eventually, I learned to pay attention to the important details and analyze how those shaped the life of early Appalachian settlers. This book built the foundation of my knowledge about the Appalachian history and culture. Second, the main lesson I learned from the book Who Owns the Ice House? and from the IHEP entrepreneurs was that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary goals. This concept motivated me to go outside of my comfort zone in order to make a positive difference. For instance: the result of our summer work, 8 signed letters in Eastern Kentucky which show the interest in participating in the Kentucky Trail Town Community, emphasize that a group of ordinary students can do exceptional work. Third, The book Switch taught me some techniques in how to advocate change by directing the Rider, motivating the Elephant, and presenting a Path.
- This summer I have been exposed to new key concepts that are elements of an entrepreneurial mindset and that influenced my way of thinking. For example: Elephant, Rider, Path, Internal Locus of Control, External Locus of Control, Purposeful Work, Empathy, Bright Spots, Bootstrapping, and Solution-Focused Therapy. I have experienced all concepts during the 8 weeks of summer work. However, I would like to emphasize the role of the Rider- Elephant- Path analogy in advocating change. This analogy was explained by the psychologist Jonathan Haidt in his book The Happiness Hypothesis (Heath 7). Haidt declares that our emotional side is the Elephant, and the rational side is the Rider (Heath 7). The Rider seems to be the leader, but he is very small in comparison to the Elephant (Heath 7). Therefore, when the Rider and the Elephant disagree about what Path to take, the Elephant is most like to win (Heath 7). Haidt emphasizes that a collaboration between them is critical in order to achieve success (Heath 7). This analogy was a point of reference in times of doubt, difficulty, or when interacting with diverse people during the EPG Summer Institute.
- Previously, I worked in diverse groups as an exchange student, and as a participant in international conferences, but being on such a team as EPG team for 8 weeks was though-provoking, creative, exciting, and at the same time challenging. Each students came with certain assumptions, beliefs, and ideas that, sometimes, contradicted my own ideology. I noticed that it was difficult to collaborate because each of us had somewhat different aspirations.
- In general, I prefer working individually. Since I was young I was taught that the way you present your work reflects, to some degree, the way you are. This is why when I work on something I try to do an excellent job, even if it is just reflection or a final essay. This methodology became a habit which empowered me to use my energy and time properly.
- My personal quote is “Work now, rest later.” This logo empowered me to stay focused on my assignments and be efficient- finishing in a short amount of time a significant amount of work.
- As a part of the group, though, I had to trust other people’s work ethics. It was difficult since I do not like when the results of my work depend on someone else’s actions. The group work taught me 3 critical lessons: 1. Your curiosity increases proportionally with the number of people in your group. What do I mean by that? My curiosity this summer spread across at least 4 new areas. For instance, Kristian is interested in technology and building robots. Every time we would go by a place that had certain tools, Kristian would disappear. I was amazed to see how passionate he was about his robot. Cayla, for example, is interested in arts. She would share with us how she uses Pinterest to find new ideas. It was so enriching to interact with people who have different interests because I learned to look at the world with diverse lenses. 2. When working in group you might go slower, but you reach farther. This lesson sounds contradictory, but it is crucial to understand it. When working individually, I tend to finish my assignments faster. However, when working in a group I learned that I discover more. For example, when went to the Berea Cemetery, as a group, we did not understand what we may find there. However, together we discover valuable assets in the Cemetery, as presented in the picture, the grave of John G. Fee. Together we recognized opportunity in a place that I would have considered pointless to visit while doing entrepreneurial work.
- 3. I realized that the collaboration and support between team members are crucial for success, and that everybody needs to contribute in the process. As a member of a team I felt that I was actively participating in my team’s success by being responsible, committed to work, and punctual.
- My team members helped me with the pronunciation and enunciation, and I am very thankful for their support. Sometimes, especially when being tired, the difficulty for me appeared when trying to express into words some of my ideas. But my team did an excellent job at showing respect and patience in these situations. After discovering the diversity of my team, I was ready to go to Eastern Kentucky.
- In Eastern Kentucky, I expected to go outside of my comfort zone in order to discern the uncertainties and transform them into possible opportunities while recognizing the obstacles I might face when doing so.
- During this summer, I tried to explore the values and ethical structure of the Appalachian region. When studying Appalachia’s Path to Dependency: Rethinking a Region’s Economic History 1730 – 1940 by Paul Salstrom I have noticed that family, hospitality, and hard work are some of the characteristic values of the Appalachians.
- I was so excited to learn that since in Moldova, those values are just as important.
- Also, while in Eastern Kentucky I fell in love with the spectacular natural assets that brought me so much tranquility, peace, and serenity. While driving through the Pine Mountain I thought of home, of the beautiful hills and of the rich forest near my house called Codri.
- In Eastern Kentucky, I was captivated by an unknown world that had so much to offer in exchange for some understanding of its culture and history. And I was excited to start the discovering journey. The journey started, actually, with the class readings. In the Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945 by Ronald Eller I read the following quote “In the popular mind, Appalachia continued to represent the other America—an isolated place of backwardness and poverty ironically rich in romance and tradition”(Eller 222). I was facing a conceptual dilemma, how come there was a broken economy when having fascinating landscapes and rich values?
- On a big scale, the issue, that I noticed from reading Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945 by Ronald Eller, regarding Appalachian economic development arrived at the transition point from coal mining, a disappearing main economic segment, to a new economic sector. On a smaller scale, from my experience, I noticed the expression of this economic issue in the quality of life of the residents- education, unemployment, and poverty. Before going to Eastern Kentucky, I analyzed the economic development indicators and I was surprised to see the high unemployment rate and the low education level, as presented in the table. However, I refused to let those numbers influence my opinion about the population and their culture.
- The most significant new insight I gained about the Appalachia Region was that misperceptions from decades ago have drastically influenced the current status of the Appalachian region. Having an explanation of the historical background of the Appalachia region from 1795 to 1920s helped me observe a wildly spread stereotype regarding Appalachian people. A misinterpretation that prevails even in 2014, 124 years later. This learning matters because a wrong belief, which in an untruth, may drastically influence both parties. As Chad Berry insinuated, that misperception kept some Americans from discovering the beauty of a rural and traditional life, and made some Appalachian people feel ashamed of their culture. In light of this learning I challenged myself to be aware of possible stereotypes that could have stopped me from seeing the beauty of the Appalachian region
- When in Eastern Kentucky I discovered some more values that reminded me of home, such as openness and friendliness.
- For example, when interviewing local businesses, the business owners were extremely friendly, ready to answer our questions, and even willing to learn from us. For instance, Jason Reed, the owner of the Hometown Café in Booneville, asked us to give him more information about social media, especially Trip Advisor and Yelp. What my team and I noticed is Owsley County was that the wonderful values were in contradiction with the work ethic of the social workers.
- The ethical structure surprised me because we came with certain expectations. Our general goal was to create connections with the locals, and map the cultural assets assuming that our local partners will demonstrate interest in developing a Trail Town. We wanted to demonstrate to Owsley County that there was potential for economic growth if they collaborated with other counties. Why? Because through collaboration, the region would be rebranded and it would contribute to making Kentucky a destination. This matters because as a consequence, the quality of life would increase, and a sense of pride would be developed.
- We assumed that the Action Team, our initial partner in Booneville, would provide support in what we do because the mission of the organization is focused on developing leadership and promoting new solutions for solving old problems. Since the organization’s main focus fell around the populations’ needs, our group decided that a collaboration would be beneficial to both parties.
- The Action Team shared with us their future plans, and helped us identify key people in the community.
- Several community leaders that we were directed to had offices in the Courthouse. From the moment my team and I entered the Courthouse an extremely strong smell of smoke deregulated my breathing process causing me to cough.
- I was shocked to see people smoking even inside the building. Then, I remembered the vision of the Owsley County Drug Awareness Council, which is a branch of the Action Team. Their vision states that “Owsley County will be a community free of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse and their related consequences therefore committing to embracing healthier lifestyles.” And I realized that Owsley County civic leaders were trying to combat these problems. They were doing this for the public common good because a healthy population has more opportunities for economic development. The interest of the public good in this situation, from our perspective, was presenting the path toward the Trail Town Application. [We tried to contribute to the development of this public good by presenting a new economic segment, adventure tourism, that would generate healthier living standards.] In the amalgam of issues that Owsley County faced, the difficulty increased every time we met someone who did not show excitement or pride to be from Eastern Kentucky. I was tired to see the manifestation of those economic indicators-poverty, low education, and health problems- in real life.
- The feeling of disappointment increased because we failed to make an appointment with the Executive Judge for about two weeks. Some people in the community told us that we have a small chance to meet with the Judge, and even if we make an appointment, they would say “We hope he shows up.” We were exposed to a completely different work ethic. It was difficult to adjust because we were captured by uncertain situations and unfamiliar ethic structure.
- I felt thirsty. I was thirsty for a spark of excitement. I was determined to connect to people who loved their home place even if it faced times of hardships and troubles. I wanted to see the bright spots. According to Switch, bright spots are successful examples, and once you identify and analyze them, you can find ways to clone them with the purpose to bring positive change (Heath 27).
- Miss King, the Owsley County Property Valuation Administrator, was the bright spot. She was the only one who delivered this type of message “ I love my community and it pleases me when I meet people that embrace our culture and take something positive from it.” I was encouraged by talking to Miss King because I knew there were people who cared and wanted to make a positive change. Maybe they did not have time to work on the change, but as long as I was in Booneville I wanted to contribute in making a difference.
- Miss King was passionate about improving the current situation of Booneville. She had a valuable contribution in our discovery of cultural, historical, and natural assets of Owsley County. The map that Miss King provided was a crucial element in our work since we could mobilize the resources available by placing all the assets on the map. With the map we went to County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences, business owners, and other civic leaders. Once we found the bright spot, we were motivated to persevere in making an appointment with the Judge, and inspire him in signing a letter in which he would express interest in Kentucky Trail Town Program.
- We overcame the ambiguity and the uncertainty of different ethical structures by recognizing bright spots as opportunities and bridges to advocate change. First, I realized that instead of concentrating on the things that are not in my control such us: health issues or poverty, I needed to direct my energy on mobilizing the existing resources by utilizing internal locus of control. Therefore, Jacob and I went in the morning, once again, to set an appointment with the Executive Judge. We were so determined to do so that if we failed in meeting the Executive Judge, next day we would have come at 8 in the morning waiting for him near his office. To our surprise, we intercepted the Judge. First he seemed reticent and apprehensive, then, after we introduced ourselves and explained the purpose of our visit he was ready to hear the final presentation. Everything ended with him signing the letter addressed to Elaine H. Wilson, the Director for Adventure Tourism in Kentucky. The new piece of civic leadership information about the Appalachian Region is that politics plays a crucial role in the community development process. The politicians directly and indirectly influence the outcome of community projects. Also, many decisions that are made by civic leaders are influenced by the results of the political activities. For example: Auction Team asked not to mention their names to the Executive Judge when making our final presentations. The causes are diverse and complex. I can assume that one reason might be the upcoming election, and another, negative past experience.
- If you wonder why I was so committed to find the bright spots or to see some enthusiasm or pride in Booneville, Owsley County, I can provide an explanation.
- I started EPG without knowing that 4958.6 miles from my home country I will find similar values and problems.
- I come from a wonderful country with hard-working people, spectacular landscapes, and rich traditions. [The first picture represents a type of bread that is prepared only for Easter; the second picture represents a grandfather with his granddaughter picking grapes in a vineyard; and the third represents a Moldavian ethnic dancing group that is well-known thought Europe.] However, according to the “World Factbook,” “Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe.” And I am aware of this problem and many other issues that my country faces, as any other country does. I always wondered, how travelers and tourist see Moldova? Do they let the economic issues and the stereotypes influence their opinion about the culture? How do you see a different culture? It is so easy to put a label on something, but it takes so much knowledge and open-mindedness to see beyond that.
- Owsley County, according to an article called “Census Bureau Data: Richest Counties Get Richer, Poorest Get Poorer,” is the poorest county in the USA. It hurt me to know that based on the economic progress of a place, people, as a general rule, built assumption about the culture and population. For instance, before going to Owsley County I heard different phrases emphasizing the terrible economic situation there. Phrases that were said with disrespect and lack of desire to discover the substance under the economic label. I met people who were not that enthusiastic about Booneville, their home town, but as mentioned in Switch, “What looks like laziness is often exhaustion” (12). I tried to understand the complex reasons ingrained in the history of Appalachia that explained this type of behavior. I tried to look beneath the surface that was vague and ambiguous and see the beauty of the culture. As shown in the pictures, there are valuable cultural assets that, in collaboration with other counties, can be utilized in rebranding the region. We built such a collaboration between Owsley County and Letcher County by sharing with the Action Team the information we discovered in Whitesburg.
- In Letcher County, my team and I discovered that Whitesburg was at the end of the Trail Town process. We decided to learn from Whitesburg and share our findings with Booneville. As a group, we met with Shad Baker, the UK Extension Agent in Letcher County. The mission of the Extension is to deliver information, education, and solutions for the purpose of developing better communities, stronger local economies, and healthier lifestyles. We consider Mr. Baker to be a catalyst of the Whitesburg Trail Town because he actively participated in the process.
- Mr. Baker shared with us the trail maps that they proposed in the Trail Town Application and explained the themes of the trail. [As we see in the picture, the trail is divided into 3 sections. It starts with the Historical Section, it continues into the Wildlife Section, and ends with the Arts Section. The diverse themes are meant to attract cyclers with different interest since one can start the trail at any section.]
- From Mr. Baker, personally, I learned three critical lessons: 1. Building a Trail Town requires enthusiasm, passion, and support from the community. This lesson is another explanation why I was searching for the passionate and enthusiastic people in Booneville. 2. To keep the community motivated, you need immediate success. Building on little successes guarantees a prosperous overall process/experience. Therefore, we created the map with the cultural assets and we got the Owsley County Executive Judge’s signature to provide little successes. 3. Most of the decision that people make are based on fear. Therefore, empathy is critical in advocating change. The third lesson reminded me of the design thinking technique and human centered approaches.
- I learned the value of design thinking by being exposed to the IDEO, Who Owns the Ice House? by Clifton Taulbert and Gary G. Schoeniger, and the online videos that come with this book. However, through working on the Opportunity Discovery Canvas I realized that empathy is crucial in human centered approaches.
- The real life experience of design thinking which I also consider to be my key experience was interviewing the adventure tourists; because it explained how our class work was connected to real world. When I was in school, I had moments when I struggled to understand how some of the concepts that we studied applied to real life situations. For instance, when I was an exchange student I asked my Pre- Calculus teacher how some of the topics would help me in life, and the response was, maybe as a joke or not, “to pass my class.” Personally, I do not consider that comment to be a strong incentive. EPG Summer Institute, though, has shown me the connection between the class subjects and the real life experience.
- I never thought about the insights one might gain from doing intercept interviews and the value of the costumers’ feedback. The new learning style I embraced this summer encompasses asking questions and playing the curious child by looking around with a fresh set of eyes.
- For me, beyond the 6 EPG abilities[- engaging complexity and uncertainty, exploring values and ethical structure, facilitating group decisions, recognizing opportunity, mobilizing resources, and advocating change-] entrepreneurial leadership encompasses the learning method I just described. It requires being empathetic, seeing beyond the common mindset, and providing simple solutions to ambiguous and vague problems through reflecting and analyzing.
- If I could do the first summer of EPG again, I would take more time to reflect about ways in which I can connect the lessons learned from the readings, and from the overall EPG experience with my life and how I can implement some of those ideas in order to build a meaningful life. I know I have time to do this after EPG, but I think it would have been more effective if done as I waked step by step through the EPG journey.
- The experience in Berea and Eastern Kentucky made me realize how much I care about the culture and the values of a community. Even though I am an Economics Major, I do not enjoy when people let the economic status of a place influence the way they perceive the residents. I realized that a real entrepreneur can see beyond the common mindset and look for the bright spots.
- So, the lessons are learned. What is next?
- I want to step back and analyze the EPG Summer Institute and how it shaped my thinking and my behavior. To see what worked, what did not, and what are the opportunities for improvement. I realized the value of experimenting and working on the field, therefore, I want to utilize the college years for exploring different fields. I want to have a purposeful life, and I know that the best time to start is now.