Stephanie Vergara Rojas

Current position and employer: Education Consultant, World Bank Group (Colombian, Somalian and Kenyan offices)

Hometown: Buga, Colombia

Current City: Bogota, Colombia

Why did you choose McCourt? I chose McCourt because it is internationally recognized. In my home country, Colombia, it was one of the most prestigious universities, and I was looking for the best education. My degree has given me the opportunity to work on the topics I enjoy the most, with employees and companies that have given me the opportunity to grow professionally and as a person. More importantly, it has given me the opportunity to participate in projects, policies, and strategies that are truly contributing to more sustainable, equitable development in the LAC region.

What was the best part of your experience? The best part was living in DC so we could take advantage of the policy environment for the U.S. and the world.

What internships did you have during your time at McCourt?

IPA – Innovations for Poverty Action in Mexico City, Mexico, May-July 2013
Position: Research Assistant, Impact Evaluation of an Intervention to Reduce Gender Violence in Mexico City
Activities included:
• Communicated the results of critical issues for the project through reports of external and internal use.
• Ensured the quality of more than 400 surveys using Stata and other statistical packages.
• Provided guidance on the best practices to successfully conduct surveys to research assistants in the field.

Undergraduate university, degree, and major: Icesi University, BA in Economics

Hobbies / Interests: Dancing (salsa, mainly), traveling, beer tasting