"I still reflect on my grandfather’s influence on my life, and my initial introduction to West Africans at the University of Denver in 1980,” says Michael Carson
For almost 14 years, Michael Carson, BA political science ’85, has been involved in African social and economic
community advancement.
He first landed in Africa as a business adviser and teacher with the Peace Corps. From 1992–2003 he worked with Africare, an American nonprofit relief and development organization, as program manager and resident representative in Tanzania, Senegal and Washington, D.C.
“The most satisfying aspect of my work was actually working with Tanzanians and Senegalese to witness the completion of an activity and view the social and economic benefits they received from our investment and training,” Carson says.
Carson’s grandfather, an African historian, inspired his interest in Africa, and that interest was further developed at DU, where Carson was president of the Black Student Alliance and worked with the African Student Alliance.
Carson now is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
“My goal is to continue to work in international development. I want to contribute my experience to advance the reform of U.S. nonprofit agencies and government and to improve policies to aid the African continent,” Carson says. “Nearly 14 years after first landing in Nairobi, Kenya, I still reflect on my grandfather’s influence on my life, and my initial introduction
to West Africans at the University of Denver in 1980.”