Newton Student Chosen For Diversity In Economics Summer Institute

Newton MA

19 July, 2021

2:19 PM

Description

NEWTON, MA — A MassBay student from Newton has been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Expanding Diversity in Economics (EDE) Summer Institute at the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago (BFI). Pierre Alain Belcher, who moved to the United States three years ago from Haiti and graduated from Newton North High School, is the only community college student and the only student from Massachusetts chosen for the program, according to MassBay. He is one of 45 students selected out of over 200 applicants. "I am very excited and thankful for the opportunity to be part of this program and I would like to thank MassBay Professors Thomas Niemi and Courtney DeGeorge for writing letters of recommendation for me," said Belcher in a statement. "Economics is a field that I am very interested in because in my home country of Haiti, the economy is unstable and there aren't a lot of opportunities for people to advance in business. I hope to someday return to Haiti to bring hope and my experience to help the Haitian people build a stable and prosperous economy." The EDE Summer Institute was created to support talented students from a broad range of backgrounds who are interested in economics with the goal of diversifying economics-related programs and industries. Participants receive a stipend for completing the three-week session and Pell-Grant-eligible students receive additional funding. Belcher plans to use the program to learn more about the role of economics in international business. He plans to earn his associates degree and transfer to a four-year university to pursue a bachelor's degree in international business and economics. The EDE Summer Institute will take place virtually from June 18 to August 6. Following the program, participants will become part of a mentoring network and some will be eligible to participate in future research projects and assistantships. More information about the EDE Summer Institute can be found here.