A JOURNEY
Peace
THROUGH THE MIDDLE EAST
Purpose& LEADS TO
by Debbie Rasure
Eriana Rivera-Rozo (03C) began working for peace after waging a war – with herself. Six years after graduating from Berry, she seemed to be on a fast-track to success: She was climbing the corporate ladder quickly, making a good living and earning the respect of her peers. But inside, she felt lost and exhausted from immersion in a culture she felt was fixated on making money. She wanted to connect with people. With her 30th birthday looming, she knew she had to refocus and find purpose in her life. And she did – in spades. Rivera-Rozo might not be the only Berry graduate to stop, assess and redirect her life, but she just might have taken the most unusual journey in following her heart’s desire. The Colombia-born woman’s path to purpose and inner peace germinated on a dusty road in Turkey and blossomed in an Israeli kibbutz. Now she is thriving at The Carter Center in Atlanta where she coordinates a forum that brings prominent members of civil society from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and the U.S. together to resolve issues without relying on government intervention. She is using lessons learned in the conflict-laden Middle East to help wage peace in South America. WORLD PERSPECTIVE
Rivera-Rozo developed a passion for language and culture early in life when her 18
BERRY MAGAZINE • SPRING 2011
father, employed by a multi-national corporation, was transferred and the family moved from their home in Colombia to Hong Kong. There she attended school with children from every part of the world, learned to speak English and discovered the joys of befriending people who were far different from herself. Subsequent moves took the family to Mexico, Canada and Spain. Rivera-Rozo had just finished high school when her father was transferred again, this time to the U.S. When the family moved, she stayed behind to complete an apprenticeship with a television station. A year later, she joined her family in Atlanta, ready to look for a college with a strong communication program. As parents often are, her mother and father were two steps ahead of her. “My parents had been going to college fairs,” Rivera-Rozo said, “and they had information about Berry. It was close enough to home, but not too close. When I was accepted and awarded academic and communication scholarships, I felt certain that Berry was where God wanted me to be.” Rivera-Rozo, who is fluent in Spanish, French and English, earned a Bachelor of Arts honor degree in international studies and communication, graduating magna cum laude. She landed a job with an international corporation and, while employed there full time, earned a master’s degree in conflict management from Kennesaw State