Alumni AUDREY CODERA
A Heart for the Young Jessica Orleans CAS 2nd year
“I always knew I wanted to help people. I just didn’t know how,” answered Audrey Cordero, a 2004 graduate of the Institute of Political Economy, when asked why she chose her current profession. She has been volunteering in school outreach projects as far as she can remember. “But what made me finally decide on how to help people was
my class on Development Economics with Dr. Cid Terosa. That class gave me an overview of possible sustainable ways to help people become self-sustaining. In that way, they can make an informed decision.” Audrey is currently the administrative director for the Kent County Teen Court Pilot Program in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “In the Teen Court Program, participating first-time offenders (youth who commit misdemeanors) are handed down judgment by their peers,” explains Audrey. To prevent these young law offenders from committing further unlawful acts, instead of punishing them, a quasi-judicial proceeding takes place in which the offender’s peers would act as judges who may “sentence” them to attending workshops about various topics, or to rendering community service. Although Audrey is away from her home country, she still oversees a non-government organization in the Philippines, Youth Works
Inc. “It’s the premier microfinance institution supporting underprivileged young entrepreneurs through credit allocation and through the ySHOP, a free online marketplace where young entrepreneurs can freely advertise their products and services.” Audrey established Youth Works in 2006 after five years of working in another NGO she established along with others— the Philippine Youth Employment Network (PYEN). She says “PYEN greatly influenced the youth employment and entrepreneurship policies in the Philippines today. The change in management in 2007 also resulted in the change of PYEN’s name into Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship Philippine (SAGE-Philippines).” In 2005, Audrey was one of eight young social entrepreneurs (chosen from among 135 young people around the world) recognized by the Global Knowledge Partnership for transforming social development opportunities into sustainable social enterprises through the innovative use of information communication technologies. Being a UA&P student, she learned how to juggle a lot of things at once. “I also learned how to deal with and become friends with people from all walks of life. More important, UA&P provided me with a strong foundation of my faith and of what I value in life,” Audrey adds. She also admits that she never really
“I just hope I can continue doing the work that I do and love—helping young people in any way I can.”
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UNIVERSITAS November 2009
had the best grades, nor was she a part of any varsity team. However, she remembers enjoying working in the Commission of Elections during school elections. Although it seems she is pretty much set for the future, Audrey is taking things one step at a time. She is pursuing her Juris Doctor degree at Thomas M. Cooley Law School-Grand Rapids Campus in Michigan (she is now on her second year). As for work, she says, “I just hope I can continue doing the work that I do and love—helping young people in any way I can. I would like Youth Works to be sustainable, and help as many young entrepreneurs with limited means as it can. I hope that the Kent County Teen Court Program will keep going and continue to help young people into becoming good citizens of their communities.” She also hopes to find time for her other interests such as diving (she got a certificate for it last April) and outdoor activities such as camping, swimming, hiking, biking, kayaking, and canoeing. When asked about her philosophy in life, Audrey answers, “My faith—my relationship with God—is very important to me. My family, loved ones, and friends come after that. But I believe that everything I do and everything that happens to me are all because of my relationship with God. I try to do what I can and leave everything else up to him.”