Meet Emily

Emily Southard is a RISE AmeriCorps Member serving with EMBARC in Des Moines. 

Emily graduated with a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University and a master's of science in rural sociology and international agriculture and development from Penn State University. Emily is now a doctoral student at Penn State University, where she's studying rural sociology and women, gender and sexuality studies.

Emily is excited for the opportunity to return to Des Moines to serve the immigrant and refugee community here. Emily is primarily working with the Parent Navigator Program at EMBARC and is looking forward to helping families deal with some of the challenges that come with parenting in a new country and culture.

Emily is also looking forward to serving with RISE AmeriCorps, since it allows her to connect with the community she will be working with for her dissertation. Her dissertation research is focused on the gender dynamics of refugee family integration for households with members working in meatpacking.

In her free time, you can find Emily in her garden--either weeding or reading a book amongst her vegetable plants. ​