Brendan Rice, Class of 2009, shares, “When I started at UAB, I found that Donoho had taught me the study skills I needed to make my way through college. This gave me the space to figure out my core interests through internships and getting involved with community and campus organizations.” Through UAB’s Global and Community Leadership Honors Program, Brendan developed a passion for the issue of food security and graduated with a degree in International Studies. Since then, he has been working on related projects with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations based in Sierra Leone and Rome as well as with the social enterprise KadAfrica in Uganda. Brendan is currently studying on a Fulbright grant at the University of Goettingen in the program Sustainable International Agriculture. His main research area of interest in Germany deals with how to improve the ability of poor, smallholder farmers in developing countries to be an engine for economic development in their countries. Germany is where Brendan was born, so he says it is fun for him to study and explore Germany at the same time. As an adult living and working abroad, Brendan draws from his education at The Donoho School. He adds, “The creativity nurtured at Donoho’s art department and the writing skills starting from Mrs. Thagard’s lower school English classes are two areas I draw from on a regular basis.”
