Heather - executive director, founder

I recently graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and a minor in Finance and Communications. I was given a Provost Merit Scholarship to study at Arizona State University in 2004. At ASU, I have served as a member of the Accounting Honor Society and as the vice president of the Accounting Students’ Association. I have been on the Dean’s Honor Roll all four years, have volunteered as a note taker for students with disabilities, and have worked to support myself through school. My work experience involves accounting, recruiting, and governmental work. When I am not working or volunteering, I enjoy playing musical instruments, lacrosse, and golf. I can play sixteen musical instruments and have participated in the Phoenix Youth Symphony Guild. Though I am busy with school, work, and my dreams of helping others, I still find it important to spend time with my family and friends.

Helping a widow support herself is not something unfamiliar to me. As a freshman in college a close friend of mine lost his father, and his mother was left to support herself and her three sons. I was there as she was denied loans for the capital to start her own company. She eventually relied on family, credit, and the small amount of life insurance he did have to begin this company. We worked long hours but nothing was more rewarding than knowing that her children would be provided for even without both parents. My focus on helping the widows of Southern India comes from long hours spent helping my friend’s mom with her business, working with the poor in the United States since high school, and the contacts in India who have expressed great need for such a program.

My attachment to India first arose when I was searching online for widow aid programs and found an article about South Indian farmers who committed suicide and left widows and children behind to support themselves. I understood right away that the experience from my friend’s tragic situation along with my finance and accounting background could potentially change these women’s lives. As an accounting major, with a minor in communication and a thesis on creating a micro-financing non-profit for South Indian widows, I began to realize how my current skill set could be adapted to the suicide region of India. My accounting knowledge could serve to educate these women on how to keep track of their sales and expenses to create good monetary practices for their business. Knowledge of lending strategies from finance classes will serve to help me assess sound lending practices for the suicide region of India and analyze the risk of potential loans. It is my experience in communication that will fuse these types of education together because it has given me a basic understanding of the Indian culture and how to communicate in a culture different from my own. To learn more about the Indian culture I have made contacts with three people who have moved to the United States from India in the last ten years, faculty at ASU who have traveled India extensively, faculty at the University of Osmania in Hyderabad, India, and clergy who currently reside in India.

Vicki - assistant director

I recently graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and a minor in Spanish from Arizona State University. I am currently attending the Master of Taxation program at ASU. Before beginning my college career, I was given ASU’s President’s Scholarship and have been on the Dean’s List for the past four years. My most recent work experience has included management and public accounting, with a focus on tax planning and preparation.
In my free time, I enjoy taking dance lessons, reading, and spending time with my family and friends.

As an immigrant from Ukraine, I understand the dire need for families to improve their financial situations and provide for better opportunities for the next generations. While my family was able to move to the US in hopes of a brighter future, such opportunities are almost unheard of in Southern India and many other parts of the world. It is this personal experience, along with my passion for helping others and my career skill set that will allow me to not only help women understand their personal and business finances, but will allow me to offer emotional support. As WEI begins to spread to other parts of the world, I know my extensive knowledge of the Latino and Eastern European cultures will be an important asset to offering help in these diverse societies.