Tereza Lewis, AY2020-21

Name: Tereza Lewis (she/her)

Where is home to you? Denver, CO

Placement Site: The Swearer Center at Brown University

Education: B.A. in Humanities from Charles University (with one academic year at University of London studying African Languages and Culture) and MSc. in Political Science with minor in African Politics from University of Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic

Biography: For over a decade, Tereza’s professional life has centered around elections and conflict resolution. As an election practitioner she has worked in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, South Asia and Africa. She lives in Denver where she works for the Denver Elections Division as an election judge, and she has provided election consultancy for several organizations, including Rotary International and Model UN. She specializes in prevention of electoral violence and voter education and registration. When she doesn’t work on elections, she puts on the hat of an educator and is currently considering getting a degree in Comparative and International Education. 

Why I Serve: On a personal level, I see it as a fantastic opportunity to grow and get out of my comfort zone. On a professional level, I am interested in honing my skills as a leader and a communicator while doing something that truly matters. 

Why Brown University AmeriCorps VISTA Fellowship? As an already established professional I have been involved in democratic and election processes internationally and domestically for a decade, but in the past few years I added a new interest to my “portfolio” - international (higher) education. I feel that the VISTA Fellowship will give me a better understanding of this field and show me a new path. At the same time I am excited about providing my experience and skills to the Brown and wider community of Providence.