Anthony Navarrete

The Korbel School offers our students numerous opportunities to go beyond the classroom and  grow into accomplished, skilled professionals. Anthony Navarrete (MA ‘16) knew he wanted to build upon his life experiences while preparing for a career in Washington, D.C. 

Navarrete applied to Korbel while he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia and was looking for a place to continue his education and build his community. 

“As I researched different degree programs, I found out Korbel has historically been host to one of the largest Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship Programs for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers,” he said. “I appreciated the idea of having a strong Peace Corps network in Denver upon my return to the States while being able to continue my interest in experiential service learning and adding an academic backdrop to my experience as a Peace Corps volunteer.”

Navarrete settled in at Korbel, quickly becoming Communications and Events Coordinator for the school’s Latin America Center. There, he helped plan the center’s inaugural ceremony, featuring DU alumnus and, at the time, Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz as the keynote speaker.

“(It) was definitely one of the key highlights from my time at Korbel and the culmination of my work throughout my time at DU and for the LAC,” he said. 

His time at Korbel helped prepare him for his current position as an international trade specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

“Korbel did an excellent job in preparing me for my post-graduate success,” he said. “Everyday I am putting to use the critical thinking, analysis and practical communication and writing skills I learned at Korbel. From my Coverdell Fellowship practicum with a local Denver NGO to a semester in Washington, D.C. working at an international development NGO, there were a number of unique opportunities that helped prepare me for where I am today.”

Navarette says that new students should take advantage of the school’s diverse roster of course offerings and take their time before deciding on a specific focus.

“You will of course have an idea when you are starting your studies but take the first quarter or two to take a course or do an internship that might challenge yourself to think outside the box and explore a new subject area that you never even thought you would be interested in,” he said.