Danie Becknell
Danie Becknell, AmeriCorps VISTA Fundraising & Communications
Started at GGI: Fall of 2011
What I Do at GGI: I edit and update the website, write blog posts, maintain the GGI Google Calendar, assist in editing the newsletter, organize miles of data to make it consistent, and other such similar tasks. In the near future I will be assisting in the varied and wonderful events that GGI holds throughout the year, as well as whatever tasks are thrown my way.
Background: I attended Westminster College in Fulton, MO. where I obtained a B.A. in Sociology / Anthropology and a B.A. in the Psychology of Women and Gender, as well as an Undergraduate Certificate in Leadership Studies. My main focus during my college years was domestic violence and the psychological dynamics involved in partner relationships. My junior year I studied abroad in Jordan and Syria, as I had previously lived in Karlsruhe, Germany for a year as an aupair when I was 17. I mainly chose the Middle East, because I wanted to experience a culture outside of the Western World, and I wanted to learn a language that would be useful in the future. I had no idea at the time how it would shape my future studies! During my time there I did ethnographic research on honor crimes that I later turned into my senior honors thesis.
Most recently I have finished my graduate studies at Indiana University where I received a Graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Management from IU’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a MA in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. My emphases during this time were Islamic Arts and Architecture, Middle Eastern History, and Arabic. I spent a great deal of my time researching public spaces, and the evolution of architecture from one generation and culture to another.
I was born in the Neosho / Joplin, MO. area, and when I was still fairly young my family moved to Festus, MO. where my father was employed as the regional horticulturist at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Consequently, my early life was spent immersed in nature, Latin plant names, landscaping, and the history of Missouri. It’s a little known fact, but my sister and I were actually featured in the tour video for the Scott Joplin House! Later my father became the park manager of Quivre River State Park in Troy, MO., so I spent my teen years living in thousands of acres of forest.
Presently: Returning to Missouri has allowed me to spend more quality time with my family, who now live in Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, MO. I am very blessed to return home each night to the welcome of numerous wild animals, as well as the six cats, dog, and snake that live with my family – Yes, I practically live in a zoo, and it’s wonderful! I spend my time outside of GGI exploring St. Louis with my camera, discovering awesome restaurants, bars, coffee houses, and quirky shops within it’s seemingly endless neighborhoods. When I am home you can usually find me curled up with a good book or movie, studying languages (German, Arabic, and Tibetan), learning about other cultures, as well as editing photographs for my website and blog.
Recent Photos
