A year ago Jeremy Konyndyk was delivering a graduation speech as student senate president at Calvin College. Today the Grand Rapids, Michigan, native is in charge of delivering millions of dollars worth of relief materials to needy Kosovars in one of the world's most volatile regions. 
For the past 12 months, Konyndyk has served as Program Director in Kosovo for International Aid, a rapidly-growing top 10 Christian relief, development and training agency serving in 170 countries around the world. 
For Konyndyk, the world of Balkan politics and international relief has been his classroom. And he has stepped to the head of the class, making an impact and gaining the respect of his peers that belies his 22 years. 
In fact, International Aid was recently one of the organizations elected to an important Non-Government Organization (NGO) council position in Kosovo. 
"Jeremy is demonstrating leadership and initiative beyond his years as he establishes the presence and professionalism of International Aid in Kosovo," says Jinny DeJong, International Aid's Chief Operating Officer. "He is a quick study and a hard worker, always motivated by a compassionate heart, especially for needy children. He has developed a real rapport with the people. He certainly has displayed compassion and courage under fire." 
One of Konyndyk's major jobs is making sure International Aid's shipments of medicines, food and emergency relief supplies get to the people who desperately need them. That can often be a logistical nightmare. However, Konyndyk reports that lives have been touched through the shipments of medicines and medical equipment, the opening of a rebuilt and refurbished medical clinic in Cermjan, the training of counselors in Kosovo to help traumatized children with psycho-social counseling and much more. Konyndyk admits there have been some frustrations. 
"Ethnic violence and bureaucratic ineptitude are my primary frustrations," he states. "Every time I hear of another ethnic reprisal attack, it kind of takes the wind out of my sails." 
For Konyndyk, the on-field international experience he has received in Kosovo the past year could never have been matched in the classroom. 
"It certainly has been a learning experience for me, but it also has been very rewarding in being able to help the people of Kosovo put their lives back together," he says. "This has broadened my views and taught me more than nine months of (graduate) classes ever could." 
He adds that he hopes International Aid can focus on minority issues and development projects the rest of the year. 
"Hopefully, in this way we will both work to ease ethnic tension and contribute to a stable social structure, and thus do our part to make Kosovo a just and fair place in the future. I pray that our work here will be an example of Christian principles and will further the Lord's work in the province." 
Konyndyk will likely return to the United States next year and enter graduate school to study international relations. His goal is to become a government diplomat. 
International Aid links caring people and organizations with Christian partners worldwide. In fiscal year 1999, the agency provided emergency relief, missionary assistance and medical aid with an estimated value of $74 million through its global outreach. 
Additional International Aid programs include KIDS HOPE USA, Kids Helping Kids, Christian Eye Ministry, Lab-In-A-Suitcase, medical equipment training, the Mission Resource Center for missionaries and short-term volunteer disaster relief outreaches. For donations, visit International Aid's web site at www.internationalaid.org or call the 24-hour hot line number at 1-800-251-2502.
Read the initial story about Jeremy here.