Spotlights
Amanda Fortino
Amanda Fortino graduated from GVSU in 2004 with a major in Political Science and minor in Writing. While at GVSU, she studied abroad in Mexico and took advantage of many volunteer opportunities, including at GVSU’s Women’s Center. After graduation, Amanda worked as a Legal Assistant at Legal Aid of Western Michigan before moving to California, where she eventually began working for PETA. .
Since 2012, Amanda has been working in various positions for the Farm Sanctuary, whose mission is to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living. There she is currently the Director of Leadership Giving.
Amanda says,“My political science classes at GVSU trained me to weigh both sides of a situation, thoroughly analyze the details, and make an educated case for why I was in support of one side or the other. The process of intensely researching a topic helped me to excel as an advocate and activist. Additionally, GVSU offered many volunteer opportunities, and encouraged students to partake in them. It was at GVSU that I often found myself challenged by participating in a mock trial, or raising my hand to defend the victim in a case study we were studying, or studying abroad in Mexico where the only language allowed in our classrooms was Spanish. GVSU helped me to grow and have an opinion on issues that mattered. Education was so important, and not only in the classroom, but on current events, foreign issues, and topics that spanned all corners of the globe.”
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