A group of Northwest Catholic juniors and seniors gathered Wednesday morning to hear from Christian Heiden, a 2017 graduate of the school and current sophomore at the University of Connecticut. Heiden was the latest speaker in the school’s LEADS Alumni Conversations series. 

On Wednesday morning Heiden shared with his audience his experiences of starting his university experience at St. John’s in New York City to study social justice before transferring to Uconn to major in applied and resource economics with a concentration in international development.   

Already, Heiden is making an impact at UConn as he integrates his coursework with his company Levo International, a non-profit he created while a student at Northwest Catholic. Today he coordinates human resources and leads strategy, sales, and customer service for the organization.

During his senior year at NWC, Heiden constructed a hydroponic greenhouse. He ultimately brought his project and aspirations to Haiti where Levo International is now helping to advance food stability for people in the developing world. Heiden shared stories about why he chose Haiti, his experiences witnessing extreme poverty there, and his drive to help make change for the Haitian people. 

A second message for his audience was his advice about getting involved at college. He talked about the importance of seeking out professors and especially the importance of talking to people in an effort to grow your own network. Heiden said, “Don’t be afraid to ask – you might be surprised to see how many people are willing to help.”

During his time at Northwest Catholic, Heiden ran cross country and indoor track, volunteered at the Catholic Worker, was a member of the ACTS class (A Chance to Serve), and was an Eagle Scout. To learn more about Levo International, visit levointernational.org.