Matthew Jenkins

Community-Academic Scholar: Matthew Jenkins (he/they)

Project: Matthew worked with Prof. Sharon Suiwen Zou and the Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development Unit to identify opportunities in Illinois communities that seek to develop rural tourism and understand tourists' motivations and constraints to engaging in rural tourism in Illinois. Learn more about the project.

Mentor reflections: Prof. Zou hopes Matthew got to know more about how to collaborate with Extension and work with rural communities and understand the role of tourism in rural community development and the panel data collection process. More importantly, she hopes Matthew had fun working with this project. "Matthew surprised me a lot through my interaction with him over the summer. He knows his passion and his strengths well and takes initiative in projects, said Zou. "What sets him apart from other students is that he is fearless and understands the power of leverage. Through his involvement in the project, he built strong relationships with RST and Extension and identified opportunities that are relevant to him. Matthew makes his own CAS program bigger and broader."

Jennifer Russell, Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development Educator, hopes that Matthew learns more about the Extension system and uncovers new opportunities to use his talents and skills. "Matthew has shared so much information about his background in landscape architecture and identified possible projects that could be developed in the future, Russell said. "Matthew is fantastic at networking and advancing project ideas and I look forward to working with him on the research gained from the I-Rural project this summer and future projects."

Do you have a personal story or path that led to your interest in this research project?
Before I even got accepted into the landscape architecture program at Illinois, I was interested in rural tourism and how it could boost the poor communities in my area. Growing up in a rural area, I am familiar with the many types of festivals and events that make rural Illinois potentially popular with tourists. I would absolutely love for the opportunity to serve them in this way. This is a personal passion of mine that combines both my fondness for my hometown and my professional abilities. My current course work is teaching me how to design interesting and useful spaces for people which is key to tourism.

How has participating in this program helped you toward your goals?
This project has helped me develop research skills that I will continue to use throughout my career. I have also been able to create a strong network of students, faculty, and staff that are dedicated research that will improve their community. This experience has been so incredible and has given me a strong foundation for possible future careers. It also helped me understand how professional research is conducted.

What was the most meaningful part of this experience? 
Being able to connect with a wide range of people and create a network of people in the academic world has been incredible.

What advice do you have for future scholars or to those who are interested in applying for the program? 
This has been a life-changing experience and I could not recommend it enough! If you want to learn about research and improve your community, this is the program for you.