Meet Mattie Milliken. Mattie is a senior business major with a concentration in international business and minors in Humanities and Bible. What you probably wouldn’t guess about Mattie is that she was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She is of American heritage as both of her parents grew up in the United States, but what first led them to raise a family in Korea was the opportunity to pursue teaching careers at an international school.
A common misconception people have about Mattie being from Korea is that she is a missionary kid, but really her parents simply moved there for work. Growing up, Mattie had a wide range of cultural experiences as she attended an international school in Seoul and spent a lot of time traveling with her parents and two younger sisters throughout Asia.
Having extended family in the States and a second home in Nebraska, Mattie traveled to America every summer for a visit, but it wasn’t until she came to Milligan her freshman year that she lived in the States.
Mattie has had vast cultural experiences ranging from living in Korea, traveling throughout Asia, studying abroad in Italy, spending a summer in Europe, to visiting Haiti. All of these experiences have had an impact on her career choice and aspirations. Mattie has become very passionate about the value of social enterprises, which are businesses that aim to improve human and environmental well-being.
She recently has been selected and was approved to serve as the campus rep for the social enterprise 31bits. Different from charity and foreign aid, Mattie says that “social enterprises create stability and business-guidance within a country.” 31bits is based in Uganda and serves to equip women with jobs and an income, all while giving them dignity and empowerment. The women make jewelry and earn their profits from sales.
“It’s such a holistic business and I love what they stand for,” says Milliken. “I love going to school and feel that education has given me a sense of worth and confidence and I feel that they (31bits) are providing women in Uganda with these same opportunities.”
By being a campus rep for 31bits, Mattie will be given an inventory of jewelry pieces to sell. With this opportunity, Mattie hopes to share their mission and mindset with all of Milligan, all while helping the business grow with sales.
With a different approach to supporting missions, Mattie hopes that this unique opportunity will “bring awareness and encourage people to buy more consciously.”
Students interested in purchasing jewelry or helping spread the word can contact Mattie directly. Check out @31bits_johnsoncity on instagram for available products.