Alumni Magazine - Summer 2008 - (Page 37) Thomas Earnest Global Student F or now, Thomas Earnest is on U.S. soil — but not for long. Earnest, who earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs at Tech in 2007 before heading to Egypt for six months, has received a Fulbright scholarship to spend a year in Tunisia. Currently, Earnest is in Washington, D.C., working on Capitol Hill as a staffer for Rep. Phil Gingrey, Chem 65. In the second half of 2007, he was in Cairo for intensive Arabic language study. “My studies were partially funded by the Critical Language Scholarship, which is part of the State Department’s National Security Language Initiative, a program to greatly increase the number of U.S. citizens proficient in critical need languages,” Earnest says. He studied in Cairo for five months and traveled throughout Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon for a month. “The experience was remarkable,” Earnest says. “It was invaluable and irreplaceable living and learning immersed in the Arab world, fostering real relationships with dynamic and passionate young Egyptians and seeing firsthand the problems and challenges currently facing the region.” Earnest has received another opportunity to learn more about the world through a 2008-09 Fulbright scholarship. “In August I will be moving to Tunis, Tunisia, for a year. The first three months in the country will be spent building upon the Arabic language skills developed while in Egypt with a focus on learning the local Tunisian dialect. Following this intensive language study, I will begin the research component of my grant studying economic development in the country. “My research will take the form of a video documentary, which will be complemented by frequent academic articles and short films that will be posted online throughout the yearlong grant period,” he says. Earnest intends to pursue a law degree after his year in Tunisia. “I hope to use my knowledge of the law and my experiences living, studying and researching in the north Africa and Middle East region to work toward development and trade policies that foster economic growth and stability in the developing world while also being advantageous to U.S. economic interests,” he says. A President’s Scholar at Tech, Earnest caught the travel bug early. He spent one summer in Europe and another studying in Brazil and Argentina. “I truly feel that without Georgia Tech, I would not be where I am today. The academic, social and personal growth I experienced during my years on campus were vital to my professional development, and I am grateful for what the Institute has given me,” Earnest says. “Whether it’s here in Washington, D.C., while working on the Hill as I examine and consider legislative issues facing our country or whether it’s in Egypt as a volunteer to teach English to Sudanese refugees or whether it’s in Tunisia as I analyze economic development policies, I constantly draw upon the experiences I had at Georgia Tech.” — KLW table wine of the South. In one of the clothing company’s “Gone With the Wind” T-shirts, an irate Scarlett O’Hara asks, “Frankly my dear, what?!,” in a pop-art-style illustration reminiscent of the artwork of Roy Lichtenstein. Martin Luther King Jr. pops up as the king in a deck of cards on one Tshirt, while a close-up of a handshake between a black man and a white man appears on the Too Busy to Hate shirt. “The South has such an amazing blend of culture and history that I think anyone who was born here or has lived here for a significant amount of time can recognize how important a part of this country we are,” Sasso says. “Our clothes touch on all of it: the old South’s pageantry, the civil rights movement that shaped our country, the climate, the modernday Americana melting pot the new South has become and beyond.” Earlier this year, the Esperanza guys received some unexpected free advertising. On an episode of “American Idol” that aired in February, contestant and former Atlantan Michael Johns wore Esperanza’s “Bring Back the Point” T-shirt, an homage to a shuttered Little Five Points rock venue. Barbalho and Sasso, neither of whom watched “American Idol” prior to their shirt’s cameo, were less than thrilled by the news at first. Sasso’s initial reaction: “There goes the reputation we’ve established. Totally demolished by a bubblegum cable show,” he recalls. “When the calls kept coming, we began to realize just how amazing it was that millions were seeing something we printed with our own hands.” The TV exposure not only boosted sales, it also garnered Esperanza more fans. “Our blog hits skyrocketed,” Sasso says. “We love that an entirely new group of people are now taking interest in what we’re doing.” Some local companies also have taken interest and have approached Esperanza with freelance design and production work. Esperanza recently completed some promotional items for Sara Blakely’s Atlanta-based company, Spanx. Despite the success of Esperanza, it remains a part-time venture. Barbalho is the head industrial designer for Rehrig Pacific Co., and Sasso works for Eric Chafin Home Builders Inc. “We manage to run Esperanza with all the demanding obligations of full-time jobs just like we managed having a good time on and off campus and getting great grades at Tech at the same time — with exceptional self-discipline, moderation and time scheduling. Actually, we’re exhausted, but owning your own company is so exhilarating and that exhilaration is addictive,” Sasso says. — LO >>> Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine • Summer 2008 37
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