Kurt Karakul 

 

President of The

third Federal Foundation

 

by Andre Holland, crew 6

 

 

Kurt Karakul loves getting to help those who need help and being able to change others’ lives for the better. He is the first President of Third Federal Foundation. Mr. Karakul has done lots of things in his foundation that he works for. But one of his greatest dreams is to promote education. “I hope that through our program we are able to develop a better literacy understanding,” says Mr. Karakul.

 

“When I was younger I formed the basis of what I am now,” explained Mr. Karakul.  The experiences he had and the choices he made throughout his career led him to become the first President of Third Federal Foundation. Before Mr. Karakul worked for Third Federal Foundation, he practiced law for 27 years in pursuit of justice and law. Mr. Karakul originally was interested in law because he was passionate about justice and fairness.  Then he began to realize that certain people have a lot of opportunities and others don’t.  He didn’t think it was fair. So he wanted to make things fair for everyone. His concern for fairness was also what led him to work for Third Federal Foundation.  This change in his focus in his career shows his dedication to providing fairness in education. His interest in justice and fairness is a key reason why he is one of the influential people in Cleveland.

 

Third Federal Foundation has made substantial progress in helping some non-profit agencies work together to help children. The foundation gives about $2.5 million a year. For example, the foundation gave money to the Botanical Garden that linked up with Boys & Girls Club to create a garden in Slavic village. Mr. Karakul’s foundation also funded City Year, which is a program that puts college student in school in high poverty areas. Through his work Mr. Karakul has also helped start a tutoring program in Fullerton and Mound schools in the Broadway area. Mr. Karakul’s foundation provides resources and support small organization to help improve their community.

 

Mr. Karakul’s job has exciting things about it but some challenging things as well. For example, Mr. Karakul said his job is very exciting when he gets to help others who need it. Also, Mr. Karakul said his job is very exciting when he meets with non-profits to see if they will be effective in improving education. Mr. Karakul owned, however, that his work can be challenging when he has to say no to people sometimes. He also said it is challenging to understand ways that can expand the knowledge base of children. Mr. Karakul’s job may be exciting to him, but he has many challenges as well.

 

Mr. Karakul also finds rewards and challenges in his pursuit of improving education in Cleveland. “I’ve learned through my experiences and from doing this for six or seven years prior, that poverty creates barriers that prevent kids from learning.” These barriers are some of the greatest challenges in improving education for all students. Mr. Karakul says he’s been able to see how the lack of stable home life, medical care and exposure to violence create impediments to people learning. Learning this has helped him want to try to create a way to bring partners together who can remove some of these barriers. When these barriers are broken children will be able to experience the excitement and fun of learning. While it may be challenging to break these barriers, it is extremely rewarding when he finds the right combination of factors to help break these barriers. 

 

In conclusion, Mr. Karakul has done a lot to make access to good education equal for everyone. From his 27 years of experience in law to him becoming the first president of Third Federal Foundation, Mr. Karakul has shown he is committed to creating a more just and fair world. Mr. Karakul’s effort to start programs to help students further their knowledge has made a huge impact in our city.