Over the summer, Bella Templeton, a second-year graphic design student and Social Innovation Fellow, traveled to El Salvador to work alongside Perseverancia, an NC State alumni-founded nonprofit dedicated to expanding youth education in Latin America. For Templeton, this partnership offered her a chance to use her design skills in service of a mission she believed in deeply: that every young person deserves access to the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.

Through her work with Perseverancia, Templeton discovered how visual storytelling could connect, inspire and mobilize. What began with Templeton helping Perseverancia refine its branding materials and create content to promote its mission, ended in a summer design course for local community members. In this partnership, Templeton deepened her own understanding of how design can drive social impact, and left her with a clearer sense of how she wants to use her craft to make a difference.

Building Skills, Building Confidence

Templeton played a key role in turning the partnership’s goals into a hands-on learning experience for participants in El Salvador. Templeton crafted resources to teach branding, social media, analytics, photography, video, captions and interviewing. She learned how to adapt the material for a new audience, navigating translation, different learning styles and the realities of teaching across cultures.

What started as a focused summer project quickly grew into a full course, serving roughly 30 participants. When Templeton traveled to El Salvador for the program’s graduation in July 2026, they saw the impact up close. Students presented new digital portfolios while community members shared how the training had opened doors to new opportunities. It was a strong example of what becomes possible when students and community partners come together to learn, create and share their expertise.

The course brought together a diverse group, each with their own goals and aspirations. University students developed digital communication skills, entrepreneurs explored ways to promote their businesses, an aspiring professional soccer player worked on content for college recruitment and an environmental activist looked for new ways to share her work.

Teaching with Connection

Having met some of the students on a trip to El Salvador the previous semester with her Social Innovation Fellowship, Templeton found stepping into the role of teacher especially meaningful. 

“It feels very full circle. They’ve come to trust me as a teacher and trust that what I’m teaching has value, and that’s been really meaningful,” Templeton stated.

“It feels very full circle. They’ve come to trust me as a teacher and trust that what I’m teaching has value.” – Bella Templeton

Beyond teaching, Templeton was challenged to consider how storytelling could become more strategic and focused. Managing social media gave her a deeper understanding of analytics, audience engagement and brand consistency, while working remotely with content from Perseverancia and community members required flexibility and clear communication. 

“Patience and communication are key,” she said, reflecting on the experience. “Especially early in a project, when deliverables are constantly changing and new responsibilities keep being added, communication becomes essential.” 

Through the process, Templeton reinforced her creative skills, thoughtful systems and understanding of the strong partnerships required to make lasting value.

Seeing the Impact

Nothing brought the summer’s work into sharper focus than visiting the school supported by Perseverancia. Walking through classrooms and learning about the school’s educational model, Templeton saw how Perseverancia’s commitment to creating supportive learning environments comes to life every day for students with a wide range of needs.

The visit emphasized why her work mattered. Through the communications course and social media materials she helped develop, Templeton helped to tell the school’s story and raise awareness for Perseverancia’s mission. Her design and storytelling efforts became part of the infrastructure that allows Perseverancia to sustain and grow its impact.

A Powerful Partnership

At the heart of the summer was a simple but powerful partnership: Templeton brought her creativity and communications expertise, while Perseverancia brought a deep understanding of the community they serve. Together, they turned an idea into an experience that gave participants new tools to tell their stories and strengthened the work already happening on the ground.

For NC State Entrepreneurship, that’s where impact takes root; ideas are put into action, knowledge is shared and connections create opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. What began as a summer project became a valuable exchange of ideas, skills and perspectives, leaving everyone involved with something to build on long after the summer ended.

This post was originally published in Entrepreneurship News.