If a friendly knock comes to your door this summer, it might just be Ruta Hamstere—an enthusiastic university student from Latvia—who’s spending her third summer in the United States helping families boost their educational resources.
Hamstere, 21, is part of the Southwestern Advantage internship program, a long-running educational initiative that gives college students real-world business and sales experience. She’s currently licensed through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to go door-to-door in Marion County, offering books and study guides for kids of all ages.
This is Hamstere’s first time in Florida, and she is enjoying her time here. She remarked that the people in Marion County “are so nice”.
Hamstere previously visited California and Oklahoma through the program, but she says there’s something special about this stop. She’ll be here until August, meeting families and helping them find tools that make learning a little easier and a lot more fun.
The materials she sells through Southwestern Advantage include:
• Early learning books for toddlers and preschoolers
• Study guides for math, science, reading, and more
• Homework helpers to save time and reduce stress
• Advanced prep resources for AP courses, SATs, and ACTs
Southwestern Advantage is a U.S.-based company that’s been around since 1855, with more than 100,000 student participants from over 1,600 campuses around the globe. The program focuses on teaching financial literacy, face-to-face communication, and entrepreneurship. Distinguished alumni include four governors (like Rick Perry of Texas and Ronnie Musgrove of Mississippi), U.S. Senators such as Jeff Sessions and Marsha Blackburn, education leaders like Lamar Alexander (former Secretary of Education), and even House Speaker Mike Johnson.
For now, Hamstere is cruising through Belleview and surrounding neighborhoods, proudly representing her summer mission. She encourages anyone curious about her mission to check out her Facebook page, where she regularly posts updates: Facebook.com/rutahamstere.
