Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you’re up to today.

A: I am Head of Advocacy and Communications for the Touch Foundation, a nonprofit that is addressing the severe shortage of health-care workers in sub-Saharan Africa. I was previously a Program Officer at the Open Society Institute, which is a human rights foundation funded by George Soros.

 

Q: What have you accomplished or what are you proud to be currently working on?

A: Two years ago, a friend and I started Young Professionals for CARE – a volunteer group dedicated to supporting CARE and its mission to end global poverty. We host educational events on issues such as access to clean water, violence against women and HIV/AIDS and organize fundraisers to expand CARE’s outreach. So far, we have raised $95,000 for CARE and grown our membership base to over 800 people. CARE is a longstanding partner of AMIGOS on agricultural and environmental projects in several countries.

 

Q: How has AMIGOS affected your life? Did it help you get to where you are today?

A: Beginning at a young age, my parents taught me that I had an obligation to give back something to our community and, if possible, to the greater world. My summers with AMIGOS helped to affirm what has become one of my core beliefs: the oneness of humanity.

 

I will never forget my first night as a volunteer in Tungurahua, Ecuador. My host mother, Mariana Vaca, asked me to play “basquét.” Exhausted after traveling for hours on dusty roads in the back of a pick-up truck, yet eager to please, I agreed. As we walked toward the center of town, I was amazed to see mothers and daughters under dim lights engaged in a boisterous game of basketball.  At first, I played tentatively, worried that I might appear too aggressive before “conservative” Ecuadorian women.  Less than five feet tall, my host mother wore a dress down to her ankles, but she turned out to be my most ferocious opponent.  Her favorite trick was tickling me until I collapsed with laughter, then stealing the ball and scurrying to the other end of the court.  Strolling back to the house that night, my host mother's

arm around my waist, I knew that I would like this woman.

 

My AMIGOS experience influenced my decision to pursue a masters in public policy from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton and to seek a career in public service. Those two summers opened my eyes not only to the injustices that many people around the world face on a daily basis – the lack of clean water, food, education and basic rights – but also the interconnectedness of the global community.