Alumni Directory Display

Eli LaBan 2018-2019 Fellow with Gardens for Health International, Rwanda Temple University Class of 2017

Eli graduated from Temple University with a degree in Media Studies and Production. He is a video producer and editor from Philadelphia. As an undergraduate, he produced his first documentary while studying in South Africa and interned at NBC10 Philadelphia where he won a Mid Atlantic Emmy for editing videos for Generation Addicted, a web series about the heroin epidemic. After graduating, he traveled to Cuba to work on a web series about the Havana hip hop scene and spent six months living in Nicaragua collaborating with indigenous communities producing videos to preserve the endangered languages of the Caribbean region, for which he won a national College Emmy. He also facilitated the first group of study abroad students to visit the indigenous community to participate in language preservation efforts. Eli wants to find new ways to use media as a tool to facilitate inter-cultural education and dialogue. In his free time, he loves producing music and music videos. He speaks Spanish and some Portuguese. While in Kigali, as a Visual Communication Fellow producing videos, written, and social media content with Gardens for Health International, he is excited to try his hand at Kinyarwanda and French.

Kelly Lacob 2013-2014 Fellow with Clinton Health Access Initiative, Uganda Stanford University Class of 2012

Alumni Update:

Kelly is still at CHAI in Uganda for now (coming up on 2 years), but she’s heading back to the U.S in a couple months to begin a graduate degree in Bioengineering Innovation and Design at Johns Hopkins. She is looking forward to bringing her knowledge of needs identification for essential child medicines and diagnostics to the program, and continuing to pursue systemic change to global health challenges in low-resource settings through strategic private sector initiatives.

Fellow Bio:

Kelly graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Human Biology, Concentration in Global Health and Development. At Stanford, Kelly did extensive research, communications, and project management work for the Center for Innovation in Global Health and the United Nations Association Film Festival; she also lead afterschool science programming for underserved middle school students, and studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa and Moscow, Russia. After graduation, Kelly interned with the Clinton Foundation in New York, and now looks forward to working for the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Uganda. She hopes to trek the Rwenzori “Mountains of the Moon” and observe the famous gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. In her free time, Kelly likes to go hiking, take photographs, read and write, and cheer on the Golden State Warriors basketball team.

Sachi Lake 2012-2013 Fellow with Project Mercy, Ethiopia Princeton University Class of 2012

Fellow Bio:

Sachi is a Molecular Biology major with a certificate in Neuroscience from San Jose, CA. While at Princeton she was an Outdoor Action rock climbing leader and led several groups of freshman on pre-orientation weeklong backpacking and climbing trips. She was also an active member of Princeton Charter Club and a volunteer for Peak Potential where she mentored children with cerebral palsy, using rock climbing as a form of therapy. Through Princeton she worked in Hyderabad, India at a summer internship with the International Water Management Institute. In Ethiopia next year Sachi looks forward to immersing in the culture, picking up the local language and making countless friendships with her students at her fellowship with Project Mercy.

Hilary Lambert 2010-2011 Fellow with Invisible Children, Uganda Princeton University Class of 2010

Fellow Bio:

Born in Washington D.C., Hilary was a Psychology major and earned a certificate in neuroscience at Princeton University (‘10). Outside of academics, she has worked in a research capacity at Children’s National Medical Center (on duchenne muscular dystrophy and asthma in pediatric patients) and at Princeton’s Neuroscience Institute (most recently on the neural basis underlying mood and cognitive deficits in cancer patients). Hilary also taught English and math to young children in Tanzania for a summer (with Cross Cultural Solutions). For the past four years of college, Hilary served as project coordinator, teacher, and strategic planning team member at Community House, which seeks to close the local minority achievement gap in the town of Princeton.

Sinnah Lamin 2023-2024 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Kenya Southern New Hampshire University Class of 2023

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 Sinnah Samuella Lamin is a recent Southern New Hampshire University graduate and a tireless advocate for health, specifically focusing on women’s healthcare and its intersection with education. She is steadfast in her belief that education can serve as a powerful tool for empowerment, especially in marginalized communities. Sinnah’s multidimensional background in healthcare management and international development equips her with a unique approach to devise innovative solutions to enduring health challenges. With more than three years of enriching experience in health, education, and entrepreneurship, Sinnah has proven her mettle in program design, project management, and operations. As a Quality Assurance Associate at mDoc Healthcare, she supported a robust team of health coaches to initiate a digital health program that sought to diminish the prevalence of chronic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. She is also the founder of Caring for Girls – a non-profit initiative that provides vital reproductive health education and services to adolescent girls in Rwanda and Sierra Leone and has made a significant difference in the lives of over 500 girls, fostering their sexual and reproductive health autonomy. Sinnah is currently a Program Analyst Intern at UNICEF’s Education Outcomes Fund and a Research Intern at Doctors Without Borders, working on their “menstrual precariousness assessment” project in Cameroon. These roles augment her passion for the intertwined domains of health and education, which is further demonstrated by her co-organization of an entrepreneurship boot camp and her hand in developing a leadership curriculum for the Future Leadership Academy in China. With a keen interest in public policy and international health, Sinnah’s post-graduation goal is to design and implement large-scale Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) programs in Sierra Leone and across the continent.

Louise Lamphere Beryl 2004-2005 Fellow with Tanzanian Children's Fund / Rift Valley Children's Village, Tanzania Princeton University Class of 2004

Alumni Update:

Louise is currently living in Palo Alto, CA, working for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation as a Qualitative Research Analyst and working for Samsung as a User Experience Researcher. She recently completed her PhD in Anthropology and Education from Columbia University, Teachers College.

Cherice Landers 2006-2007 Fellow with Africare, Tanzania Princeton University Class of 2006
Emily Langlois 2023-2024 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Somalia (based in Kenya) Georgetown University Class of 2023

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 Emily Langlois is a recent graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University where she received a degree in Regional and Comparative Studies with a concentration on East Africa. She grew up in Nairobi, Kenya and is excited to be returning for her work with the International Rescue Committee–Somalia Programme as a PiAf fellow. Prior to this fellowship she has spent time in various NGO and governmental settings in Kenya and Tanzania. This experience led to her burgeoning interest in both journalism and international development, and she hopes to pursue a career in those fields in East Africa. In her free time, she loves to read, write, crochet, and spend time outdoors.

Larbi_Joan_WebsiteJoan Larbi 2015-2016 Fellow with African Leadership Academy, South Africa University of Pennsylvania Class of 2012

Joan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2012, where she majored in International Relations, and Economics, and minored in African Studies and French. After graduation, she served as a Teach For America corps member, and taught for over two years at a public elementary school in a low-income community in Miami, Florida. Originally from Ghana, Joan has lived in both Nigeria and Syria for extended periods of time and acquired a passion for global development. In the summer before her senior year at Penn, she completed two internships in Ghana. Joan was an international development intern for ILC Africa, where she coordinated the final data collection for the firm’s monitoring and evaluation consultancy. She also worked with The Abusua Foundation, where she was part of a team that trained young entrepreneurs for a Civil Society Incubator. Joan enjoys travelling, watching TV dramas, and learning about creative solutions to local issues in developing nations. She is excited about her fellowship with the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg and is eager to explore a new region of the continent, while working to build up a generation of leaders that will transform Africa in the future.

Carla Laroche 2006-2007 Fellow with Notre Dame School, Tanzania Princeton University Class of 2006

Our History

In 1999, a group of Princeton alumni, faculty, and staff launched Princeton in Africa as an independent affiliate of Princeton University inspired by the University’s informal motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations.” In 2010, the program opened up to include graduates of any US accredited university in order to meet the growing demand from host organizations and allow more young professionals access to the unique opportunities afforded by PiAf. During the past 20 years, we have placed over 600 Fellows with more than 100 organizations in 36 countries, while developing more strategic partnerships across Africa and creating more opportunities for our alumni community to engage with the continent and with one another.

Testimonials

The International Rescue Committee has been so fortunate to have had a longstanding relationship with Princeton in Africa since our very first Fellows landed in Rwanda in 1999.  Whether it was Emily or Renee in 1999 or the 110 Fellows across 14 IRC countries over the years, we have been blessed by the relationship, the quality of the Fellows and the impact on what IRC does on the ground every single day.

Brian Johnson
Chief Human Resources Officer
International Rescue Committee

My fellowship has been the most impactful personal and professional development opportunity of my life. I wanted a post-college experience that would push my limits, expand my comfort zone, and help me discern the next steps in my career journey. And this has been the case.

Ryan Elliott
2014-15 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Lesotho

I can honestly say that this year has changed my life and my view of what’s possible for the future. Princeton in Africa isn’t just a one-year fellowship, it’s an introduction to a particular way of life and a new way of thinking about the world. I feel like so many doors are open now that I never would have considered before.

Katie Fackler
2010-11 Fellow
UN World Food Programme

My Princeton in Africa fellowship was everything I could have hoped for and much more. The myriad of experiences makes my head swim, and it has strengthened my desire to help underserved populations worldwide.

David Bartels
2006-2007 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative

Princeton in Africa was an invaluable experience for me. I learned an infinite amount through my work and through living in Uganda. I also realized that I want to continue working on African issues as long as I can.

Alexis Okeowo
2006-2007 Fellow
The New Vision

The International Rescue Committee’s experience with Princeton in Africa has been exceptional. Each Fellow brings excellent writing and analytical skills as well as unique interests and passions that enrich the program and the field office environment. We were so pleased we expanded the program to more field offices.

Susan Riehl
Human Resources, IRC

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has been working in Africa for over 11 years through its Secure the Future program.  One common theme in all aspects of program implementation is having passionate, energetic individuals on the ground who can think outside the box and then transfer the skills for sustainability.  The Princeton In Africa Fellows have been a huge asset in this regard and our programs and patients have been better for it.

John Damonti
President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation