Alumni Directory Display

Meghan Smith 2013-2014 Fellow with Project Mercy, Ethiopia Harvard University Class of 2013

Alumni Update:

Meghan is currently attending medical school at UBC in Vancouver, Canada. She returned to Project Mercy for 2 weeks in December 2014 to continue a vision screening project she started while there with PiAf. It was fantastic to see the children and people she worked with last year!

Fellow Bio:

Meghan is from British Columbia, Canada and studied neurobiology and global health & health policy at Harvard University. At Harvard, she was co-president of Student Mental Health Liaisons, co-president of Women in Science, events chair of Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors, and events co-chair of the Harvard Canadian Club. She also captained, coxed, and rowed for intramural crew. Through Harvard, Meghan studied abroad in Germany and served as a Harvard Summer School proctor in Cambridge. Through Projects Abroad, she spent three months volunteering in a hospital in Ghana. While in Ethiopia, Meghan looks forward to learning Amharic and learning about the Ethiopian culture and food.

Trevor Smith 2005-2006 Fellow with Endeavor Global, South Africa Princeton University Class of 2003
Mike Snavely 2012-2013 Fellow with Maru-a-Pula, Botswana Macalester College Class of 2012

Alumni Update:

Mike is now in his third year of residency in the Family and Community Medicine department at University of California San Francisco. He is working on research projects both related to social and health systems barriers to health care in Tanzania as well as impacts of homelessness on health in the US.

Fellow Bio:

Mike is a biology major with minors in anthropology and chemistry. Mike is originally from Minneapolis, MN and at Macalester he was a wide receiver on the football team, president of the Health Professions Student Coalition and a chemistry tutor. Through Macalester, Mike participated in summer research programs on campus and at the University of Minnesota and studied abroad in Gaborone, Botswana. In his free time, Mike volunteers at Regions Hospital and plays the saxophone. Next year in Botswana Mike looks forward to practicing the Setswana that he learned during study abroad, meeting new people and enjoying local food.

Keir Soderberg 2001-2002 Fellow with University of Cape Town Quantitative Literacy Project, South Africa Princeton University Class of 2000

Alumni Update:

Keir is living in Maryland and working at the environmental consulting firm SSPA (www.sspa.com). Prior to this Keir was a Princeton postdoc at Mpala Research Center for two years. And before that he did his PhD research in Namibia at Gobabeb Training and Research Centre. Keir and his wife Natasha just had another little girl, Cora Ann, who joins her 4 year old sister Emma.

Haby Sondo 2023-2024 Fellow with Food for Education, Kenya Boston University Class of 2021

she/her/hers

 Haby Sondo is a Burkinabe-American woman from The Bronx, fueled by her passion for international development in Africa, travel, and storytelling. Growing up in a culturally diverse environment fostered her love for immigration and cultural immersion. She completed her undergraduate studies at Boston University where she majored in International Relations & minored in Political Science. Haby’s awakening to the world outside of New York City occurred while living abroad in The Dominican Republic and France. During these experiences, she gained a profound appreciation for the complexities Black immigrants face globally and has since searched for opportunities to include their realities in global migration discourses. These experiences ignited her desire to create two travel blogs that offer an authentic glimpse into the experiences of Black Women traveling globally. With a focus on unconventional travel experiences, Haby shines a spotlight on underrepresented travel destinations. In her professional life, Haby has worked as a Business Immigration Paralegal; her leisure time is spent traveling, blogging, biking, hiking, and exploring cuisines from around the world. With a bold vision for the future, Haby aspires to pursue a career at the intersection of her passions for immigration, law, and international development, using her voice and digital content to inspire Black Women and People of Color to pursue global travel opportunities. She is confident that her Princeton in Africa Fellowship at Food for Education in Nairobi, Kenya will provide her with the tools and knowledge to make a meaningful impact in the world.

Soon-Shiong_Nika_WebsiteNika Soon-Shiong 2016-2017 Fellow with Equal Education, South Africa Stanford University Class of 2015

Nika recently completed her M.A. in African Studies at Stanford University, where she focused on issues surrounding international development, education, and visual representation in Sub-Saharan Africa. She received a B.A. degree with distinction in International Relations (specializations in Africa and Social Development) and a minor in Creative Writing at Stanford in 2015. She studied in Cape Town during her junior year and worked at a community resource center for people affected by HIV/AIDS in Nyanga. She returned to Nyanga that summer to conduct two independent, community engaged research projects. She created a preliminary monitoring and evaluation report and a photovoice project, which explored the social dynamics of unemployment by giving youth cameras to capture and narrate their experiences. The next summer, she worked at the Baylor Pediatric Aids Initiative in Gaborone, Botswana, extending the regional scope of her photovoice project, which was exhibited at the largest contemporary art gallery in the country. Nika has published articles for the Stanford Daily and for the Los Angeles Times. She enjoys writing nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Nika is a passionate writer and next year looks forward to improving her Xhosa, telling stories, and advocating for others to have the opportunity to tell theirs.

Kelly Souls 2012-2013 Fellow with Indego Africa, Rwanda Georgetown University Class of 2012

Alumni Update:

Kelly received her MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business in 2018, where she focused on social impact and emerging markets. She now works in management consulting at Deloitte in San Francisco.

Fellow Bio:

Kelly is a Culture and Politics Major and African Studies minor who grew up all over the world in the United States, the UK and Russia. At Georgetown University, she engaged in various activities including serving as Secretary of the African Society of Georgetown and student tutor at the African Immigrant Refugee Foundation. Kelly studied abroad at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and spent summers interning in Ghana and Kenya, fulfilling her love for traveling and meeting new people. While in Rwanda next year, Kelly looks forward to making new friends, using her Kiswahili while picking up French and Kinyarwanda, dancing up a storm and going on some exciting trips around the region including finally climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Michelle Spada 2012-2013 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Liberia Vanderbilt University Class of 2012

Michelle is originally from Philadelphia and majored in Human and Organizational Development with a concentration in International Development. During her time at Vanderbilt, Michelle co-founded two service organizations, mentored homeless, refugee and at-risk youth, and served as a Resident Advisor. Her work with an anti-child trafficking organization in India and a girls’ education fund in Kenya sparked her interest in international development. She was then able to study abroad in Shanghai and intern with a global health organization, Seva Foundation, out in Berkeley, CA, and those experiences solidified her interest in the international development field. Michelle is incredibly excited to work with the International Rescue Committee in Liberia and continue to explore different facets of international development. She feels that her time in Liberia will greatly impact her worldview, and she is looking forward to travelling, meeting new people, being challenged, living near the ocean, and absorbing Liberian culture.

Anthony Speare 2010-2011 Fellow with Lutheran World Federation, Burundi Harvard University Class of 2010

Fellow Bio:

Anthony (Harvard ’10) is a Sociology concentrator from Sandy, UT. At Harvard, he was involved heavily in the African languages department and various volunteer work in the U.S. and abroad. He earned a secondary field in African Studies and a language citation in Swahili. He also studied abroad in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania during the summer and fall of 2008. Outside class and extracurricular activities, Anthony enjoys playing acoustic guitar and singing. While in Burundi next year, he hopes to gain fluency in several languages, get involved with local musicians, and travel to other East, Central, and South African countries.

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