Alumni Directory Display

Shan was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, and graduated from Bowdoin College in 2016 with a B.A. in Biology and a minor in Music. He spent a semester studying abroad in north-central Tanzania as part of the Wildlife Management Program through the School for Field Studies. While there, he conducted research on land protection strategies in the region and conducted interviews with local communities about human-wildlife conflict. Shan has held internships with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service where he monitored prescribed fire effects and invasive species on a National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota, and at the Duke Lemur Center where he conducted a research project on the response to visual and olfactory cues in Cockerel’s sifakas. At Bowdoin, Shan was the music director for his a cappella group and was a whitewater kayak instructor with the Outing Club in addition to working for the Office of Admissions. Shan is so excited to return to East Africa and to experience Kenya for the first time with Nyumbani Village. While there, he hopes to improve his Swahili skills and to explore the region with other PiAf Fellows!

Gabriel graduated with a BA in African studies and an MA in Political Science, for which he wrote his thesis on the strategic responses of trade unions to globalization. Though born and raised in Atlanta, he spent much of his childhood in Sweden and is a dual citizen. In the spring of 2011, Gabriel lived in Rwanda, studying post-genocide reconstruction and peacebuilding as well as performing research on Rwandan perspectives of representative government. Having been hit by a car while there, he became a fully trained, though non-practicing, EMT. Gabriel has worked with several nonprofits in the Atlanta area, including the Southeastern Council of Foundations, the International Rescue Committee, and the Global Growers Network. Gabriel’s passion is political and economic equality, and knows that his fellowship with Equal Education will give him a chance to confront these issues. While his hobbies change frequently, Gabriel currently blues dances and performs improv.

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Sarah Namagonya is a driven Malawian professional, she has worked as a Diplomatic Affairs Assistant Intern at the Malawi High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya where she supported accreditation to UNEP and UN-Habitat. As the head of the Upsell department at a solar tech company, she demonstrated significant leadership in commercial settings. Further, her passion for humanitarian work is demonstrated in her over three years of experience as a Research Assistant at the United Nations World Food Programme, where she honed her skills in data management and qualitative research. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master of Arts in International Relations, specializing in Peace and Conflict Studies from the United States International University. Sarah is adept at navigating complex diplomatic environments, facilitating international accreditations, and supporting high-level governance meetings. Committed to community service, she has dedicated six years to volunteering in social services, impacting prisons and hospitals. Sarah’s expertise is further complemented by her strong decision-making, problem-solving, and organizational skills, making her a valuable asset in international relations and humanitarian work. Sarah is characterized by her curiosity and a keen interest in expanding her horizon as she works with exceptional individuals to build a better future for generations to come.

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Jackie Namala is from The Bronx, New York. She graduated from Princeton University, where she studied Public and International Affairs and Spanish. Having grown up in working class households in Uganda and the US, Jackie has always been curious about how individuals can be empowered to secure better livelihoods for themselves. She is primarily interested in the role education plays in both individual mobility and national development and envisions herself working as an international educational consultant. Her dream is to make quality education accessible to all. As an undergraduate student at Princeton, she joyfully took advantage of the liberal arts education; in her independent work, she focused on Africa, studying the relationships between racial discrimination and adolescent mental health in South Africa (vis-à-vis the US), socio-economic status and sub-Saharan women’s political participation and, for her senior thesis, universal primary education and intergenerational education mobility in Uganda. Furthermore, Jackie virtually volunteered as a K-12 tutor and an outreach associate with Hatch Tutors, an educational non-profit, and worked as a Peer Academic Advisor on campus. She feels very honored and excited to work with the students and educators at Rwamagana Leaders’ School. In her leisure time, Jackie loves to cook, sing and learn new languages. She also has newfound interests in travel and physical exercise, particularly running.

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Abigail graduated with distinction from Strathmore University with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, majoring in Finance and Accounting, Abigail then began her career journey as a graduate trainee at a microfinance holding company. Her journey towards impactful change began here, where her passion for development finance grew, leading to her swift transition to the treasury department where she honed skills in financial analysis, reporting, data analysis, and funder management,
Outside her professional pursuits, Abigail remains deeply rooted in her community, as a volunteer finance associate for a foundation focused on women and youth empowerment, she channels her expertise to provide tools and resources for economic growth and wellness. Additionally, Abigail served as an associate teacher at a local primary school, nurturing academic excellence and instilling a sense of empowerment in her students. For Abigail, giving back to her community is not just a duty but a calling, reflecting the values instilled in her as a Maasai girl. She remains steadfast in her mission to leverage her experience and skills for the growth and development of Africa.

Alumni Update:

After leaving Dakar, Kaitlyn started a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she will be focusing on political-military cooperation in Africa. This summer she plans to be interning with the US State Department at the American embassy in Djibouti.

Fellow Bio:

Kaitlyn is originally from New Canaan, CT and is a Class of 2010 graduate of Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. At Georgetown, Kaitlyn majored in Culture & Politics and received a certificate in African Studies. Throughout her course of study, Kaitlyn had the opportunity to improve her French in Tours, France, study at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa, and immerse herself in Senegalese culture in Dakar, Senegal. Her African Studies capstone paper on international media representations of Idi Amin won her the Mopane Award for Excellence in African Studies. Since graduating, Kaitlyn has served as an Africa Analyst at the United States Marine Corps Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning, providing training on African cultures and French language to deploying Marines. When she returns to Senegal as a fellow, Kaitlyn looks forward to finally mastering conversational Wolof, listening to mbalax, and travelling throughout the region.

Alumni Update:

Lambert Ngenzi is an environmental and water resources professional dedicated to advancing sustainable development across Africa. A Princeton in Africa alumnus and Duke University graduate with a Master of Environmental Management, Lambert has worked with organizations including USAID, the Duke Energy Access Project, and the National Geographic Society. His experience spans water management, energy access, and biodiversity conservation across Africa and the Middle East. Lambert is committed to promoting innovative, community-driven solutions that strengthen environmental resilience and improve livelihoods throughout the continent.

Fellow Bio:

Ngenzi Lambert graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Environmental Science with a focus in water resource management and a minor in Geographic Information System. He wants to use his research experience and his knowledge about the African continent to help local communities in Africa conserve and manage water resources. Lambert moved from Republic of Congo to Kent, Washington with his family as a refugee from the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. He has been conducting his undergraduate research with Dr. Alex Fremier looking at how land use patterns in Ghana and Burkina Faso affect sediment accumulation by using remote sensing programs. Lambert was a McNair scholar and a Doris Duke Conservation program fellow. These programs have helped prepare Lambert to pursue his passion. He has been able to present his research at over 20 different conferences. Lambert’s presentation was recognized as an outstanding research presentation. In addition, Lambert won the President Award and was nominated as an outstanding senior of his department. His accomplishment has awarded numerous scholarships and paid summer internships around the nation. In his free time, Lambert enjoys playing soccer and the outdoors with friends.

Alumni Update:

After her fellowship, Dana began a Master’s of Education program in Education, Culture and Society at The University of Pennsylvania. She also works part-time at West Philadelphia High School as a college counselor. She will complete her master’s this summer and relocate to begin a PhD at The University of Michigan in Educational Studies with a focus on Foundations of Education and Policy. She plans to study how African-American secondary students conceptualize and contest dynamics of race and class in school reform. One distant day, she hopes to make this work comparative with the South African context. All of this is undoubtedly inspired by her time at Equal Education!

Fellow Bio:

Dana is originally from Allen, Texas. At Northwestern, she majored in African American Studies with a minor in Anthropology.  While an undergraduate, she studied abroad in Ghana where she conducted independent research on notions of diaspora among Ghanaian repatriates. Since graduation, Dana has worked at Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men in Chicago, IL as an Urban Prep Fellow where she served as a teacher and student advocate. She has also worked with the South Side Health and Vitality Studies at The University of Chicago as a Research Coordinator where she supported healthy living and community development projects. While living in Cape Town, Dana is excited to start learning  Xhosa and to frequent live music spots.

Alumni Update:

Kevin is currently a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist with Justice Informed where his work focuses on providing strategic guidance and consulting services to organizations looking to operationalize DEI outside of publishing commitments and statements. Kevin currently resides in Chicago where has lived since the end of his fellowship in June 2017.

Fellow Bio:

Hailing from a small suburb outside of Dayton, OH, Kevin graduated from Northwestern University where he majored in Philosophy and Economics, with a minor in Legal Studies. While at Northwestern, he spent his time helping organize and run Northwestern’s Global Engagement Summit. This summit brings together student delegates from all across the world who have social change projects. Their time together allows them to workshop their projects and to work with CEOs and mentors from non-profits and social enterprises and reconnect with their passion for social change. In addition to his work with social change projects, Kevin visits Burundi often, visiting his family and gaining a greater appreciation for his cultural roots. Last summer, Kevin, motivated by his experiences in Burundi, was able to attend a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees conference centered on international refugee aid. He took the recommendations and observations from international NGOs back with him to campus and worked closely with Northwestern’s Center for Forced Migration Studies to develop new programs to assess refugee stability in the greater Chicagoland area. While having never officially taught before, Kevin is incredibly humbled and excited to spend his next year in Botswana at Maru-a-Pula as a history teacher.