Alumni Directory Display

Arielle Ford graduated from The George Washington University with high honors in 2014 where she received a BA in Sociology. After graduating, she joined CityBridge Education, an organization vested in the creation and redesign of DC public schools that lead with intentional equity. At CityBridge, Arielle worked with teachers and school leaders to bring innovative educational practices to local classrooms and schools. She also facilitated conversations around race and identity with educators, emphasizing the intersection of human centered design and equity. Her commitment to equity work began long before college as she witnessed how disparities in public education adversely impacted the life trajectories of her childhood friends. During her undergraduate years, she was heavily involved with the Multicultural Student Services Center, working to illuminate the stories and needs of students of color on campus, in addition to serving as the Student Association Director of Diversity and Multi-Religious Affairs. She also served as a campus campaign coordinator for Teach for America, where she worked arduously to increase the number of black, Latino, and LGBTQ applicants. Arielle is excited to continue her commitment to educational equity with Equal Education in Johannesburg, South Africa where she will work with students, teachers, and parents striving for equality in South African education.

Matthew Fuller is a 2020 graduate of Princeton University, having concentrated in History with certificates in African Studies and History and the Practice of Diplomacy (HPD). For his senior thesis, he researched Namibia’s independence movement during the 1980s and focused on the movement’s place in the Cold War, the developments of the South African Border War, and a variety of grassroots liberation efforts. Most recently, Matthew was a project assistant for the National Democratic Institute’s Southern and East Africa team, where he supported programs in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Uganda as well as the Political Party Leadership Institute and the Illiberal Influences regional programs. Before that, he worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office for Southern African Affairs, researching long-term water solutions for drought in southern Madagascar. In 2019, Matthew interned with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, working with EducationUSA programming. In 2017, he worked in Cape Town, South Africa, researching financial literacy and inclusion projects and consulting on carbon-reducing efforts. He also spent the summer of 2018 studying Indian democracy in Haryana, India as part of a Princeton Global Seminar. Matthew is originally from southeastern Michigan. In his free time, he explores his interests in music, cooking, and sports.

Ben graduated with honors from Claremont McKenna College in 2017 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). At CMC, Ben worked as a Research Assistant at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government where he led a number of fiscal analysis projects, as well as for SOURCE, a student-run nonprofit consulting organization. In 2014, Ben traveled to Rwanda where he lived in a rural village and co-founded a crop storage and distribution enterprise—a transformative experience that inspired him to return to the continent and continue exploring how market-based solutions can be used to alleviate poverty. The following summer, Ben worked for Asia Pacific Investment Partners, an investment group in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia where he worked on a variety of projects. Most recently, Ben spent the summer as a Talent Consulting Intern at Mercer where he honed his analytical and quantitative skills. Growing up in Eugene, Oregon, Ben enjoys all things outdoors, particularly skiing, rock climbing, and hiking. He is incredibly honored for this opportunity in Malawi and looks forward to working towards enhancing the business environment in the region and also exploring the continent with other Fellows!

As a daughter of Eritrean immigrants, Rawan was motivated to alleviate some of the harsh realities facing African communities.  To exercise this passion of serving Africa, she started The Ubuntu Project (www.theubuntuproj.com), a mission driven organization dedicated to bridging the gap between creativity and compassion. The Ubuntu Project utilizes the One-for-One model: for every purchase made, a social cause in Africa is supported. All products are African themed, thus allowing Africans to represent their roots locally while empowering African communities globally. Through The Ubuntu Project, Rawan aims to foster hope and encouragement from within by supporting effective causes in Africa and inspiring young Africans to take an active role towards the betterment of their communities. Rawan is a management consultant by day and a social entrepreneur by night. Aside from The Ubuntu Project, her management consulting career has allowed her to work in a variety of enterprise-wide initiatives, for Fortune 500 clients – including Toyota, Cisco, DirecTV, ATT, and BP – in a variety of industries and roles. Rawan graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles as Magna Cum Lade. In addition, Rawan participated in business programs at UCLA Anderson, UC Berkeley Haas Business School, and Yale School of Management.

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Joyce is a highly skilled professional with a wealth of experience in business development, strategic leadership, and partnerships within the African market. With over 9 years experience in the Banking, Payments, and the Software industry, she has a proven track record in driving revenue growth and forging strategic partnerships. Her expertise spans market analysis, GTM strategy, client acquisition, and product positioning. In addition to her extensive experience, Joyce has a Msc Degree in Management & Organizational Development from USIU and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Moi University.”

Winnie (Eron) Godi was born in Kampala, Uganda and resettled in the United States with her immediate family in 1998. She graduated with honors, receiving degrees in both International Relations and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies with a minor in Peace and Global Studies from Augsburg University. As President of the Augsburg Pan-Afrikan Student Union she created spaces deconstructing misogynoir and established a platform for black youth and women of color. Winnie was an Augsburg LEAD Scholar, Norway Peace Scholar, and 2017 Student Commencement Speaker. She was awarded 2017 Outstanding Senior Leader of the Year and was inducted into the 2nd annual Augsburg Senior Leadership Society. After graduating, Winnie served as a Community Partnership Specialist at Girl Scouts River Valleys, providing inclusive programming to over 200 girls of color. She was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to the third cohort of the WFMN Young Women’s Cabinet of Minnesota, working closely with 24 other members to create and advance opportunities for young women in Minnesota. Over the past year, Winnie worked as a Kindergarten Teacher at Sabis International School in Nairobi, Kenya, challenging her students to explore non-traditional fields and is excited to continue a career in education in southern Africa.

Bear (Princeton ’17) is from Dallas, Texas. His full name is Sierra Moon Goldstein, but he goes by Bear. He graduated from Princeton University in 2017 with a degree in Psychology and Highest Honors. At Princeton, Bear was a member of the men’s varsity lacrosse team, where he was a two-time captain, a three-time All-Ivy and Academic All-Ivy selection, and USILA Scholar All-American. During his summers, Bear worked for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Nature Conservancy. He spent one summer in Hawaii conducting independent research on the cognitive underpinnings of mental toughness in triathletes. He also was a research assistant for a lab exploring intergroup relations, prejudice, and stereotyping in an academic setting. For fun, Bear enjoys playing sports, hiking, and music. He has a propensity for visual arts, especially photography. Prior to the fellowship year, Bear had never been to Africa. He is most excited about the new perspectives, skills, and relationships he will develop at Nyumbani Village and beyond.

Alumni Update:

In Fall 2019, Sofia began a Masters in Teaching at the University of Chicago as a part of the Urban Teachers Education Program (UTEP). During her fellowship year, she had the opportunity to focus on school management at the primary level and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to focus on educational equity in the United States over the next five years.

Fellow Bio:

Sofía, a native of Chicago, graduated from New York University, Abu Dhabi with a double major in Theater and Political Science with a concentration in Social Research & Public Policy. Sofia completed her final two years of high school at the United World College of Southern Africa. During her time at NYUAD, Sofia co-founded the Girls’ Education Network (GEN), a leadership development program for middle and high school girls in Abu Dhabi. Throughout her undergraduate career, Sofia held a variety of internships related to education, public service, and human rights. She has interned at the Human Rights Advocacy Centre in Accra, Ghana. At NYUAD, Sofia worked in the Office of Community Outreach and Office of Spiritual Life and Intercultural Education. Sofia has received numerous awards including the Associate Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence, NYU President’s Service Award, NYUAD’s Campus Life Community Service Award, and the Dalai Lama Fellowship. She is firmly committed to her values of empathy, humility, and hard work and believes that the first step when entering a new community is to listen.

Elaina, a Maryland native graduated from Princeton University with a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy. Her interest in science and research began in high school when she was a part of the Science National Honor Society. She continued exploring biology fields the summer after freshman year at the Food and Drug Administration helping to research better ways of blood and platelet transfusions. After her junior year, Elaina spent 6 weeks in South Africa carrying out her Senior thesis research on the effects of African Elephants on ecosystem health. After spending the summer in South Africa she knew she wanted to go back to the continent to attempt to carry out more research in the field of conservation biology. She is excited to gain more experience in the field and continue to explore national parks as well as the African continent. 

Uma Guarnaccia graduated from New York University with a Bachelor’s in Applied Psychology and a minor in Media, Culture, and Communication. At NYU, she made the Dean’s List two years in a row. Her interest in travel and service began with her trip to the Dominican Republic, where she developed curricula and taught English. She also spent a year fundraising for the same project. Uma expanded on this experience while studying in Ghana for four months. In Ghana, she volunteered at City of Refuge, an NGO, where she produced, directed, and developed two documentaries. While there, she also mentored children who were survivors of child slavery. Additionally, she developed curricula, tutored children on reading comprehension and English language skills, and created the school’s yearbook. Uma also has extensive research experience from her time as an intern at the Yale University Child Study Center. While there, she conducted structured assessments on anxiety disorders affecting parents and children. She analyzed data using SPSS to create two research projects. The results were presented at various research fairs and conferences. She also interned with Columbia University’s Global Mental Health Program, where she conducted qualitative interviews for a research project on intimate partner violence and substance abuse in Uganda. In addition, she wrote news content for the Global Clinical Practice Network website and produced a short video to raise awareness for refugee mental health. Subsequently, she also interned at The Quad Manhattan, an after-school program where she taught children with special needs.