Cameron graduated from Case Western Reserve University with Honors in each of her three majors: International Studies, Political Science, and English. As an undergraduate, she joined a conflict-resolution delegation in Bosnia-Herzegovina to study grassroots peacebuilding efforts, spent a semester studying at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and interned for the political and economic section of the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana. Upon graduation, she was awarded two of the highest possible honors for students at CWRU, including the Edward Corcoran Award for outstanding leadership, character, and service as well as the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Award for outstanding academic performance in the humanities. After graduation, Cameron combined her passion for reconciliation and her love of creative writing by designing, implementing, and facilitating a youth poetry camp for South African high school students with the support of a national $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace Grant. Additionally, she completed French language study and archival research on African immigration in Montpellier, France, funded by the competitive Eva L. Pancoast Memorial Fellowship. Her experiences in storytelling, grant writing, and international exchange inspired her to join International Rescue Committee’s team in Kenya as a Princeton in Africa Fellow.

Brandon graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Political Science and Islamic Studies. Brandon can speak modern standard Arabic at an advanced level with working knowledge of the Tunisian Dialect. This past summer Brandon interned at Ubuntu Capital’s office in Kampala, Uganda. As the senior associate of marketing/strategy he was tasked with conducting field research and assuring that the enterprise’s goals aligned with the needs of those it sought to serve. Prior to that, Brandon studied in Tunisia for a semester focusing on post-revolutionary Tunisian civil society. Brandon is a co-founder of The Fanoos Project which seeks to provide undocumented Afghan youth in Tehran with educational and vocational opportunities. This project received over $25,000 in funding through a Project Pericles grant from the Lang Center for Civic and Social engagement at Swarthmore College. Brandon has also interned with the National Security Archives where he helped to compile and analyze documents concerning the relationship between Venezuela and the United States government during the presidency of Hugo Chavez. Brandon is a lover of music who throughout his Swarthmore career was a member of the Swarthmore Wind Ensemble, Swarthmore Gamelan Ensemble, and host of his own radio show.

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.

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!

Ayesha graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Economics and Mathematics. She grew up in Singapore, where she was exposed to all kinds of development work from a young age. Her active involvement in NGO work cultivated an interest in economic development, which she pursued in her formal studies of economics and math. She spent a semester abroad at CIDE in Mexico City, where she studied healthcare and broader development economics. She has maintained internships throughout her time in college, working in a variety of market-oriented capacities. As part of her internship at the Smithsonian Institution’s endowment, she routinely performed quantitative and qualities analyses to assess the relative success and risk of the organization’s portfolio. Her internship at KKR continued that exposure to market analysis, allowing her to analyze and explore the different strategies of the hedge funds that her team was invested in. She later worked at the investment bank Lazard Frères & Co., a global advisory firm that focuses on mergers and acquisitions. Her time at Lazard was similarly rooted in financial and industry analysis. She is excited to apply the lessons she has learned through her academic studies and professional experiences to the Lwala community!

Atlee Chait graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in International Studies focused on International Security, Norms, and Cooperation. She most recently worked as the Monitoring and Evaluation Associate for DC’s Children’s Law Center, dedicated to strengthening the existing and supporting the development and implementation of new monitoring and evaluation processes. Prior to that, Atlee completed a contract with National Geographic supporting the National Geographic Bee, worked in Sub Saharan Africa Intelligence while living in Tel Aviv, Israel, and served as a Design, Monitoring & Evaluation Intern with Search for Common Ground, a peacebuilding and conflict resolution organization, where she learned to evaluate the effectiveness of peacebuilding programs overseas. Atlee is so excited to be working with Village Enterprise in their mission of utilizing entrepreneurship as a means to ending extreme poverty in rural Africa. She looks forward to living in Uganda, exploring the continent, making new friends, and gaining a deeper understanding of M&E, income generation, and the designing and implementing of development programs.

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.

Anny, a native of Bogotá, Colombia, graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts with majors in Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies. A passionate reproductive health advocate, Anny was selected as a Reproductive Rights Activist Service Corp fellow, in 2015 and interned for Ibis Reproductive Health researching the intersection of maternal and child health and abortion access. At UMass she organized and led a service-learning initiative focused on indigenous women’s empowerment and safe stoves for improved indoor air quality in Guatemala. After this trip, she became the Education Coordinator for the Beacon Voyages for Service program at UMass, overseeing the social justice-based education for the program at large. Anny is also a former executive board member of Colombia Vive, a Boston-based human rights organization. Following graduation, she joined Timmy Global Health as their Medical Programs Coordinator in the Dominican Republic (DR). In this role she oversaw a community health promotion program and led regular medical service trips to several communities straddling the Haiti-DR border. Anny hopes to continue learning and advocating in the area of global public health and to dedicate her career to advance health as a human right across geographical borders.

Anthea graduated from Georgetown University with a Master’s in Public Policy. She is originally from Singapore but has spent almost a third of her life studying, working, and living in the United States. Her first encounter with international development was during her time at Georgetown where she learned how data could be used to understand more about people, policy, and what works. After graduation, she joined Burness Communications, a public-interest communications firm specializing in spreading the news about social causes ranging from public health to environmental conservation. But with a data itch that wouldn’t quit, she then went on to work as a Senior Analyst for a data consulting firm, helping non-profit organizations and the US EPA to better visualize their data and extract meaningful insights. Outside of work, she volunteered at the National Aquarium as a diver where she fed the fish and waved at visitors. Anthea is excited for her move to Sierra Leone where she will work with the WARC Group as a monitoring and evaluation fellow, using data to measure the impact on improving the lives of farmers. During her time in Freetown, she hopes to learn to love dancing and okra, while picking up a bit of Krio in between.

Alumni Update:

Nina is currently serving as a Special Projects Officer at the Akilah Institute, a Kigali-based higher education campus and online school for women in East Africa. In the fall of 2021, she will begin her studies as a dual Master of Social Work and Master of Social Policy candidate at the Brown School in Washington University, St. Louis. 

Fellow Bio:

Nina graduated from the University of Virginia with degrees in English and Arts Administration. At UVA, she worked primarily in the arts community as a producer of student theater, co-chair of the Student Council Arts Committee, and as an Arts Mentor to local elementary-aged students. Her thesis focused on the representation of death in children’s literature, which she supplemented with a self-published children’s novella. After graduation, Nina moved to Memphis, TN, where she has spent the past two years. There, she worked as an assistant fifth-grade English teacher at a Title I public school and implemented mental health procedures to support her students suffering from trauma and anxiety. She additionally worked as an Urban Fellow for the City of Memphis to foster summer literacy among youth. Currently, Nina is finishing up a service year at The Well, a pediatric wellness center, where she teaches nutrition, movement, and mindfulness to children. For fun, she dabbles as a lounge singer, attempts to cook, and loves to explore the Delta region. Nina is excited to pursue her interest in the intersections of educational and health equity at More Than Me and can’t wait to meet her wonderful new students.