Jessica Yost

Alumni Update:

Jessica is currently the Development and Community Relations Coordinator at New Door Ventures based in San Francisco where her work focuses on leading individual giving development and New Door’s volunteerism program. She resides in San Francisco. 

Fellow Bio:

Jessica, a native of Hartland, Wisconsin, graduated from Macalester College with a B.A. in International Studies, minors in Anthropology and Political Science, and concentrations in African Studies and Human Rights and Humanitarianism. Jessica’s interest in Africa began when she volunteered at a children’s home in South Africa when she was 13 years old. She has worked with the home for over 8 years. That inspired her to create her own non-profit organization, 15:30 Project, providing the children she works with opportunities for higher education. Her work has been highlighted in local media outlets and earned her several nationally recognized awards. At Macalester, Jessica interned with the U.S. State Department at the embassy in Mozambique where she helped draft the 2016 Human Rights Report. Then, Jessica interned with Kakenya’s Dream in Washington, D.C., advocating for girls’ education and against female genital mutilation in Kenya and assisting with advocacy initiatives. She studied abroad in Gaborone, Botswana where her semester focused on urban development. In Botswana, she conducted human rights research about discrimination against people with albinism. Jessica is interested in the intersection of education, human rights, and diplomacy particularly in the Southern African context.