Alumni Update:

John has moved north to Rumbek, South Sudan, to manage a women’s social and economic empowerment program with IRC. The work’s been challenging and fascinating, but after two years in South Sudan he’s leaving in June. Though as they say there, once you’ve drunk the Nile waters, you’ll always come back.

Fellow Bio:

John graduated with a B.A. in African & African-American Studies and a minor in Digital Imaging & Photography. Though a New Jersey native, John has called St. Louis home for the last four years. In the past, he has served as editor-in-chief of his university’s social justice magazine, OneWorld, and interned as a case manager for refugees with special needs at the IRC’s Baltimore resettlement office. John studied in Nairobi during the spring of 2011 and traveled throughout Kenya, northern Tanzania, and western Uganda. He is excited to return to Nairobi and continue to pursue his interests in immigration and refugee affairs.

Fellow Bio:

Jessica Lynn Inocencio ’05 is an Art and Archaeology major from Lytle, Texas, a small rural town outside of San Antonio. At Princeton, Jessica was the Student Supervisor at the Marquand Library of Art and Archaeology, Art Editor of the Nassau Literary Review, Social Chair at the Colonial Club, pitcher/outfielder for Princeton Club Softball, and staff-writer for the Daily Princetonian. After graduating from Princeton in 2005, Jessica lived abroad in Port Elizabeth, South Africa where she received a Masters in Media Studies from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in April 2007. Upon returning to the U.S., Jessica began teaching 6th grade Math at the Garner Middle School in San Antonio and working to obtain an MBA from the University of Texas in San Antonio. During her free time, Jessica enjoys traveling, sculpting, scuba diving, gardening, tubing, videomaking, playing sports, and volunteering. Recent travel during the past year includes a roadtrip from Texas to Canada, caravan trip throughout Germany, and hiking trip to Machu Picchu in Peru, which were all inspirational landmarks in her life. Jessica cannot wait to start her fellowship at the Mpala Wildlife Foundation in Kenya.

Alumni Update:

Jessica is currently the Salesforce Administrator & Architect at the Heising-Simons Foundation in the Bay Area, where she leads technical design of the large foundation’s grantmaking platform. Outside of work, Jessica volunteers with the large-scale metal & fire sculptural group the Flaming Lotus Girls.

Jayme majored in Public Relations and minored in African American Studies and Business. While at the University of Texas, Jayme was selected to represent her university as an Archer Fellow in Washington, D.C. Since graduation, Jayme has worked at Google in a wide range of roles in both San Francisco and New York City. Most recently, Jayme managed a Learning & Development program at Google. In her free time, Jayme enjoys yoga, skateboarding, photography, and hosting dinner parties for friends. While in Kenya this year, Jayme looks forward to exploring a new culture, learning Swahili, and engaging in the world of social enterprise in Nairobi.

Alumni Update:

After two years in DC working in public sector consulting, Jane finally gave in to the siren call of Nairobi again. She’s now working on the central strategy and research team in One Acre Fund. Outside of the office, it’s incredible to see Nairobi continue to grow as a metropolis, and she’s so glad to be able to enjoy all it has to offer from rock-climbing to picnics in Nairobi National Park to a casual evening of board games with friends. And, of course, the PiAf family — Nairobi is now 14 strong amongst the current Fellows and alumni!

Fellow Bio:

Jane (Princeton ‘11) is a Chemical and Biological Engineering major from Ypsilanti, MI. At Princeton, she was heavily involved with various Pace Center for Civic Engagement projects, Engineers Without Borders, and the Writing Center. Jane has been to Ghana before, where she learned of the wonders of groundnuts and plantains and the agbaja dance. She is looking forward to being in East Africa with the Nairobi, Kenya office of the International Rescue Committee, learning how to cook delicious local foods, picking up some Swahili, and adding more African dances to her repertoire.

Isaiah graduated as an Ervin Scholar from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2017 with a BA in International and Area Studies, concentrating in Global Development, and a minor in Religion and Politics. On campus Isaiah was  involved with Sigma Iota Rho, an international affairs academic honorary, and the Washington University International Relations Council, which hosts the university’s model United Nations team. He has also spent the last four years working for Development Programs at the university for the School of Engineering and the Siteman Cancer Center on projects including donor outreach and management, third-party event coordination, and report writing. Isaiah spent the Spring of 2016 studying abroad in Tunis, Tunisia where he was able to work on his French and Arabic skills while exploring the causes and effects of the Arab Spring movement up close. The end of his semester abroad was spent researching the effects of state land policy in a small town in rural Southern Tunisia. Isaiah interned with The Carter Center’s Democracy Programs in summer 2016 where he was involved in grants and program management for the Center’s Tunisian field office and a limited election observation mission to Zambia’s national elections.

Alumni Update:

Ida serves as VP, Strategic Planning for Railroad Development Corp., a family-owned railroad investment and management firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. She will be completing an Executive MBA at Columbia Business School this fall which has allowed her to split time between Pittsburgh and New York. Earlier this year, Ida joined the board of American Jewish World Service.

Fellow Bio:

Ida is a Civil and Environmental Engineering major from Pittsburgh, PA. At Princeton, she served on the board of the Center for Jewish Life, played club field hockey, and was member of the Tiger Inn. Ida earned a certificate in African Studies and spent the spring semester of her junior year studying abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She is excited to travel around Kenya and East Africa, climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and learn some Swahili.

India graduated from the University of Southern California with a major in Cognitive Science and minors in International Relations and Consumer Behavior. A New York City native, India got involved in her local Los Angeles community as a mentor and Director of Involvement for Women and Youth Supporting Each Other and as a high school teacher for USC’s Teaching Ethics Program. At USC, she worked as a Research Assistant in the School of International Relations as well as the USC Shoah Foundation. India’s interest in post-conflict reconstruction led her to spend a semester at the University of Cape Town where she studied Politics and Psychology. While she wasn’t in class or exploring Cape Town’s natural wonders, India interned with Enablis, an entrepreneurship NGO. Following her time in South Africa, India worked in Eastern Rwanda, where she facilitated the creation of a grain-storage business with a team of local entrepreneurs. She has further pursued her interests in social enterprise, gender equality, and sustainable development as a Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab scholar and as a StartingBloc Fellow. This year India is looking forward to spending time with BOMA’s entrepreneurs, living on the equator, and learning Swahili!

Hilary recently finished her Master’s Degree at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where she studied International Development. She spent the first year of her MA on the SAIS campus in Bologna, Italy, and then worked in Paris last summer as a consultant for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Interested in global health, Hilary was an Emergency Health and Nutrition intern for Save the Children in DC this past fall, and looks forward to gaining more experience with PSI in Nairobi next year. Hilary also received her BA from Johns Hopkins, where she pursued a double major in International Studies and Spanish, and a minor in Entrepreneurship & Management. She loves traveling, biking, and running, and is hoping to explore East Africa and learn Swahili while in Kenya.

Alumni Update:

Faith’s time as a PiAF fellow gave her the international experience and skills she needed to be an attractive candidate for Graduate school and her career as a Foreign Service Officer. She hopes to spend most of her career working on the Continent.

Fellow Bio:

Faith received her B.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University, concentrating in African Development. At GW, she was deeply involved with the Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service, both as a leader and coordinator of service projects. Faith served as founder and president of the Crown of Glory Hair and Beauty Organization and as vice president for the African Students Association. Previously, Faith interned with Karen Bass (CA-37), where she created briefing papers for the congresswoman’s African subcommittee hearings and assisted with monthly Africa Policy Breakfasts. Faith also interned at the D.C. Mayor’s Office on African Affairs, where she engaged with the city’s African immigrant community and helped coordinate the D.C. African Festival. Faith’s interest in sub-Saharan Africa is reflected in her many trips to the region. She often goes to Ghana to visit family and recently conducted field research on the country’s energy crisis. She spent a semester studying abroad in Dakar, Senegal, where she lived with a host family, took classes in Senegalese language and culture, and tutored Senegalese students in English. Faith is excited to explore the East African culture, learn Swahili, and work with HelpAge International!