CURRENT
Andrea Vogler (radroots)
Living the migratory life
Age: 25
Hometown: Petersburg, MI
Current location: Tepoztlán, Mexico
Social networks: Facebook
Status: Full-time volunteer at the Tashirat orphanage/ashram
Andrea was raised in a small town in rural Michigan as the daughter and granddaughter of factory workers and the great-granddaughter of Polish, Italian, and German immigrants. After high school, she left what she lovingly refers to as her “village” for Western Michigan University to pursue a degree in International and Comparative Politics and Environmental Studies, though she dedicated most of her time to activism, student organizing, and traveling to Mexico, which she now considers her second home. For the past 3 years she has migrated between Mexico, Michigan and British Colombia, Canada supporting her travels by waitressing, migrant farm work, and selling all of her belongings that don’t fit in her back pack. Her interests range from community radio to migrant worker rights to organic agriculture to photography, but most of all she hopes all of these amazing, and sometimes crazy, adventures will lead to a solid writing career.
Brett Veerhusen (bveerhusen)
The Gift of Light: Installing Renewable Energy on Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast
Age: 24
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Current location: Bluefields, Nicaragua
Social networks: LinkedIn, Facebook
Status: Controller and Microfinance Manager for blueEnergy Group
Besides avoiding the stray dogs, out of control taxis and sweltering heat, Brett is the Controller and Microfinance Manager for blueEnergy Group. blueEnergy is an international renewable energy NGO based in Bluefields, Niaragua, which happens to be one of the poorest parts of the country. blueEnergy installs and builds capacity within rural communities along the Caribbean Coast with wind turbines, solar and water filtration systems. As the Controller, Brett is in charge of a small local accounting team in a bilingual office. He manages all financial transactions for blueEnergy and as well as focuses on their microfinance projects with Kiva and the local microfinance institution (MFI). Brett, a former vegetarian, is learning to take the difficult and entertaining with stride. He is adjusting to a fried chicken-based society whilst singing along to the most popular music of Reggaeton and 70’s country twang.
Bridget Barry (bridgeterin)
Learning the value of the invaluable
Age: 22
Hometown: Grayslake, Illinois
Current location: Golden Stream, Belize
Social networks: Facebook
Status: Sustainable Land Use Volunteer for Ya’axché Conservation Trust
Having started college as a Pre-Dental, then Classics, then Journalism, then Fruit Crop Production, then English major, it took a while for things to finally click with Bridget. After aligning her passions with Environmental Studies and Spanish, at long last she became overwhelmed with the sudden desire to save the planet from all things awful. It became clear that this new path was going to be filled with lots of time abroad and little money, if any. But as a fresh, young idealist, she was immediately ready and willing to be pulled to any corner of the world. A stint in Europe infused her with the swagger of a traveler, and a placement as an international volunteer seemed to kill two birds with one stone. Building on her invaluable experience in Central America, Bridget hopes to return for her masters in sustainable development. In her spare time, she satisfies her cycling urges by riding a single-speed beach cruiser on the partially-paved Southern Highway of Belize. She is also a master of flicking bottle caps and enjoys impersonating accents poorly.
Celeste Hamilton (cellyham)
Editor
Age: 30
Hometown: Levittown, New York
Current location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Social networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
Status: Community Outreach Coordinator for Idealist.org
Celeste grew up in the first suburb of Levittown, NY. After 18 years of living among cookie-cutter houses, she realized there was more to explore and pursued her love of literature at Boston College and University College Dublin. Lured by the desire to help people and the prospect of having a pet monkey, Celeste joined the Peace Corps upon graduating. In Guyana she taught reading at a high school, dreamed of finding a baccoo (just ask—she’ll tell you all about them), and perfected her karaoke skills. From the equator she moved north to Chicago where she worked with gay youth and pretended to be a music journalist. Her time in the Midwest was brief; cacti and chili peppers drew her to the desert of Arizona where she found a job in HIV prevention. She later returned to her home state and began working with Action Without Borders. She’s now living in Buenos Aires, where she is working on media projects and facilitating connections between foreigners and local NGOs. Celeste is also a freelance journalist who has written about various subjects from dancehall to bowling, and is currently working on fulfilling her dream of becoming a Bollywood star.
Curtis Fox (curtisfox)
Volunteering off the grid
Age: 25
Hometown: Waterbury, Vermont
Current location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Social networks: Facebook
Status: Former volunteer for Mejor Communities in San Francisco, Peru
Curtis received his BA in Political Science from the University of San Francisco. During school, he spent every dollar and free minute traveling whenever possible, from New Delhi to New Zealand. After school Curtis drifted between a variety of professional career and volunteer positions before ultimately deciding to follow his life goal of learning Spanish and working abroad. These days you can find Curtis, and his fabulous girlfriend Carly, living in an an adobe home high in the sierras outside of Piura Peru. As volunteers for Mejor Communities, the two are helping to train a dynamic group of Peruvian Youth Health Advocates. Their lessons cover subjects such as basic hygiene, CPR & first-aid, leadership and of course sex education. Outside of classes, Curtis spends his days digging in the community garden, playing soccer and eating all the fresh bananas and hand made chocolate he can find.
Dan Malin (danmalin)
Plan B: Move Abroad
Age: 22
Hometown: Portsmouth, RI
Current location: Cotacachi, Ecuador
Social networks: Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Status: Intercultural Coordinator for Casa Interamericano
Ever meet someone from the class of 2009? While they are generally smart and capable young people, they also face the worst job market in a quarter-century. This has forced many recent graduates to brainstorm alternatives to finding that dream job straight out of college. As you might have guessed, Dan is one of them. He left Brooklyn and his part-time jobs behind to volunteer as an Intercultural Coordinator for Casa Interamericano, a nonprofit based in Northern Ecuador. Dan is thrilled to be back in the country where he studied abroad, which he swears has the best selection of fresh fruit found anywhere in the world. Dan is also a graduate of the George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs.
Emily Mew (emily337)
Pro-activista
Age: 30
Hometown: Northampton, Massachusetts
Current location: Camoapa, Nicaragua
Social networks: LinkedIn
Status: Program Assistant for Hogar Luceros del Amanecer, a project of The Sunrise Foundation
Emily first fell in love with Latin American culture back in 2001 after taking her first trip to Guatemala during her senior year of college. However, after graduating with a degree in cultural anthropology she went straight into the social service field working mostly with at-risk youth and their families in Western MA. Too many years of this caused her to get burnt out dealing with the oppressive social systems in which she was operating. Rather than resigning to a life of banging her head against the wall within these systems, she decided to do something about them. She returned to UMass, Amherst to get her Masters degree in Public Policy and Administration so that she could have a hand in possibly changing what it was that was making her so frustrated. She graduated this past May and decided to take a very low paying job in Camoapa, Nicaragua in order to take the very first step in changing the world. There she works in program development at a small nonprofit organization for children. Other than deciding to take on this ominous task, she also likes to let loose and have fun by playing sports, spending time with funny people and dancing.
Erin Barnhart (erinb)
Guru, all things volunteering
Age: 33
Hometown: Roseburg, Oregon
Current location: Portland, Oregon
Social networks: Twitter, LinkedIn
Status: Director of Volunteerism Initiatives at Idealist.org; Co-Editor of this blog
Erin grew up in Roseburg, a small timber town in southern Oregon, and got her B.A. in Geography at the University of Oregon in 1997. After volunteering for a year with AmeriCorps*NCCC in the central United States, she worked with a social change initiative in Portland, OR and earned an MPA in Public Policy and a Graduate Certificate in Not-for-Profit Management. From 2004-2005, Erin studied volunteer centers in British Columbia and the Yukon on a Fulbright Scholarship to Canada. She then returned to Portland where she began work on a Ph.D., joining Idealist in 2006. Erin serves on the founding board of the Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement (ALIVE), the Editorial Board for the International Journal of Volunteer Administration (IJOVA), and the Oregon Committee on Volunteerism. She also co-hosts the Volunteers and Technology forum on TechSoup.org and chairs both the National Organizations Volunteerism Network (NOVN) co-convened by the National Assembly and AARP as well as the Effective Practices Workgroup of the Brookings Institution’s Initiative on International Volunteering and Service. In addition to world travel and seeing every film directed by Woody Allen, Erin enjoys piña coladas, getting caught in the rain, and disappearing into the time/space vortex that is Powell’s City of Books.
Jamie Worms (Acoirac)
Keeping it Rio: From Researcher to Volunteer
Age: 25
Hometown: Bedford Hills, New York
Current location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Social networks: N/A
Status: Contributor and volunteer for Catalytic Communities and Calle
Jamie Worms was born and raised in a Hamlet located just north of New York City. In college, she spent a great deal of time caving and backpacking while attending Syracuse University, University of Maryland, and the George Washington University. Under the guise of a geography student, she traveled across the US, and also to Canada, Spain, Italy, Australia, England, and Brazil. So far, Brazil has proven most interesting, and Jamie has returned six times. Last year Jamie spent six months in Rio de Janeiro studying how social capital affects development in lower income communities. Clearly, Jamie has an obsession with traveling. For this reason, she finds herself recently graduated with a master’s degree in Geography, once again living in the neighborhood of Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Jon Brandt (jgbrandt8)
Veteran Volunteer, Perpetual Beginner
Age: 23
Hometown: Sharon, Massachusetts
Current location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Status: Freelance Writer; WorldTeach Alumn
Social networks: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Matador Network
For as long as he can remember, Jon Brandt has been interested in learning about and experiencing other cultures. After backpacking through Europe at age 17, he knew he wanted to study abroad, and did so in Sevilla, Spain. While abroad again doing volunteer work in Montevideo, Uruguay, he realized he wanted to immerse himself for longer, this time in Ecuador as a volunteer English teacher with WorldTeach for 11 months. Now, recently finished with WorldTeach, he’s moving on to Buenos Aires to see what opportunities await him. Jon graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and History in 2008. Aside from his work, he loves to travel and write.
Kelsey Gryniewicz (kelsjoy)
Pura Vida: A Passion Worth Pursuing
Age: 22
Hometown: Denver, CO
Current location: La Guácima, Costa Rica
Social networks: Facebook, LinkedIn, Blog
Status: AIDE Intern/Volunteer at Casa Luz
After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BA in Sociology and Integrative Physiology, Kelsey faced the all-too-common “what now?” scenario. She had interned with several nonprofits, taking sips of different job titles, but no matter the job, these sips just were not quenching her thirst. The solution? Thirsty for traveling, helping others, and botching the Spanish language, Kelsey paused her career search and set out for her first international volunteering experience. Deeply passionate about equality and women’s rights, Kelsey looked for a program which allowed her to exercise her passions. She found the perfect fit with AIDE, where she will be in La Guacima, Costa Rica, working in a home for adolescent mothers who come from extreme poverty and have been abused and/or exploited. As a first timer to international volunteering and Central America, Kelsey could not be more ready to quench her thirst. In her spare time, Kelsey also has a hankering for writing, pickles, jamming to throw-back songs, and daydreaming about changing the world.
Kent and Canaan Nolen (wearekandc)
Making a difference AND making a living
Ages: 41; 33
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Current location: Seattle, Washington
Social networks: N/A
Status: Always looking for great travel and volunteer opportunities; planning to return to South America in the next few months.
Having grown tired of cookie-cutter definitions of success and happiness, Kent and Caanan decided to mix things up a bit. Without much of a plan, they said “adios” to corporate America and leaned into their goal of experiencing more of the world by checking out all seven continents. An incredible visit to Africa and an extended volunteering/exploring journey to South America cemented some new ways of looking at life. Believing that we’re all connected, their goal is to make the world a little more hospitable for everyone while getting the most out of life. They now spend a lot of time growing their virtual business so that they can make a living and make a difference as they travel the world.
Lauren Foukes (laurenfoukes)
Living the High Life: Teaching at 10,000 Feet
Age: 25
Hometown: Commerce Township, Michigan
Current location: Tumbaco, Ecuador
Social networks: LinkedIn, Twitter
Status: English Teacher at Maria Clara Diaz Mejia; volunteering with local businesses
Lauren is a proud University of Michigan (Go Blue!) alumna where she received a Bachelors in Business Administration. After graduation, Lauren spent two years working in brand management at Kraft Foods. While she loved her time there, she was interested in merging her personal interest in the nonprofit sector with her professional expertise. She chose to spend a year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer with Chicago Community Ventures, a small business development nonprofit. Her work with small business owners in the communities of Chicago solidified her desire to provide business skills in the social sector. Upon completing her AmeriCorps year, Lauren moved to Ecuador where she is now teaching English to elementary age children (140 of them!) and volunteering with a microfinance organization. This is Lauren’s first experience living abroad and she absolutely loves learning Spanish, spending time with her family here and immersing herself in the culture.
Leah Giesler (leahgiesler)
Photography with a Purpose
Age: 24
Hometown: Aston, Pennsylvania
Current location: Bogotá, Colomiba
Social networks: Blog, website, Lightstalkers, Facebook
Status: On-call disaster photographer for the American Red Cross (Philadelphia chapter)
Leah was born in the suburbs of Philadelphia, daughter to an inventor-father and a mother addicted to reading science fiction novels. After a childhood instilled with unfettered imagination and absent boundaries, Leah put herself through art school where she studied photography and discovered anthropology along the way. College began and inspired her ability to travel the world, allowing her to live abroad in Italy and India. But upon graduating, Leah felt an itch to discover the southern hemisphere as well as do something good with her camera. This combination formed the idea for the 25twenty-five project, where she will be traveling across South America to photograph for 25 NGO’s while she is 25 years old. Departing the United States and headed for Bogota, Colombia this Valentine’s Day, Leah can’t wait to help tell all the stories waiting to be told.
Lisa Hetzel (Lisa Hetzel)
Tropicalizándose: From Temporary Volunteer to Permanent Resident
Age: 31
Hometown: Oak Park, Illinois
Current location: Antigua / Guatemala City, Guatemala
Social networks: N/A
Status: Human Resources Director for Common Hope / Fundación Familias de Esperanza
Lisa studied Sociology and Gender and Women’s Studies at Grinnell College in Iowa, including an eye-opening semester of research in Costa Rica. Longing to get back to Central America, in 2003 she made a quick transition from government statistician in Washington, D.C. to full-time teaching volunteer in San Salvador, El Salvador. There she had an amazing experience through the Organization of American States, teaching computer courses to adults with physical disabilities. Later the same year she became a long-term volunteer with Common Hope in Antigua, Guatemala, a nonprofit with an innovative approach to helping low-income children succeed in school. Lisa fell in love with Common Hope’s approach and work environment during her year as a volunteer and became the Human Resources Director, her current position, in 2004. She currently braves Guatemala’s highways during her daily commute between Guatemala City and Antigua, her time for catching up on This American Life and Idealist.org’s latest podcasts.
Matt Aaron (mabogota)
From Profit to Nonprofit
Age: 25
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Current location: Bogota, Colombia
Social networks: LinkedIn, Home Page
Status: Volunteer for FuturoJuvenil
Matt is new to the Idealist.org community. Born and raised in Maryland, he received a degree in marketing from University of Maryland – College Park in 2006. That summer, he moved to Houston, where he worked for an interactive marketing agency. In May 2007, Matt started an internet consulting business. A fan of traveling Latin America, Matt has spent time in Buenos Aires and Panama. Now, he is living in Bogota, volunteering with FuturoJuvenil. In his free time, Matt enjoys attempting to learn Spanish, reading, sports, and meditation.
Meg Gray (mgray2noti)
Career searching in Costa Rica
Age: 25
Hometown: Noti, Oregon
Current location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Social networks: Twitter
Status: Kiva Fellow at Fundación Mujer
For several years after graduating from Bowdoin College, Meg worked at a nonprofit in Cambridge, Massachusetts focused on promoting family self-sufficiency and the healthy development of young children. While she enjoyed her work, it didn’t seem like what she wanted to do forever. In an effort to decide if she wanted to work in the USA or abroad, she applied for a number of positions in Latin America before being accepted as a Kiva Fellow. In her role as a Kiva Fellow, Meg provides technical assistance and other support to Fundación Mujer, one of the microfinance institutions partnered with Kiva.org. Meg just completed her first three month placement in Managua, Nicaragua and is starting her second stint as a Kiva Fellow in San Jose, Costa Rica in late January. Besides microfinance and poverty alleviation, Meg is extremely interested in food, sustainable development, and eco-tourism, interests Meg credits to growing up on an organic farm in Oregon. While she is in Costa Rica, she hopes to capitalize on these interests by learning to cook like a Tico and exploring the country on her weekends off.
Mia Scavone (miascavone)
Aventura Mia
Age: 40 something
Hometown: Encinitas, California
Current location: Cordoba, Argentina
Social networks: N/A
Status: Student, Volunteer
As Director of the Institute for International Perspectives at MiraCosta College, Mia has been the one international students come to for information, help and hand-holding. Her days are filled with passports, paperwork and lots of questions. While Mia sits at her desk, she watches students adjust to life in a new country. As the calendar turns to 2010, Mia has become the student in a new world. With the support of her executive team and colleagues, Mia begun a leave of absence from her work arriving January 1 in Argentina. She is currently in the midst of a new adventure involving three months of Spanish language practice and finding ways to contribute in a new environment. Mia looks forward to sharing her love of meeting new people, overcoming the anxiety of learning a new language, accomplishing her goal of improving her dancing and tennis skills all the while experiencing life as a student, a volunteer and a woman traveling alone in Latin America.
Miranda Pope (mirapope)
Untiring Retiree
Age: 73
Hometown: Chico, California
Current location: San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala
Social networks: Facebook; personal blog
Status: Volunteer with Pedagogia Basica, Estemos Listos, and Ayudame Escribir Mi Futuro
Formerly a teacher, socialworker and psychotherapist, Miranda first came to Guatemala on the evening of her 70th birthday and has been living there for nearly three years, first near Antigua and now at Lago Atitlan. Her current house—a rental with the project leader—is in San Pedro la Laguna, a smallish mostly-indigenous town with a long history of foreign influence, as it is one of the most studied areas of Guatemala. Thus it has an interesting mix of elements: traditional (clothing and cultural events) and modern (internet shops, restaurants and hotels, some cable TV.) Miranda is by constitution a writer. She has just published her first novel, set in Guatemala, which was an opportunity to write about her discoveries of the country’s history and culture. Her current interests are developing more interactive education in the schools, helping to preserve Guatemalan culture through murals and stories for children, and dancing salsa.
Rob Packer (robpacker)
Kiva Fellow on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast
Age: 27
Hometown: London, England
Current location: Barranquilla, Colombia
Social networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, CouchSurfing, Blog, Kiva Fellows
Status: Kiva Fellow in Colombia
Rob is originally from London, England. He studied modern languages at university and then moved into an investment bank, passing through London and Hong Kong before deciding to make the jump and move into something more philanthropic in Latin America. He joined Kiva as part of their Fellows Program in October 2009 and spent his first placement in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia—his Russian skills were more in demand than his Spanish ones. Now in Latin America, he is currently based in Barranquilla, Colombia and will be working with the Fundación Mario Santo Domingo, a completely new Kiva partner and foundation looking at the development of the Caribbean Coast region.
Sarah Kelly and Arthur Richards (sarahadapting and awjrichards)
Leveraging Technology and Flowing Like Water
Age: 26; 25
Hometown: Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Tucson, Arizona
Current location: Guadalajara, Mexico
Social networks: Website, Twitter, Facebook
Status: Co-Directors of Adapting to Scarcity
Sarah and Arthur left the comfortable inspiring bubble of the Bay Area, CA to start their own organization, Adapting to Scarcity, which is based in Oakland, CA and Guadalajara, MX. Currently collaborating with the Mexican Institute for Community Development (IMDEC), they are creating a documentary on the effects of Guadalajara’s water consumption and waste, running popular education based video workshops and developing digital tools to empower and connect communities adapting to water scarcity. Sarah received a BA in Environmental Policy from Colby College, and has since gone on to work toward sustainable food and water resources, with a focus on community building. Passionate about using technology for positive social change, Arthur has a BA in History from Oberlin College and is a software developer by trade. Lovers of good food, Sarah is currently trying to address her avocado addiction and Arthur is trying to curb his penchant for spicy salsas (he can often be seen weeping as a result of pain and pleasure in many neighborhood taquerias).
Sheethal Shobowale (LethalSheethal)
Age: 29, but really 7 1/2 (Leap Year)
Hometown: North Woodmere, New York
Current Location: La Paz, Bolivia
Social Networks: Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Leap Work company blog
Status: Kiva Fellow in South America – Kiva, Loans that Change Lives!
A native New Yorker, Sheethal attended Columbia University for both her undergraduate degree in Economics-Mathematics and her graduate degree in Strategic Communications. She has worked in investment banking, investment management for Columbia’s endowment, and managed the data, analytics and research group of an online media agency. Combining her passions for social change, technology and community building, she founded Leap Work, a consultancy that works with non-profits and small businesses in their online marketing communications. Sheethal teaches financial literacy to youth and adults and coordinates her local block association. Beginning her dream of working in microfinance, she has served as a Kiva Fellow at microfinance institution Asociación Arariwa in Cusco, Peru and is currently serving as a Kiva Fellow with Emprender in La Paz, Bolivia. She speaks a bit of seven languages, from French to Kannada. Sheethal is also an avid rock climber, rooftop gardener, foodie and international travel fanatic.
Tiago Genoveze (tiagolmg)
Bringing Photography to Solentiname
Age: 23
Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil
Current location: Solentiname, Nicaragua
Social networks: Website, Photo Blog, LinkedIn, Facebook
Status: Volunteer for Allianza para Solidaridad de Solentiname and Freelance Photographer
Tiago believes in the importance of seeing life from a variety of perspectives, which is why he is so passionate about photography. Born in New York to Brazilian parents in 1986, Tiago would develop an identity crisis from his family’s constant changes in residency. By 15 he had lived in New York, London, São Paulo, and Grand Cayman. Then, he went to a boarding school in Florida and spent one of his summers studying Spanish in Madrid. Moving onto the world of higher education at Boston University, Tiago developed his passion for literature and photography through his studies in English, Italian, and photojournalism as well as satisfying his wanderlust by studying abroad in London, England and Padova, Italy. Rather than complicating his identity crisis, these travels helped him realize that he need not only identify with one place. Now, it’s off to Solentiname, Nicaragua, an isolated archipelago in the southern reaches of Lake Nicaragua, where Tiago strives to share his passion for photography with children and adolescents who lack many resources and extracurricular activities.
