Fellows

Adriana has eight years of experience working in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Advertising from the San Martin de Porres University in Peru and a Master’s degree in
International Relations from the University of Barcelona in Spain. While receiving her Master’s, Adriana served at the Public Information Office of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Thailand. During this training, she created daily content for ESCAP’s digital platforms and social media campaigns and developed a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy to increase regional outreach. Prior to that, Adriana worked at Doctors Without Borders, forming partnerships and raising awareness about the organization. Through AIESEC’s Global Community Development Program, Adriana interned at a nonprofit organization in Brazil, where she supported the implementation of various government programs in HIV prevention, LGBT rights, and social inclusion, and she also coordinated training sessions and conferences for HIV- positive women. Additionally, Adriana has a strong background in the private sector, where she worked for four years in the marketing department in the hotel chain Starwood. There, she was in charge of the annual marketing plan, branding and product development, management of online and offline campaigns, sales initiatives, and the communication plan for the sustainability and corporate social responsibility program. The materials she produced during these years
helped to increase Peru’s national brand visibility. Through these experiences, Adriana developed strong skills in leadership, multicultural teamwork, project and events coordination, and management. She shifted her career path into the nonprofit sector in search for more impactful work experiences. Adriana is passionate about poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment, specifically through the promotion of sustainable tourism practices in developing countries and their consumption patterns, social systems, and revitalization of local economies.

Host Organization: Meridian International Center

Role at Host Organization: Adriana will develop strategic communications plans, manage social media efforts, prepare graphic materials, support the monthly newsletter, manage the database, prepare the app for the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) opening and summit, and collect program impact stories.

Diana has five years of experience in the nonprofit sector offering legal services. She earned a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies from University of Rotterdam, Netherlands, a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in Uganda, and a Bachelor’s of Law Degree from Uganda Christian University. She has worked with War Child Canada as the senior legal officer on the Bureau of Population, Refugee, and Migration (BPRM) a United States. Department of State Federal Assistance Grant project, and UN WOMEN Central Emergency Fund (CERF) project. She has advanced pro bono legal services to refugee sexual based violence survivors from South Sudan, the Congo, and Burundi. Previously, she worked for the Uganda Law Society Legal Aid Clinic on a Democratic Government Fun to represent children that come into conflict with the law. Diana prides herself in empowering women and girls to demand for their rights and seek justice through awareness raising, training, advocating for gender equality and ensuring that all human rights and fundamental freedoms for women and girls are respected, protected and fulfilled. Through these experiences, she has acquired skills in coordination, networking, mobilization, and strategic planning skills. Diane has a keen interest in human rights especially women and children’s rights, gender equality, and social justice. When she is not busy advocating for human rights or representing the marginalized in court, you will find her site seeing or busy in the kitchen trying out all kinds of recipes.

Host Organization: Heartland Alliance International

Role at Host Organization: Diana will provide legal support in subaward management, contract management, lease management and registration management, as well as providing translation as needed. She will provide back-end support to ensure quality operations that are on par or better than international standards and best practices.

Jenny has four years of experience in the nonprofit sector and earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Communications from Trinity Western University in Canada. As a legal coordinator of the refugee organization’s International Asylum Refugee Protection team, she tackles important issues with children’s rights, women’s issues, domestic violence and legal difficulties. Jenny has experience working with other major stakeholders, such as the United Nations Refugee Agency and Save the Children, to cooperate for refugees’ rights. Since refugees are the most marginalized people in Korea, resources are limited and helping them is a big challenge. However, Jenny has discovered many solutions on how to provide for the refugees’ needs. By connecting with other networks in the area where many refugees reside, she was able to provide them with proper support and assistance. She is passionate about raising awareness of the presence of refugees in Korea and has appeared on the news channel SBS, a major broadcasting in Korea, to inform how poorly refugee children are being treated under Korea’s limited social welfare systems. Moreover, Jenny’s proposal for a program wherein refugee women instruct culinary classes, teaching their own recipes to Korean citizens, was accepted and implemented by the Korea Women’s Foundation. Not only did the program provide a sustainable option for refugee women to generate their own income, but it also allowed the many Korean citizens who participated to learn about African culture and interact with the refugees as neighbors. Jenny is a very energetic, courageous and enthusiastic person, with a strong desire to put her experience to use working in the humanitarian field.

Host Organization: Meridian International Center

Luigi has over five years of experience in the nonprofit sector in national and international environments. He earned a degree in Architecture from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico, obtaining
Academic Excellence Honors and the CIESLAG Academic Merit Award. In 2016, Luigi worked with Ciclo Organico in Rio de Janeiro, where he developed visual content and consulted on sustainability, project development, and urban landscaping. As an Architectural Assistant at Groupe 3 Architectes in Morocco, Luigi developed strategies to implement sustainable policies on architectural and urban projects. Luigi collaborated with Dare Inc. in Rabat, where he expanded the Dare Build project for sustainable architecture and interior design, and imparted workshops on community development, social impact, and recycled collective art. At the Migrant Solidarity Group of Hungarian refugee camp in Bicske, Luigi provided humanitarian relief and capacitated refugees by conducting training sessions on sustainable development, leadership, and environmental awareness. In 2015, Luigi acted as a
visual content developer and graphic designer for LEAD India in New Delhi, successfully reshaping the public image of the organization by improving the quality and outreach of graphic, photo and video material. Luigi applied his leadership development skills during the planning and execution of National Training Sessions on integrating conservation and climate adaptation into urban and rural development in India. Prior to that, Luigi co-founded and led Proyecto ECO Ephemeral Architecture & Conceptual Art, a community movement to achieve social impact through context-based sustainable ephemeral architecture installations in marginalized areas in Northern Mexico. Through these experiences Luigi has refined his proficiency at designing and developing visual and media products, strengthened his project management skills, and reinforced his educational experience by conducting workshops and training sessions. Luigi has developed as an artist, volunteer and activist for over a decade and believes art is a channel to attain sustainability and originate positive impact on societies around the world. Luigi is passionate about urban development, social housing, community engagement through artistic development, environment and sustainability, and capacity building.

Host Organization: The Mission Preparatory School

Role at Host Organization: Luigi will partner with the Executive Director and School Director to support internal communications, such as notices and materials to provide families with logistical and educational information, and external communications, such as online and print materials to communicate with prospective families, current and prospective donors, and the broader public to share updates about the school and enrollment information, cultivate engagement, and connect people to the school’s mission and programs.

Mohammed has eight years of experience in the nonprofit sector; he earned MBA from the Islamic University of Gaza, and a Bachelor’s of Information Technology in Computer Information Systems from Jordan University of Science and Technology in Jordan. Through his job as Research and Evaluation Officer – UNRWA Community Mental Health Programme (CMHP), Mohammed works in the monitoring and evaluation of the results and impacts of CMHP projects’ and programmes’ implementation. He gathers, standardises and maintains data on different structured programs through databases for internal and external use for M&E and summary reporting purposes. Before his current position, Mohammed worked for CMHP as Training Coordinator where he helped in planning, organizing, and developing capacity building strategies for staff members who provide psychosocial support and counseling services to Palestinian refugees (children & adults) at both UNRWA schools and primary health care centers. Previously, Mohammed worked for UNRWA Khanyones Training College as Technical Instructor, he provided semi-professional training to students of Business Diploma Programs; in addition to his academic experience in delivering a number of management and business administration modules, he contributed practically in delivering different ICT, MIS & Information Management modules. As part of being initiative, Mohammed had a voluntary role during 2014 summer hostilities in Gaza, he worked as a collective centre member in providing PFA, logistical, and emergency preparedness support for internally displaced people (IDPs) in the emergency shelters, which as a result contributed in enhancing IDP’s coping and resiliency. Mohammed is passionate in supporting youth development in different aspects such as training & capacity building as well as entrepreneurship initiatives.

Host Organization: IBM

Role at Host Organization: Mohammed will work closely with the Corporate Service Corps (CSC) Program Manager in Armonk on a number of projects to support the ongoing operations and deployment of CSC teams, in addition to developing new models for community engagement.

Sara has two years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, from University of Tirana, Albania, an “Undergraduate Exchange Student Award” at University of Texas at Austin and
a Master’s of Arts Degree in European Studies from the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen, Germany. As an Open Society Foundation Fellow of the “Undergraduate Exchange Program,” she lived and studied for one year in the U.S. and studied sociology. During her year in the U.S., Sara was a volunteer for two nonprofits, working in grassroots’ level in East Side Austin. As a Master’s student, she was awarded a grant from the Jean Monnet Leadership Programme to implement her Community Project “In from the Margins”, in Albania, focusing on social and educational needs of marginalized children/youth in the extremely poor suburbs of Tirana. Through fundraising for this project she helped 30 beneficiaries with school supplies, and books. Currently, she is working as a Youth Trainer for the Youth Project of the nonprofit Mary Ward Loreto Foundation, in Tirana (Albania).Sara’s responsibilities as a Youth Trainer consist in designing and developing MWL Youth Leadership Programme, targeting youth located in highly marginalized rural areas in Albania; leading the Awareness-raising Training sessions on Human Anti-trafficking in more than 15 vulnerable areas of the country; supporting the Line Manager in implementing project’s economic empowerment strategy for youth; collaborate for fundraising activities, and widen the network with third parties. Due to her job, Sara is part of various European Anti-trafficking Networks, such as RENATE (Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation), ANDANTE (European Alliance of Catholic Women’s Organizations), and URAT (United Response Against Trafficking). Through these experiences, she developed strong community-based project coordination skills, as well as, abilities to create innovative implementation ways in grassroots level. Sara enjoys focusing on youth empowerment, education, training on human anti-trafficking, and is very passionate about lobbying for human rights, fundraising and policy making.

Host Organization: Internews

Role at Host Organization: Sara will help Internews build new strategies that incorporate youth development and counter people-trafficking using the organization’s core capacities in media and information. Her tasks will include coordination across staff, consensus-building, administration and logistics for consultants, research, and supporting representation with partners and donors.

Shumaila Mansoor has more than five years of work experience in the development sector with the rural communities in the northern areas of Pakistan. She earned her Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Peshawar in 2011. While managing the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research component of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, she contributed in improving the socio-economic conditions of the people through the regular work of the organization which included improving rural livelihoods, renewable and hydro energy, social development, women development and economic development programs. During her work with the AKRSP, she also led field research in the region focusing on the quality of life assessment, socio economic survey, poverty scoring survey and the labor market assessment. She has a good understanding of a number of analytical tools and frameworks for both field monitoring, result based management and field researches and also an experience of qualitative and quantitative field researches on gender, hydro and renewable energy, women economic empowerment, institutional and market development, livelihood in emergencies and youth development. Before joining the AKRSP, she had worked with a Norwegian funded NGO (CIADP) where she contributed to the overall wellbeing of women in accessing safe drinking water and better education and health facilities. Shumaila is a strong believer in just and equitable development and is interested specifically in development of mountain and rural communities. She has a strong inclination towards field researches and aspires to learn new cross cutting methods during her stay in the U.S.

Host Organization: American Red Cross

Role at Host Organization: Shumaila will support a 2 year grant-funded project on Organizational Learning, conducting literature reviews of key learning questions, writing summary reports of program evaluations and supporting the dissemination and utilization of knowledge products, lessons learned, and evaluation findings.