Alumni Directory Display

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.

Fellow Bio:

Liza is a biology major from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At Columbia, she was president of GlobeMed partnering with a health and human rights NGO in Northern Uganda, a volunteer advocate for the Crime Victim’s Treatment Center supporting victims of acts of domestic or sexual violence, and leader for Columbia Outdoor Orientation Program taking freshman canoeing down the Delaware River before school begins. Liza loves laughing and the great outdoors more than anything. While in Mwanza, Tanzania next year, Liza looks forward to learning as many stories as possible to continue building her understanding of our global village.

Alumni Update:

Arthur is working at Stripe, a software company helping to power entrepreneurs around the world by connecting them to the financial system. Arthur lives in San Francisco, California.

Originally from Orono, Minnesota, Jacob is a graduate of UW-Madison, where he majored in Biology with a certificate in African Studies. During his undergraduate career, Jacob spent a summer interning with the National Marrow Donor Program in Minneapolis, and he returned to Madison to found UW’s chapter of Be The Match on Campus, a student organization devoted to increasing awareness and membership of the national bone marrow donor registry. In the spring of his junior year, Jacob seized the amazing opportunity to spend a semester abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, where he studied Marine Ecology and volunteered at a community health clinic. In Madison, Jacob also spent 2 years in UW’s Central Nervous System Regeneration Lab and later joined UW’s Department of Emergency Medicine as a clinical research assistant examining radiological methods for diagnosing appendicitis. He also enjoyed volunteering at the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, where he managed the daily food pantry and helped disabled HIV/AIDS patients regain independence. Jacob is unbelievably thrilled to head off to Tanzania to assist with BIPAI’s inspiring social and medical programs, improve his Swahili, and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro!

Alumni Update:

After earning an Ed.M. degree in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Sarah returned to her fellowship organization to work remotely as a Program Manager. She is delighted to be back on the team at ASE!

Fellow Bio:

Raised in Seattle, Sarah Pollnow graduated as the Middlebury College class of 2014 Salutatorian with Highest Honors in History and an award-winning thesis. A lover of languages, she minored in French and spent a semester studying in Bordeaux. She also earned a minor in Secondary Education en route to becoming a state-certified Social Studies teacher in 2015. During the summers, she pursued teaching opportunities in Kentucky and Massachusetts. After graduation, Sarah continued exploring U.S. education while touring nationwide as a National History Bee intern. She then moved to Germany to serve as a 2015-2016 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. In her free time there, she assisted with a youth theater project based on local history, volunteered with refugees, and studied at the Technische Universität Berlin. Her passion for teaching next led her to Japan for a year as a JET Program Assistant Language Teacher, during which she developed curricular resources with the support of a grant from USJETAA and U.S. Embassy Tokyo. She is excited to immerse herself in Beninese culture and grow as a professional this year at the African School of Economics.

Alumni Update:

Kara is pursuing her master’s degree at Marquette University through the Trinity Fellows Program. She works at Next Door Foundation on advancing emergent literacy and language development through overseeing service-learning students and an AmeriCorps program.

Fellow Bio:

Kara graduated with an Honors B.A. in Environmental Geography, a minor in French Studies, and certificates in Sustainability and Global Health. While at UNI, Kara worked as an Office of Sustainability program assistant spreading awareness on environmental issues, a STEM ambassador promoting STEM careers to K-12 students, and a World Geography teaching assistant mentoring first-year students in academic skills. Her Midwestern agricultural roots led her to guide a team to create an on-campus student vegetable garden and to complete a 100-day real food challenge. Kara sees the world as her classroom and enjoys building meaningful relationships in each place that her travels bring her. Her international experiences are diverse and include teaching English in China, facilitating a design team in Kenya, researching hand washing in South Africa, and studying business culture in Nicaragua. Through these experiences, Kara has developed a passion for combining the environment, education, people, and technology in international development practices. Kara enjoys giving back to communities, spending time with her friends and family, and doing many outdoor activities, such as backpacking, canoeing, and skiing. At Nyumbani Village, she looks forward to sharing cultural experiences with her new colleagues and learning more about global health and sustainability.

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.

Carolyn grew up in New York and double majored in Neuroscience & Behavior and Italian Studies at Columbia University. While in school, Carolyn developed a keen interest for healthcare advocacy through her research and volunteering. At Columbia’s Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, she studied how health disparities and sociocultural factors affect the aging of diverse individuals living in New York City’s Washington Heights. Over the years, Carolyn has committed herself to maintaining a community-oriented focus by participating in various outreach opportunities; she has worked as a support counselor, first aid instructor, and Emergency Medical Technician, developing her skills in active listening and crisis management. She served as president of Columbia University’s chapter of Global Brigades, fundraising for and organizing a brigade to Honduras that provided medical resources, health education, and sanitation facilities to underserved communities. Carolyn currently works with the Cancer Outcomes Research and Education Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she implements supportive care interventions focused on improving quality of life, coping strategies, and patient empowerment via informed decision-making. While working with Young 1ove next year, Carolyn hopes to help similarly empower young people in Botswana regarding their health and education. She feels grateful for the opportunity to learn more about responsible engagement and sustainable development in a global health context, and is excited to engage with Botswanan culture, meet new people, and learn Setswana.