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Mahilet Mesfin graduated from the University of Washington in 2021, completing an honours Bachelor’s in International Economic Development with a minor in Human Rights–and received a Henry Jackson School fellowship for her achievements. Additionally, Mahilet has recently finished her Master’s in Science at the London School of Economics (LSE), finalising a degree in International Social and Public Policy. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she is deeply committed to catalysing and unlocking transformative economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, seeking to redefine the continent’s narrative. Whilst studying for her undergraduate degree, Mahilet was elected President of the Black Student’s Union, leading and facilitating discourse on equity programs for its Black student body. Continuing her commitment to empowering the diaspora during her Master’s studies, she was elected as the Co-President of PFAL – Programme for African Leadership at the LSE. Within this capacity, she represented the interests of her fellow African leaders. Whilst also acting as a representative for the prestigious Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa.
Additionally, as a Lead Engagement Officer at the Seattle City Council, Mahilet worked to support her district’s elected Councilmember’s office. Undertaking issues concerning economic development, social mobility, and homelessness. Here, she managed and conducted concise research on the correlative effects of displacement and collected reports on community-backed civil service groups, organising engagement initiatives at the Seattle City Council. Organising engagement events with local stakeholders and community members in South Seattle, Seattle’s most economically diverse neighbourhood. During this, Mahilet contributed to over 20-analytically backed policy briefs.

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Raquel Ramirez is a 2024 graduate of Princeton University with a degree in the School of Public and International Affairs and certificates in both Theater and Gender and Sexuality Studies. As a San Diego native with family on both sides of the US/Mexico border, she understood the importance of cross-cultural connection to facilitate understanding, tackle international problems, and grow together. She is passionate about studying that connection through the arts. At Princeton, she worked on a dozen plays and musicals through the Lewis Center for the Arts, centering Latinx voices and stories. In 2022, she led Princeton Summer Theater’s post-covid season as its Executive Director, raising money, directing a team of 40 individuals, and drawing audiences back after two closed seasons. For her senior thesis entitled Drag Dissent, she explores the role drag performance played as a form of performance protest in the past and what space it occupies today. She is also a proud dancer in Más Flow, Princeton’s only Latinx dance group, and an avid recreational tennis player. She is excited to be a Princeton in Africa Fellow this year, teaching Research Methods and Theater at USAP Community School.

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Krystin Anderson is a 2023 graduate from the University of Florida (UF) where she earned her bachelors in Anthropology with a focus on cultures and a minor in Ethnomusicology/Music History. Her academic interests intersect with sociocultural anthropology, international and diasporic organizing, Pan African History, education, and music. She seeks to ascertain how cultural understandings can impact our connection with those from different backgrounds, and how historic knowledge can impact international relations. Krystin devotes her person to building community and making and enjoying art. She served as the 2022 Director of UF’s Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn Black Hair Expo, an event that opens citywide discussion of black woman-ness and black hair politics through speeches, fashion shows, and performances. She was a Housing Resident Assistant, a mentor in the International Mentor Association, and an International Scholars Program fellow. Krystin has a passion for language and culture, which has driven her travel and study abroad experiences to New Orleans, France, Colombia, Mexico. She prides herself on what she has learned working as a teacher of English as a Second Language at UF’s English Language Institute. Krystin’s passion for oral history and storytelling has been embodied in her research with UF’s Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, where she is also the 2023 Coordinator for the annual summer fieldwork research trip through the Mississippi River delta. Krystin is also a talented vocal performer and has been a member of the UF Gospel Choir, a Graduation National Anthem Singer, and one of the SEC sports singers for UF matches of multiple sports including women’s basketball, softball, and volleyball. She also performs around the state and country as a jazz, R&B, and soul singer. Krystin embraces her familial home of Jamaica and has been steadily involved in the Jamaican Student, Caribbean Student and Black Student unions, where she partakes in events, mentors, and performs on many different occasions.

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Michael Banks holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and international affairs, with minors in business and anthropology from the University of Georgia. His interdisciplinary education spanned four colleges at the university, driven by a curiosity about cultural formation and cross-cultural interactions, particularly through media and business channels. At UGA, Michael conducted research on the impact of US foreign aid in Africa and educational disparities in post-Apartheid South Africa, igniting his interest in international development. He gained valuable experience in media strategy and healthcare communications while collaborating with health equity advocates in West Africa and the Caribbean through work with the United Nations Foundation’s United to Defeat Malaria team. He proposed a restructuring of McKinsey & Company’s Careers Blog to underscore colleague and talent narratives of the firms’ offices in Africa, Asia, and Latin America as one of their inaugural communications interns, and he explored how the higher education research ecosystem on the continent can inform STEM partnerships between the US & African states through work with the US State Department. Michael hopes to pursue a career in international development that joins his passion for cultural advancement with his varied experiences in communications across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Outside of work and academia, Michael is a classically-trained singer, former long-distance swimmer turned gym-goer, and an aspiring polyglot.

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Rachael Mutisya, a native of Kenya, holds an MBA in Marketing as well as a BSc in Hotel and Restaurant Management from United States International University- Africa (USIU- Africa). Throughout her professional journey, Rachael has garnered valuable experience across multiple industries including finance, hospitality, education, and e-commerce. Her area of expertise is in communication, social media management, customer experience, and brand promotion, and she has successfully applied her skills in various locations in Kenya. Rachael’s commitment to her community is evident through her strong passion for giving back. During her free time, she actively volunteers for an NGO called Together for Africa (TOFA) in Kenya. In this role, she forges new partnerships, organizes events, and develops empowering content for Kenyan youth in the fields of entrepreneurship, leadership, and ICT development. Outside of her professional pursuits, Rachael finds joy in various hobbies and activities. She is an avid badminton player and takes pleasure in gardening and exploring new destinations. Rachael is excited to join the PiAF program this year at the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia, Kenya, further exemplifying her dedication to making a positive impact.

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 David graduated from the University of Texas San Antonio with a degree in Geology and graduated from Clark University with a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science. He was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, he worked in rural agricultural development, where he collaborated with multiple government agencies to meet the development goals of communities. He is an active member of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer service community and is a former Coverdell Fellow. During a previous internship with the Red Cross, he consulted with the Red Cross volunteer recruitment services to leverage census data to find new communities for outreach. He also interned with the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) and supported the disaster rapid mapping group, which provides timely analysis to humanitarian disaster response organizations. More recently, he worked full-time as a contractor for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, where he monitored global food production through satellite remote sensing. Following the Princeton in Africa Fellowship, he plans to pursue a career in agriculture monitoring and development. Originally from Texas, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and learning new skills and languages.

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 Haby Sondo is a Burkinabe-American woman from The Bronx, fueled by her passion for international development in Africa, travel, and storytelling. Growing up in a culturally diverse environment fostered her love for immigration and cultural immersion. She completed her undergraduate studies at Boston University where she majored in International Relations & minored in Political Science. Haby’s awakening to the world outside of New York City occurred while living abroad in The Dominican Republic and France. During these experiences, she gained a profound appreciation for the complexities Black immigrants face globally and has since searched for opportunities to include their realities in global migration discourses. These experiences ignited her desire to create two travel blogs that offer an authentic glimpse into the experiences of Black Women traveling globally. With a focus on unconventional travel experiences, Haby shines a spotlight on underrepresented travel destinations. In her professional life, Haby has worked as a Business Immigration Paralegal; her leisure time is spent traveling, blogging, biking, hiking, and exploring cuisines from around the world. With a bold vision for the future, Haby aspires to pursue a career at the intersection of her passions for immigration, law, and international development, using her voice and digital content to inspire Black Women and People of Color to pursue global travel opportunities. She is confident that her Princeton in Africa Fellowship at Food for Education in Nairobi, Kenya will provide her with the tools and knowledge to make a meaningful impact in the world.

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Idongesit is from Akwa-Ibom State in Nigeria. He graduated with a degree in economics from Veritas University in Abuja F.C.T, Nigeria. Upon graduating, he took a profession in teaching, and he considers it the most humbling experience of his life so far. Idongesit wants to continue positively impacting people’s lives through education. Idongesit looks forward to traveling around the world, meeting people, and learning new cultures and languages. Idongesit is also passionate about art, and he spends most of his free time drawing. Idongesit is looking forward to traveling and working in Kenya.

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Zoe Kaldor graduated from the University of Denver in 2020 with a bachelor’s in strategic communication and international studies. She was later accepted into the University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies’ dual-degree program where she received her master’s in international development with a certificate in global environmental change and adaptation. While pursuing her graduate degree, Zoe interned with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s Office of Public Affairs. Her responsibilities included drafting social media and blog posts, assisting podcast development, and formatting report summaries. After graduating, she began working for Abt Associates as the communications specialist for the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative VectorLink Project. In this role, Zoe wrote success stories, organized webinars for malaria stakeholders, produced short videos, and maintained the project’s website. She is looking forward to communicating about Mpala Research Centre’s work this coming year as a Princeton in Africa fellow.

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Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Hanul (Bentley) Choi is a recent graduate of Duke University with B.A. in Global Health and International Comparative Studies (concentration in Africa) with a French Studies minor. She is passionate about resolving global reproductive health disparities through reforming social systems. At Duke, she was selected as a Nakayama Public Service Scholar, committed to changing the political landscape of reproductive health as a global public servant. As part of Duke Global Health Institute’s Student Research Training program, Hanul spent eight weeks in Kisumu, Kenya in summer of 2022, researching HPV testing stigma and factors that influence the translation of newly acquired knowledge to behavioral change. For her senior thesis, she examined the intersection between civil and social rights and governmental responsibility and proposed a post-pandemic reproductive healthcare delivery recovery agenda in Kenya. With her international and diverse academic background, she hopes to assist governments in constructing legal frameworks and establishing social institutions to protect reproductive rights. Hanul is excited to join Population Solutions for Health as a documentation and technical writer and contribute to increasing accessibility to crucial health knowledge through her writing skills. Following Princeton in Africa, Hanul plans to attend Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs to pursue her master in International Governance and Diplomacy. Beyond academics, she is a sports photographer and a volunteer puppy raiser for future service dogs.