2011 Summer Interns
Zach Henson
Zach Henson is a junior from Brevard, North Carolina and is studying
economics with a minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He is super
pumped about heading to Uganda this summer and working with the Katosi
Women's Development Trust where he hopes to learn more about the internal
workings of community-based organizations and to examine first hand (and
contribute to) the tremendous impact that such organizations are capable of
having on a community. He had the opportunity to spend a semester
travelling in Central and South America the previous year and is excited
about getting to travel again and experience what Uganda has to offer.
Kristen McAvoy
Kristen McAvoy is a junior public
relations and political science major at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. She writes for the
state and national desk at the Daily Tar Heel and is the vice-president of the
UNC water ski club. One of her
favorite quotes is by Marie Curie; “You cannot hope to build a better world
without improving the individuals.
To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the
same time share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty
being to aid those to whom we think we can be useful”. Working with people is very gratifying
for her, so she is ecstatic to have the opportunity to work with women in
Uganda and contribute to the Katosi Women Development Trust by applying for
grants. She wants to travel the world,
but this is her first trip to Africa and she cannot wait to learn and grow in a
country that is so different from the United States.
Maylott Mulugeta
Maylott Mulugeta is a sophomore Health Policy and Management
Major and Social and Economic Justice Minor. She was born and raised in
Marietta Georgia and is a first-generation American. She is Ethiopian and her
heritage has given her the privilege of growing up in the midst of two very
different cultures. She plans on working with community health issues and addressing
disparities in terms of inadequacy and lack of resources in the public health
field; especially in terms of youth and sexual health awareness. Some
organizations she is active with on campus include: The Black Student Movement,
Order of the Bell Tower and NC Fellows.
She believes in the potential of all people and hopes to serve humanity
through her gifts and passions. She is anxious, excited and energized to spend
Summer 2011 in Uganda. She hopes to that her trip will allow her to gain a more
global perspective on community development and grassroots efforts. One of her
favorite quotes by Lila Watson that she hopes will help her maintain a mindset
of humility during her trip states, “If you have come to help me, you are
wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up
with mine, then let us walk together.”
Jeffrey Veale Jr.
Jeffrey Veale, Jr., a native of Lewiston Woodville, North
Carolina, is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is pursuing a major in Public Policy
with a concentration in Child and Education Policy and a double minor in
Entrepreneurship and Social and Economic Justice. Jeffrey plans to pursue a career in education. As a student from an underrepresented
area in rural northeastern North Carolina, Jeffrey wants
to ensure students from low-income areas have access to a great education and
are equipped for higher education.
Upon graduation, he plans to join Teach For America. Jeffrey enjoys food (eating and cooking
it), horror/suspense films, traveling, and service. He is both anxious and excited about traveling to Uganda
this summer, as this will be his first experience abroad. Moreover, he is stoked about the impact
he will have on his students while rendering services at one of the orphanages. While in Uganda, Jeffrey hopes to
implement a sustainable project of his own to better the lives of the youth. As a child, Jeffrey recounts watching numerous
documentaries about underdeveloped communities in Africa and knew then that he
wanted to make a difference.
Jeffrey will now make his dreams a reality.
Njeri Mugure Mwangi
As a third year student pursuing
degrees in both Political Science and International Studies, Njeri Mugure
Mwangi aims to one day become an activist advocating for human rights and
social justice. Njeri contends that her life’s story began when she read the
following excerpt from a speech given by former Burkina Faso President, Thomas
Sankara. "You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount
of madness. In this case, it comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your
back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future. It took the madmen
of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want to be
one of those madmen. [...] We must dare to invent the future." Towards the
end of “inventing a future”, Njeri hopes that Uganda will teach her new ways of
living as a responsible member of our human family.
Leslie Willis
Leslie Willis is a junior from Cary, North Carolina, double
majoring in International Studies and Sociology. She is a Peer Advisor for the
Study Abroad Office, plays on the Women’s Club Ultimate Frisbee team, and coaches
High School Ultimate Frisbee. Having loved studying abroad in Ghana during the
Fall 2009, she is ecstatic for the opportunity to travel to Uganda this summer
and further her love and appreciation for Africa. She hopes to empower youth
and women in Uganda by helping them discover who they are and what they can
become. She hopes to make lasting relationships, make an impact, and be
impacted.
Georgia Cavanaugh
Georgia Cavanaugh is a sophomore from Winston-Salem majoring in English and
international studies and pursuing a minor in Hispanic studies. On campus,
she is an assistant copy editor at The Daily Tar Heel, a counselor for
Carolina United and Catalyst Conference and a writer for Blue & White
magazine and the UNC branch of HerCampus.com. She’s also a member of Phi
Mu sorority and is a part of the Honors Program Student Executive Board’s
service committee. Studying in Argentina and the U.K. has sparked her love
of exploring and learning from other cultures, and she cannot wait to
experience life in Uganda. While interning at Kyetume Community-Based
Health Care, she hopes to develop a better sense of how grassroots efforts
can directly address inequity. She is particularly interested in women's
access to education and health care. Working alongside community members
to implement sustainable programs will be a life-changing experience.
Grant Marley
Grant Marley, from Cary,
NC, is a sophomore at UNC studying business and political science. He has
always had an interest in Africa, has taken several Africa classes at UNC and
is really looking forward to the opportunity to actually experience it firsthand.
He enjoys playing and watching all types of sports, volunteering, and music.
With previous endeavors to Guatemala and Bolivia in past summers, he knows that
he will learn a lot in Uganda this summer and cannot wait for the adventure.
