BigThink

ThinkImpact is excited to announce the 11 Global Development Interns who are headed to Kayafungo, Kenya for 8 weeks this summer! Here is some information about each of them, so you can see what they are looking forward to in Kenya!

1. Arianna Pattek is a student at Georgetown University

“My name is Arianna Pattek and I am a sophomore hailing from sunny south Florida. I can’t wait to spend my summer in Kenya! I am looking forward to building lasting relationships with my fellow interns and the community members I encounter while learning as much about their culture.”

2. Nick Taylor is a student at the University of the Pacific

“This summer, I’m looking forward to really applying what I’ve learned these last four years of undergrad to a real grassroots operations. It will be an amazing eye opener to what’s really going on in development, as well as hopefully becoming a stepping stone to other life changing possibilities! “

3. Leslie Sadeghi is a student at the University of Tennessee

“I am excited about spending my summer in a place completely out of my comfort zone, learning about a new culture, and meeting so many new people. I hope to learn more about addressing poverty issues, public health, and misconceptions of the developing world.”

4. Lesley Martin is a student at Fairfield University

“I am excited about working in Kenya because I will be challenged everyday.  Each day will be a new and different type of learning experience.  That is why ThinkImpact is so unique because it forces you to think outside of the box in order to face challenges that the village and community experiences.”

5. Kelly Souls is a student at Georgetown University

“I hope to fully immerse in Kenyan culture, form relationships with community members in Kayafungo, and successfully empower the people of Kayafungo to create positive and substantial changes in their lives.”

6. Stephanie Parish is a student at the University of Michigan

“I am extremely excited to immerse myself in the Kayafungo community for 8 weeks. I want to understand better what it means to live there and what changes need to be made. Entering the experience with the knowledge that I am not the expert, I hope to learn enough to assist members of the Kayafungo community in creating their own change. I hope that as a group, we can make an impact through the ideas we develop and the relationships we create.”

7. Patrick McLennan is a student at Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver

“My name is Patrick McLennan and I’m a M.A. Candidate in Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration in Denver. I’m really excited to complement my academic learning in the classroom with professional experience in the field.  Everyone I’ve talked to that has been to Kenya explains that there is a rhythm to the country and the African continent as a whole, which sounds amazing!  I’m really excited to not only do good work for the people of Kayafungo, but to bring my experience back home to my program and my future career.”

8. Jessie Blekfeld-Sztraky is a student at Mary Baldwin College

“I am looking forward to this upcoming summer opportunity to live, work, and understand the Kayafungo community on a personal level. I am excited to work hands-on and understand the difficulties developing countries face.”

9. Paul Wood is a student at the California College of the Arts

“I’m very excited to be a part of such an interesting interdisciplinary team of GDI’s.  I’m curious of how this trip will will shape me as a designer and person.  I’m especially thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from the local community of Kayafungo, to be open to their way of life, and to discover how design can play a role globally, in addressing extreme poverty.”

10. Casey Anson is a student at UC Santa Cruz

“I am currently a Junior majoring in politics. I have worked on development projects in Mexico and Arizona, and I’m very excited about working in Kenya for the summer.”

11. Anna Gilmer is a student at Tufts University

“I am extremely excited to participate in ThinkImpact’s GDI in Kayafungo, Kenya this summer. This internship will be the beginning of my relationship with Kenya and with Africa as a whole; it is a region I have always wanted to get to know, and I will now have the opportunity to start doing so. The mission of ThinkImpact and the ideology that seems to be behind their model of development work is one with which I identify very strongly. I can’t wait to learn from the people at ThinkImpact, as well as from my fellow GDIs and the people of Kayafungo. It’s going to be a great couple of months!”