Thanks to our legions of volunteers and donors, Manna Project has grown rapidly in size and scope both
stateside in our campus chapters and abroad with our programs in Nicaragua. Now we are happy to say that this Fall, Manna will embark on a whole new
direction of growth. In the coming months, eight young adventure-seekers will fly to Ecuador to join Mark Hand in laying the groundwork and forming
what is to be Manna's second international site. Have a look at this impressive and accomplished group.
Without further ado, the first ever MPI Ecuador team:
Annie Bachman
Denver, CO
University of Oregon-Eugene, 2006
Majors: Anthropology, Political Science
After making Dean's List from Oregon, Annie followed her interests in social
justice and the environment to Colorado organizations Grass Commons and
Environmental and Environment Colorado, where she researched and
canvassed on an environmental campaign. For the last year Annie has worked at Cook Street Culinary
School. Meanwhile, she has interned at Denver Community Gardens recruiting community members to participate in the
program.
Mark Hand
Shreveport, LA
Vanderbilt 2006
Majors: International Political Economy, Religious Studies
While
at Vanderbilt, Mark helped form MPI's Vanderbilt chapter, in addition
to interning at local nonprofit Conexion Americas and working at an
after-school program for an inner-city church.
Graduating Summa Cum Laude, Mark went to DC to research
for Family Health International before travelling to Botswana to
volunteer at an HIV/AIDS hospice.
Seth Harlan
Little Rock, AR
Vanderbilt 2007
Majors: Human and Organizational Development
An inveterate outdoorsman and traveler, Seth spent most of college outside or out of
country.
When
he wasn't traveling himself, he was helping create marketing strategies
for the Vanderbilt Study Abroad Office, planning spring break trips for
MPI-Vanderbilt, or leading a team for Vanderbilt's Dance Marathon. As a senior, Seth also contributed greatly to the development
of the State of Tennessee's micro-lending program.
Hilary Fenet
Baton Rouge, LA
Vanderbilt 2006
Majors: Human and Organizational Development
Since
July 2006, Hilary has been in Nicaragua with Manna Project
International, focusing on the development of MPI's Child Sponsorship
Program to alleviate malnutrition in the Managua city dump. Under her leadership the program has
grown rapidly in both size and scope, and she hopes to use her
experience in Nicaragua to help develop MPI's new site in Ecuador
.
Abbie Foust
Denver, CO
Vanderbilt 2006
Majors: Neuroscience
Abbie
spent the summer after graduation in a small village in southwest,
Kenya, helping in the development of a recently opened health care
clinic in Lwala and helping educate the local population about
HIV/AIDS.
She has spent the last year working with Hilary at MPI
Nicaragua, facilitating medical brigades, creating and leading a
women's health and exercise group, and setting up medical shadowing for
future volunteers.
Before coming to Ecuador, Abbie will head back to Kenya, this time as the leader of a group of Vanderbilt
undergraduates. After Ecuador, she will attend the University of Colorado Medical School.
Luke Lockwood
Shreveport, LA/ Houston, TX
Louisiana Tech 2007
Majors: Political Science, English (minor)
Luke will be graduating in November from Louisiana Tech, and meeting the Ecuador team in December.
As
President of Louisiana Tech's Sigma Nu chapter, Luke restructured the
fraternity's annual St. Jude's crawfish boil, raising three times more
than in the previous year. He re-ignited alumni participation through
several alumni focused events. During his senior year, Luke held a seat
on the executive board of Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc., one of four
selected from the nation's chapters. While on the board, Luke had the
opportunity to lobby on capital hill for several bills concerning
university organizations. After Ecuador, Luke plans to continue his
education in public policy and law.
John Newman
Denver/Sedalia, CO
University: Vanderbilt 2004
Majors: Spanish, Philosophy
John's
interest in community development began over ten years ago, working
with La Puente Home, an organization working to eliminate homelessness
and alleviate poverty in Colorado's San Luis Valley. Since then, John has worked
with a myriad of nonprofits, including Denver's Rape Assistance and
Awareness Program, Tu Casa (as an advocate for victims of domestic
violence and sexual abuse), Conexion Americas, Habitat for Humanity,
Vanderbilt's Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center, United Cerebral Palsy,
Dismas House, Youth Encouragement Services, and Barton House, among
others.
John is taking time off from pursuing a Masters in Counseling to spend a year in Ecuador.
Zak Schwarzman
Greenwich, CT
Tulane 2005
Majors: Political Economy, Business minor
After
graduation, Zak served as an intern for Senator Edward M. Kennedy on
the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee.
For the past two years, he has worked as a grant writer
for a nonprofit in Downtown Manhattan, concentrating on the
historically immigrant Lower East Side.
In this capacity, he raised over $600,000 and an additional $150,000 in freelance grants for other organizations.
After a hands-on experience with MPI, Zak plans on grad school, potentially in Public Policy.
Craig Smith
Salem, Oregon
Vanderbilt 2005
Majors: Secondary Education, Spanish, Latin American Studies minor
A
Summa Cum Laude graduate from Vanderbilt, Craig travelled extensively
in the Spanish-speaking world during college - including a study abroad
in Spain and a summer in the Dominican Republic. He also spent a good part of his college years in the Nashville community,
working primarily with its Hispanic population.
Since graduation, he has been teaching AP Spanish at an urban high school in Charlotte, NC.
The Ecuador team will also enjoy some help stateside from these two:
Austen Heim
Amagansett, NY
Vanderbilt 2005
Majors: Human and Organizational Development, Communication Studies
After
graduation Austen spent a year in China as a volunteer English teacher
through the Harvard-affiliated nonprofit WorldTeach. With the GRE and
the LSAT now under his belt he is starting work as a Human Capital
Consultant for Deloitte in New York City. He plans on taking the skills and insights from this work and applying it to his work
with Manna Project.
Stephanie Lionberger
Houston, TX
Vanderbilt 2004
Majors: Mathematics, Music
Stephanie
began work in 2004 for biomedical engineering company MedTronic, first
in Nashville and now in Houston managing hospital technology.
In her spare time, Stephanie will be helping manage the Ecuador team's relationships in the US.
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