Here is a list of past scholarship recipients.
Global Humanitarian Awards
2023
In January 2023, we made a third-year donation in the amount of $10,000 to SWF recipient Alina Simone’s feature documentary film, Black Snow, which shines new light on the human cost of open pit coal mining. It follows the story of Natalia Zubkova, a homemaker-turned-journalist, who unveils the environmental catastrophe unfolding in her remote Siberian hometown. Since August of 2019, Alina has tracked Natalia’s journey in real time, from the moment she began posting videos of black “snow” blanketing her city, to her rise to prominence as the “Erin Brockovich of Russia,” and from death threats and forced exile from Russia, to Natalia’s inspiring metamorphosis in a new country, thousands of miles from home. We are now thrilled to join Alina in announcing that editing of Black Snow is now complete. We can all look forward to its worldwide debut in 2024.
Nathasja van Leeuwen, a physician in Tanzania, continues to be supported by SWF. The $1,650 award is to help Nathasja provide the safest, most compassionate maternity education and care possible in her Tanzanian community.
New recipient Alekzandra (Sasha) Yakhkind is engaged in a major project to build collaboration with local physicians in Guatemala, largely through the support of a grant from Tufts University. SWF funding in the amount of $3,780 is supporting the work of two student collaborators, one Guatemalan and one from the Tufts School of Medicine, with a goal of improving cross-cultural understanding of global health issues and sound practices.
2022
SWF gave our new awardee, Alexis Grabow Strahan, a $7,500 award in support of her on-site medicalresearch in Kenya. Alexis is a key member of a team studying the impact of stigma on patient care for those with HIV-associated Kaposi Sarcoma. The goal of the multi-year project is that by identifying barriers to care for patients affected by this treatable, yet highly underdiagnosed malignancy, the research team will be more effective in implementing interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality of KS in Kenya and surrounding regions.
This year, we continued to support the work of documentary filmmaker Alina Simone, funding essential to the production of her documentary film, Black Snow. It’s the story of a Russian homemaker-turned-journalist who exposes an environmental catastrophe in a remote Siberian coal-mining town, only to find herself the target of a massive government disinformation campaign. Alina, in partnership with Emmy-award winning producer Kristine Barford, has since then secured additional grants that will ensure that this important film will be made. (We look forward to its 2023 premiere!) We also provided financial support for Fear Zone, Alina’s second documentary, one that follows a charismatic brotherhood of civilian peacekeepers in Georgia as they try to defend their country from the Russian military — without arms, money or even the support of their own government. The SWF grant in the amount of $15,000 is to underwrite production costs. We are honored to provide this support to Alina at this critical time in our history as she will present to global audiences such compelling stories of brave individuals fighting to protect democracy and ensure fundamental human rights.
2021
Our new awardee, Dr. Nathasja van Leeuwen, is intent on establishing a clinic dedicated to pre- and post-natal needs. Nathasja and her husband, a nurse, plan to incorporate modern western medicine practices while honoring the cultural and medicinal practices that are at the core of their Tanzanian community. Nathasja’s commitment to her patients and her Tanzanian home is ardent; her plans for the clinic stay true to the often harsh political, social, and economic realities of her community while also holding steadfast to her dreams of safer and healthier lives for women and families. Sara’s Wish Foundation gave Nathasja a $3000 award in support of her project.
Maria Hetman is a SWF awardee whose educational and social service project goals were stalled by the global pandemic. The additional $2,000 award has enabled Maria to complete her master’s degree and final field project in the eco-sciences. Maria is intent on launching an initiative at the intersection of sustainable agriculture and environmental protection in the Balkans.
Last year, SWF Global Award recipient Alina Simone was awarded a total of $15,000, critical funding that was essential for the early development of her documentary film about a Russian homemaker-turned-journalist who sets out to reveal the environmental catastrophe unfolding in a remote Siberian coal-mining town, only to find herself the target of a massive government disinformation campaign. Since then, Alina has partnered with an Emmy-award winning producer and secured multiple additional grants to ensure this important film will be made. This year, SWF is happy to provide an additional $10,000 in support of the establishment of a travel fund for the brave Russian journalist, Natalia (currently in exile) as she engages in a speaking tour in Europe. Once again, Sara’s Wish Foundation is providing essential “kickstart” funding. We look forward to the screening of the film Black Snow early in 2023 – hopefully at the Sundance Film Festival!
2020
Alina Simone received her first SWF award in 2004 while working as a journalist with grassroot organizations in Siberia. This year, Alina received a $15,000 award in support of her documentary about a homemaker-turned-journalist who sets out to reveal the environmental catastrophe unfolding in a remote Siberian coal-mining town, only to find herself the target of a massive government disinformation campaign. This film will dramatically demonstrate the human cost of Russia’s coal industry. With SWF funding, Alina was able to purchase camera equipment that was essential to launch this project. SWF is also underwriting costs of post-production work on the film. SWF will be a part of this project until we can all view it on the silver screen!
Rena Greifinger received a special SWF award in 2009 in support of the Next Step “One Love” conference for vulnerable youth that she organized in Boston. Our initial funding impacted Rena’s decision to dedicate her career to global health issues, particularly for women and youth. This year, SWF gave an award of $6,000 to the new Next Step Mentor Project, designed to help youth living with HIV to develop leadership, advocacy, and life skills in order to achieve good health, positive behavior, socioeconomic success, and civic engagement.
2019
This year, we extended our support for an additional year to Maria Hetman, our 2018 Global Humanitarian Award winner. Maria has demonstrated remarkable dedication, integrity, and tenacity, thus meeting our strict criteria for on-going financial support. Maria is in the second year of a masters’ degree in environmental protection and agricultural food production at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. This year, our $6000 award is underwriting the costs of the masters’ program, which includes her field work in the Balkans. With the gain of critical academic study and field experiences, Maria will be able to achieve her career goal of launching an initiative at the intersection of sustainable agriculture and environmental protection, most likely in Bosnia.
2018
Maria Hetman first received funding from SWF in 2009, a scholarship that made it possible for her to accept an unpaid internship monitoring war crimes trials for an investigative journalism outlet in Sarajevo. After that, Maria was awarded a fellowship to study in Budapest, after which Maria returned to Bosnia to work for various non-profit organizations. Maria is now pursuing a second masters’ degree in environmental protection and agricultural food production at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. This program includes field work and applied research, and, not surprisingly, Maria is pursuing her field work in the Balkan region. Over the years, Maria has demonstrated remarkable dedication, integrity, and tenacity. For these reasons, Sara’s Wish Foundation gave Maria an award of $5,000 to help defray the costs of tuition and field study. In addition, upon receipt of evidence of her successful studies during this academic year and in anticipation of continued significant financial need in the second year when she will be engaged in more extensive and intensive field work, we are prepared to offer Maria an additional award of $5,000 in 2019.
2017
Deanna Saylor first received funding from SWF for a neuroepidemiologic screening tool in Uganda when she was a resident at Johns Hopkins Medical School. Now Deanna is an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins and the winner of multiple awards for excellence in teaching and leadership. Deanna will be spending the next two years in Zambia where she will develop a neurology residency curriculum and then teach the first round of Zambian neurology trainees. Deanna received an $8500 SWF Global Humanitarian Award.
Julia Rosenberg was a medical student at Cornell when she received her first scholarship from SWF in 2013 to work in a clinic providing medical care to indigenous Mayan families in a remote village in Guatemala. Now Julia is a pediatric resident at Yale where she devotes much of her time to working at the Yale Clinic for Hispanic Children. In October, Julia participated in the “Community for Children” elective working with advocacy groups in the Rio Grande Valley, a border area that poses unique health challenges for immigrants and residents alike. In support of her work with these children, Julia received a $1500 SWF Global Humanitarian Award.
2016
Karla Mendoza was a 2014 SWF scholarship recipient, receiving her first award while a freshman at Harvard for her work in Bolivia. Karla has continued her work with the initiative “Refresh Bolivia,” an organization that collaborates with rural community members to improve potable water and sanitation facilities and also provide educational programs within those communities. Karla’s new award of $3500 was used by the Refresh Bolivia Project to promote “ecosocial” growth related to health and sanitation in rural communities. We particularly appreciate the collaborative nature of Karla’s project and the focus on building rural/urban partnerships and capacity training.• Karla Mendoza was a 2014 SWF scholarship recipient, receiving her first award while a freshman at Harvard for her work in Bolivia. Karla has continued her work with the initiative “Refresh Bolivia,” an organization that collaborates with rural community members to improve potable water and sanitation facilities and also provide educational programs within those communities. Karla’s new award of $3500 was used by the Refresh Bolivia Project to promote “ecosocial” growth related to health and sanitation in rural communities. We particularly appreciate the collaborative nature of Karla’s project and the focus on building rural/urban partnerships and capacity training.
Genevieve Smith and Kali Basman are our first Global Humanitarian team of recipients. Genevieve received her first SWF scholarship in 2013, and Kali in 2014. Genevieve and Kali were awarded $10,000 in funding to implement the Visionaria Peru program, covering costs of their Leadership Institutes and the Activism Projects. We are delighted to fund this innovative program, one that supports leadership initiatives of young women in Peru who work in their local environments on projects that promote economic development and are sustainable. We particularly appreciate the collaborative nature of the activism projects and that these young Peruvian women gain leadership skills, confidence, and multiple skill-based competencies under the knowledgeable and compassionate guidance of Genevieve and Kali.
2015
Dr. Nahid Bhadelia was a 1999 SWF scholarship recipient, funded for her work in India with an AIDS awareness program after she graduated from Tufts University. Nahid is now an infectious diseases physician, an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, and the Director of Infection Control and Medical Response at National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL) at Boston University (BU). Nahid also serves as a Senior Technical Advisor for Partners in Health for their Ebola Response Program in Sierra Leone. One of the Partner’s outreach programs hires Ebola survivors to care for children who are orphaned or abandoned due to this epidemic. With the SWF award of $10,000, Nahid created a training program for Ebola survivors in infection control so that they can take care of these children safely. Some of the SWF funds were also used to provide school packages for forty children, many of them orphaned due to Ebola.
Maia Freudenberger, our second new award recipient, has distinguished herself as a humanitarian and educator in ways that are extraordinary for one so young. A 2013 graduate of Haverford College, Maia received her first scholarship from SWF that year in support of her establishment of a leadership, service, and mentorship program for young adolescents in a school district in Madagascar. That initiative, “Project Jeune Leader,” has become so successful in the past two years that it is expanding to multiple locations in Madagascar and has secured major funding from the Principality of Monaco. However, bridge funding was needed this year, and Maia received a $6,000 award from SWF. With its high quality design and responsible impact analysis, we are confident that Project Jeune Leader can serve as a model for educating adolescents about health, safety, and personal responsibility across the global community.
Here’s the list of Scholarship Recipients Dating Back to the Beginning of Sara’s Wish Foundation!
2014
Kali Basman is a graduate in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado. Kali worked in Peru with the Gobla Ozone Project, leading trainings on black carbon monitoring. Kali received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
Katy Bullard is a student at Tufts University where she is majoring in Peace and Justice Studies. Katy is working with the Shining Hope for Communities organization in Kenya this summer where she will teach and mentor students at the Kibera School for Girls. Katy received a $1300 scholarship from SWF.
Kristie Conserve is working on her master’s degree in International Communication at American University. This spring, Kristie interned at the US Embassy in Paris in the Africa Regional Service Program. Kristie received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
Taylor Fie is a medical student at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Taylor is working in Mexico this summer, running a clinic in a rural community, performing health screenings and providing trainings to members of the local community. Taylor received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
Colleen Lane is a graduate of Michigan State University Medical School and currently a resident at the Detroit Medical Center. Colleen is spending 10 weeks in Tanzania working with medical teams treating infectious diseases and malnutrition. Colleen received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
Karla Mendoza is a freshman at Harvard College with plans to attend medical school. Karla will be working in Bolivia with the “Refresh Bolivia” project, training local citizens in rural communities in clean sanitation practices. Karla was awarded a $2000 scholarship from SWF.
Marielle Meurice is a graduate of Northwestern University. Marielle is spending the summer in Niger, working in several hospitals and clinics, focusing on women’s health issues. Marielle received a $1000 from SWF.
Christina Reinke just graduated from the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, MN with a degree in social work. Christina is spending seven months in Tanzania volunteering with a small local organization to implement a maternal health program. Christina is the 2014 recipient of the Inga Tocher Scholarship and received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
Deanne Saylor received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University and is currently in her 3rd year of a neurology residency there. This summer, Deanne will travel to Uganda to work on a study of neurological disorders, prevalent in the Rakai District of Uganda. Deanne received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
Sara Seghezzo is a medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Sara travelled to Zambia this spring where she worked in a clinic providing HIV positive children with medical care. Sara received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
Elizabeth Skurdahl is a graduate of the University of San Diego. Elizabeth is spending a full year with the World Teach program in Namibia. Elizabeth received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
Aerion Ward is a student at the University of Georgia, where she is majoring in Women’s Studies and Psychology. Aerion is working in Morocco this summer, volunteering with the Women’s Rights Association. Aerion received a $1500 scholarship from SWF.
2013
Leigh Bercaw graduated from Macalester College in 2012. Leigh is spending a full year as a secondary English teacher in Tanzania as part of the WorldTeach program. Leigh received a $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Rebecca Flint is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is pursuing her medical degree. Rebecca spent the summer providing clinical care in several rural settings in Costa Rica. Rebecca received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Maia Freudenberger just graduated from Haverford College. Maia is spending a full year in Madagascar where she is organizing and implementing a leadership and health training program for early adolescents. Maia received a $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Sheila Lalwani is a graduate of Indiana University with a masters degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Sheila spent two months in Jordan where she worked with women journalists as an unpaid media consultant and also as a trainer at the Arab Women Media Centre. Sheila received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Victoria Larsen is a student at Howard University. She spent the summer in India working with other students from the United States to design and implement a community-based public health program. Victoria received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Emily MacDuffie is a graduate of Swarthmore College and plans to pursue a career in medicine. Emily is spending six months in Botswana where she is working on a project investigating the biological and psychological impact of concurrent treatment of HIV and cervical cancer. Emily was awarded a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Taina Paredes is a student at Tufts University where she is majoring in child development and American studies. Taina spent two months in Ecuador, where she taught English, the arts, and computer skills to young children. Taina received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Katy Peake is a student at Dartmouth College. Katy spent nine weeks volunteering in Nicaragua where she worked in a library and helped to create a sound infrastructure for library programming through the Foundation for Sustainable Development. Katy received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Julia Rosenberg is the 2013 Inga Tocher Scholarship recipient. A medical student at Cornell, Julia is spending a year in Guatemala providing medical care and establishing a nutrition program in a rural community. Julia received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Katie Ryken is a medical student at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Katie spent the summer in Bosnia-Herzegovina where she worked in both hospital and NGO settings, providing healthcare to victims of rape and trauma. Katie received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Nicole Small is majoring in psychology at the University of California in Irvine. Nicole spent the summer working in a maternity clinic in Tanzania through the International Volunteer HQ program. Nicole received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Genevieve Smith is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Genevieve spent two months working in Peru with the Peruvian Promise in Action project, an empowerment initiative for women. Genevieve received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Sarah Smith is a medical student at Penn State University. Sarah spent three months in Africa, working as a volunteer in medical clinics in Rwanda, Zambia, and Kenya. Sarah received a $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
2012
Olya Clark is a doctoral student in public health at UMass/Amherst. Olya traveled to India where she worked at an educational center, focusing on creating a program for abandoned women. Olya received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Olya’s travel tips.
Briana Cranmer is a medical student at the University of Arizona. During the summer of 2012, Briana worked in Nepal, providing direct health services in small villages as part of the Village Volunteer Program. Briana received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Briana’s travel tips.
April Elder is pursuing a medical degree at the Philadelphia School of Osteopathic Medicine. April is taking a year off from her medical studies in order to work as an intern in South Africa with the non-profit organization Grassroot Soccer. This NGO uses the power of soccer to educate and inspire communities to stop the spread of HIV. April received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Kimberly Ellenson, is a graduate of Cornell University. Kimberly is living in Argentina for six months, where she is volunteering with the Foundation for Sustainable Development and focusing on increasing access to health care for impoverished citizens. Kimberly received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Kimberly’s travel tips.
Tammy Elwell is a doctoral candidate in geography at UC Santa Barbara. Tammy is working in Chile for a year assisting indigenous fishing communities in mapping and documenting the uses of marine resources. Tammy received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Rachel Hagues is a Ph.D. student in Child and Family Development at the University of Georgia. Rachel is working in Tanzania for six months, assisting in the establishment of girls’ clubs and also documenting forms of gender discrimination among adult women and girls. Rachel was awarded a $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Mariah Hennen is a student at Kalamazoo College. Mariah spent the summer of 2012 in Kenya where she is worked with The Umoja Project, developing a palliative care program for vulnerable children. Mariah received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Mariah’s travel tips.
Yuen Ho graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, where she majored in economics. Yuen worked in Malawi this the 2012 summer, interning with a non-profit organization to help develop leadership programs for youth. Yuen received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Yuen’s travel tips.
Anna Kirsch is a medical student at Georgia Health Sciences University. Anna worked in Peru during the summer of 2012, leading a research team that is assessing the impact of cancer initiatives by a local clinic in the Andes. Anna received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Anna’s travel tips.
Lan Ngo is in her fourth year at UC Berkeley, working on her BS in Environmental Sciences. Lan spent the summer in Vietnam where she worked with the Southeast Asian Leadership Network’s Project Vietnam 2012 Program, a community-based theater project to shed light on issues of disability and the effects of Agent Orange.. Lan received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Gwen Niekamp graduated from Vassar College. Gwen volunteered this summer at the summer camp in Ecuador founded by another SWF recipient, Emma Coates-Finke. Gwen received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Gwen’s travel tips.
Jane Park is a medical student at the University of Colorado. Jane spent a year in Haiti working with the Children’s Nutrition Program and also analyzing the current HIV-related health care system in the city of Leogane. Jane received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Jane’s travel tips. (Coming Soon)
Trisha Pasricha is a graduate of Harvard and a medical student at Vanderbilt University. Trisha traveled to Namibia for the summer, where she produced a humanitarian and educational documentary of the state of medical education at the University of Namibia. Because of Trisha’s outstanding qualifications combined with her determination to use her considerable talents as a filmmaker to inform members of the global community about effective strategies and best practices in health care, Sara’s Wish Foundation decided to honor her with the Inga Tocher Scholarship for 2012.
Elizabeth Smith graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Global Studies. Lizzie is working for nine months in Costa Rica, volunteering with an NGO that promotes environmental education in rural communities. Lizzie received a $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Lindsey Wolf is a graduate of MIT (aerospace engineering) attending medical school at UC San Francisco. She spent a month in Uganda working in a general surgery clinic. Lindsey received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Kelli Wong graduated from Colgate University and received her medical degree from Tulane. Now in her residency in pediatrics, Kelli spent a month in Malawi providing medical care to HIV positive children. Kelli received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Kelli’s travel tips.
In addition, in 2012, Sara’s Wish Foundation gave funding to two other fabulous young women in “special categories.”
Lauren Hughes first received a scholarship from Sara’s Wish in 2009 for her work in Tanzania. In 2012, we were pleased to offer Lauren a second award in the amount of $750 for her work in Botswana assisting local physicians and community health professionals.
Also for the first time in several years, in 2012, we offered a special scholarship to a student at Deerfield Academy, Sara’s alma mater. Gabrielle Gauthier, a junior, traveled with a group from Deerfield to India during the summer, with the goal of both learning about Indian culture and also engaging in service projects. Gabby received $500 fromSara’s Wish Foundation.
2011
Robin Baudreau is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts/Amherst in journalism and political science. Robin traveled to Ghana in the fall of 2011 where she worked with the program ACT (Alliance for Community Transformation) helping to build an orphanage and teaching in a small school. Robin received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Robin’s travel tips.
Maria Crossman is working on her masters degree in public administration at George Washington University. Maria traveled to Ghana during the summer of 2011 where she volunteer in an orphanage, teaching and mentoring the children in ways that support both their intellectual and social growth. Maria received a $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Maria’s travel tips.
Tanya Gonzalez is pursuing a medical degree at Howard University. During the summer 0f 2011, Tanya contributed her medical expertise to underserved populations in both Cambodia (for two weeks) and Ecuador (for six weeks). Tanya’s volunteer work is possible thanks to a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Tanya’s travel tips.
Sarah Isbey, a graduate of Dartmouth College, is a medical student at UNC – Chapel Hill. This summer, Sarah worked in several rural villages in Mexico, implementing training programs regarding basic medical emergencies. Sarah received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Sarah’s travel tips.
Katy Miller is a medical student at the University of Iowa. Katy spent the summer working on a human rights project that addresses barriers to care for children with disabilities in Brazil. Rachel was awarded a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Katy’s travel tips.
Ruju Rai, a medical student at Boston University, spent six months in India volunteering with the “Unite for Sight” organization which works to eliminate preventable blindness among people who live in extreme poverty. Ruju was awarded the Inga Tocher scholarship for 2011 in the amount of $1750 from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Ruju’s travel tips.
Hilary Robbins is a graduate of Duke University. Hilary spent six months in Nicaragua, performing a research study in an impoverished community to determine health needs, developing a program design for a free clinic, and then applying for monetary grants and medical supply donations to make the clinic a reality. Hilary received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Hilary’s travel tips.
Nancy Zimmerman is studying to be a nurse practitioner at UCLA. Nancy worked as a nurse practitioner in the Himalayan Health Exchange Program in Tibet this summer. Nancy received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Nancy’s travel tips.
2010
Jen Bishop is a medical student at the University of Colorado. Jen traveled to rural Guatemala where she educated community health workers on improved nutritional practices, early childhood health interventions, etc. Jen received $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Jen’s travel tips.
Emma Coates-Finke is a graduate of Northampton High School and a student at Vassar College. Emma worked in Ecuador teaching English and running a culture and arts-based summer camp in a small indigenous agricultural community. Emma received $1000 from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Emma’s travel tips.
Heidi Jahraus is a graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Heidi participated in “The World Race Program,” an eleven month service trip to eleven countries. Heidi received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Katie Fiorella is a UC Berkeley PhD. student in environmental science and public policy and a Princeton University grad. Thanks to a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation, Katie worked in Uganda and Kenya, exploring the implications of human-wildlife interactions, specifically as they relate to the transmission of disease. Read Katie’s travel tips.
Kristin Johnson holds a masters degree in public health from Boston University. Kristin worked in rural China with the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Treatment Support Project. Her work included expanding strategies to promote the adherence to life-saving HIV medications and developing community health worker training programs. Kristin received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Kristin’s travel tips.
Jesse McKenna is working on her masters degree in international public health at Boston University. In fall 2010, Jesse spent 3 ½ months in Tanzania interning with the Foundation for African Medicine and Education where she developed and implemented a long-term health education curriculum for its mobile health clinics. Jesse received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Jesse’s travel tips.
Rachel Meeker received both her bachelors and masters degrees from UC Riverside in sociology and religious studies. Rachel worked in India with the Child Leader Project, focusing on higher education for disadvantaged youth. Rachel received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Rachel’s travel tips.
Jackie Mroz is a graduate of the University of Oregon. Jackie is spending the academic year (2010-2011) in Kenya, interning with the Foundation for Sustainable Development. Jackie received a $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Sarah Schewe is a member of the Dartmouth College class of 2012. Sarah worked in a village in Northern Tanzania where her focus was maternal and child health. Sarah received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. (Sarah is not related to the Sara Schewe family.)
2009
Julie Brooker, a graduate of UC Santa Cruz, traveled to Durban, South Africa in April where she worked in public health clinics and AIDS hospices as part of Child Health International. Julie received $1000 from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Megan Carroll is a graduate of Amherst College and was awarded a masters degree in public policy from the JFK School of Government at Harvard in 2009. Thanks to a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation, Megan was able to travel to Jordan where she worked with the Noor Foundation’s Institute for Family Health, focusing on the challenges of the resettlement of Iraqi refugees in Jordan.
Jocelyn Cook has a masters degree in global studies from Northeastern University. Thanks to a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation, Jocelyn spent three months in Uganda working for general health and specifically AIDS education for a non-profit foundation. Read Jocelyn’s travel tips.
Chris Curry is a medical student at Loyola University. Chris worked in Haiti during the month of May at a hospital, providing clinical care to women and also implementing a medical records data system which she designed especially for rural communities in Haiti. Chris received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Vickie Cavanaugh grew up in Easthampton, MA, and has established a non-profit organization in El Salvador that supports orphaned children as they move from secondary education on to college. Vickie sustains this initiative while working on a Masters degree in Education. A graduate of Boston College, Vickie received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Kelly Dahl is a registered dietician and graduate of Pepperdine University. Kelly is spending a year working on Mercy Ships off of the coast of West Africa — a floating hospital that helps those who have no access to health care. Kelly received a scholarship of $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Kelly’s travel tips.
Maria Hetman is a graduate of the New School for Liberal Arts. During the summer of 2009, Maria worked as an intern on issues related to justice and reconciliation in Bosnia, where she was affiliated with two news agencies. Maria received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Lauren Hughes is a medical student at the University of Iowa. In April, Lauren provided primary health care in a remote rural area of Tanzania. Lauren received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Helen Moreira grew up in Chicopee, MA, graduated from Mount Holyoke, and is a medical student at UMass. In April, Helen traveled to India where she volunteered with the Unite for Sight program, working in eye screening camps and assisting in ophthalmology surgeries. Helen received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Mary Jo Pham grew up in Springfield, MA, and has completed her sophomore year at Tufts University. Mary Jo worked in the Public Affairs Office at the US Embassy in Phom Penh, Cambodia during the summer, concentrating on press, cultural, educational programs. Mary Jo received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Mary Jo’s travel tips.
Rachel Sandler studied for her MD/MPH at the University of Iowa. Rachel worked on a public health project in Peru for the 2009/2010 school year, a collaboration that was part of Patch Adams’ global initiative to combat childhood malnutrition. Rachel received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Rachel’s travel tips.
Sarah Sawyer is a doctoral student in environmental policy, and management at UC Berkeley. Sarah spent the month of January in Cameroon where she examined human-landscape interactions and their impacts on endangered species and on the sustainability of critical ecosystems, thanks to a $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Sarah’s travel tips.
Jeannie Schumpert Dias is a recent medical school graduate and an officer/physician in the US Army. Jeannie’s $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation supported her work in Kenya during March when she provided medical attention and education primarily to impoverished women. Read Jeannie’s travel tips.
Heidi Tuason is working on her masters degree in public health at UC Berkeley. Heidi spent the summer working at a non-profit organization in the Philippines where she delivered health services to poor women in marginalized communities. Heidi received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Casey Weimer is a medical student at the University of Colorado in Denver. Thanks to a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation, Casey was able to return to Guatemala to continue to work in a program she established the prior year – a “safe space project” which provides education to young indigenous women.
2008
Susanna Burrows is a graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Susanna’s $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation supported her work in India assisting grassroots NGOs in improving environmental initiatives and creating employment opportunities for disadvantaged rural population.
Kim Yi Dionne is a doctoral student in political science at UCLA. Kim spent six months in Malawi conducting research on AIDS and also teaching a typing course to young women as part of an effort to improved their employment opportunities and economic futures. Kim received a $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Sahira Dirajlal, a pediatric resident at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, spent the month of March in West Africa working on an international pediatric AIDS initiative thanks to the $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Rachel Frank, a graduate of Michigan State University, received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Rachel spent three months in South Africa working as the intern coordinator of an NGO that assists families affected by HIV/AIDS.
Clare Gupta is a graduate of Dartmouth College and a doctoral candidate in the Environmental Science, Policy and Management program at UC Berkeley. Clare spent the summer in Botswana working on community-based natural resource management programs for conservation and also economic development. Clare received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Rachel Koff is a graduate of UCLA who majored in psychological sciences. Rachel traveled to Tanzania where she developed and taught HIV/AIDS prevention programs to children and within the larger community. Rachel received a $1500 award from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Elizabeth Lambert has a BA from Georgetown and a masters degree from Columbia University Teachers College. Beth was awarded $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation for her work teaching in Ghana during the summer.
Lygia Navarro has a master’s degree in journalism from UC Berkeley. Lygia’s $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation was used to defray the costs of traveling to Cuba where her journalistic work focused on documenting a variety of issues in Cuban society during the twilight of the Castro years.
Aarti Patil is a graduate of MIT and a medical student at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Aarti’s scholarship of $1000 from Sara’s Wish Foundation supported her clinical research in child health and nutrition in Brazil this summer.
Lilian Perez is a graduate of Wellesley College. Lilian had a nine-week service internship with the Foundation for Sustainable Development in Argentina where she implemented a healthcare project, thanks to a $1500
Libby Shaefer graduated from Harvard Medical School in 2008. Libby’s $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation supported her work in Bolivia in an impatient pediatrics ward and with a Bolivian Street Children’s Project.
Stacy Sprando graduated from Stanford University in March 2008. Her $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation supported her work providing primary health care services as well as psychological and educational support services to young women in Ecuador over a ten month period beginning in September 2008. Read Stacy’s travel tips.
Hannah Winkler is a candidate for a master’s degree in library science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Hannah spent the summer in Haiti working in an orphanage where she developed a library and computer center thanks to a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Elizabeth Zaita will enter the Mount Sinai School of Medicine next year, after she returns from six months of fieldwork on child health issues in the Brazilian Amazon. Elizabeth received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
2007
Nora Ali graduated from UCLA and was a medical student at New York Medical College. Nora collaborated with a neonatologist in Indonesia, where she pursued her research while working in a clinic. Nora’s scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation was $1000.
Elizabeth Allison is a graduate of Williams College and Yale University and a PhD candidate in Environmental Science and Policy Management at UC Berkeley. Elizabeth received a $1000 from Sara’s Wish Foundation in support of her summer fieldwork in forest management in Bhutan.
Rebecca Bell is a graduate of Deerfield Academy and UMass Amherst. Rebecca taught science for a year before entering UMass Medical School in Worcester. Rebecca traveled to Zambia to train health care workers with the support of her $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Ashlee Chowen is pursuing a Masters in Theological Studies in Ethics, Peace, and Reconciliation at Duke University. Ashlee’s used her $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support her internship with a non-profit peace and justice organization in Northern Ireland.
Laura Hagopian traveled to Namibia this summer to help organize a non-profit for orphans in developing countries. A UMass medical student, Laura received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Elsbeth Hearn was awarded $500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support her participation in an Engineering without Borders trip to Kenya.
Sarah Juul is a medical student at Stanford University. Sarah spent the summer in India studying the mental health needs of people living with AIDS. Sarah received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Alison Lee is a graduate of Brown University and a medical student at UMass/Worcester. (Alison also graduated from Deerfield!) The $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation supported Alison’s return trip to Zambia, where she previously designed and implemented a HIV education and treatment program.
Helen Ouyang a graduate of Brown University and the Harvard School of Public Health. A medical student at Johns Hopkins, Helen received a $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation in support of her HIV/AIDS work in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania through the United Nations.
Kara-Lee Pool is a medical student at Boston University and a graduate of Barnard College. Her $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation will supported her work in producing a documentary film conveying the impact of the HIV pandemic on Lesotho as well as her pediatrics work in Lesotho.
Sara Schwanke is a MD/MPH student at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a graduate of Williams College. Her $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation supported her internship as a Global Health Fellow (a health policy internship program) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Zina Semenovskaya is a graduate of Rutgers University and medical student at Cornell Medical College. Zina will use her $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to do medical work in the Himalayan region of India.
Bina Valsangkar is a medical student at the University of Michigan. Bina is the founder and president of The Quito Project, a non-profit health and education program for the poor in Ecuador. The $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation helped Bina continue her work in Quito. Read Bina’s travel tips.
Michelle Wong, also Brown University graduate, is a medical student at Tufts University. Michelle received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation for the purpose of research and clinical work in HIV/AIDS and STI treatment in Beijing, China.
2006
Stephanie Borden is a candidate for a Masters in Public Health degree at UC Berkeley. Stephanie was awarded $1000 from Sara’s Wish Foundation in support of her work on a field study in the area of family planning in Benin, Nigeria this summer. Read Stephanie’s travel tips.
Rachael Bonawitz is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College. Rachael received a $1300 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support her work as a laboratory researcher in Kumasi, Ghana. Read Rachael’s travel tips.
Caitlin Daniel graduated from Smith College in May 2006. Caitlin was granted a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation in order to volunteer in La Paz, Bolivia for six months where she worked in a children’s home. Read Caitlin’s travel tips.
Kelly Grafing is a medical resident in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. Kelly used her $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support her participation in an elective program in Kampala, Uganda where she provided inpatient care to children with extreme malnourishment and rare diseases. Read Kelly’s travel tips.
Azita Jacobson is a graduate student in Public Health at New York Medical College. Azita received a scholarship of $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation in order to support her study of the effects of harmful household environmental pollutants on pregnant women in Marcibo, Venezuela. Read Azita’s travel tips.
Jaime Moo-Young is a studying medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and has a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. Jaime is spending a year in Bangkok, Thailand studying barriers to health care services among the poor. Jaime received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Read Jaime’s travel tips.
Jodi Sebso completed medical school at the University of Arizona in 2006. Jodi used her $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support work in a community clinic in Kenya. Read Jodi’s travel tips.
Tanyaporn Wansom is a 2002 graduate of Swarthmore College, now studying medicine at the University of Michigan. Tanya received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation so that she could participate in the Global Health Fellows Program (a health policy internship program) in Geneva, Switzerland. Read Tanyaporn’s travel tips.
Andrea Yang graduated from Harvard University in May 2006 where she majored in American Literature. Andrea will use her $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to work in Beijing, China next year where she will work with migrant women and collect and publish their stories.
2005
Kelly Bidwell is a native of Northampton, MA, and a Vassar College graduate. Kelly was awarded a $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation in support of her work in school programs in Sierra Leone.
Liai Duong graduated in May 2005 from Yale University. Liai’s $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation supported her work with a human right NGO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Amma Hewitt is a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania. A graduate of Yale University in economics, Amma was granted a $1200 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation in order to volunteer in Nicaragua where she performed outreach for a public health intervention organization.
Nicole Jacobs is a graduate student at the Heller School for Social policy and Management at Brandeis University. Nicole used her $2000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support her work in Morocco with local organization to build capacity for business projects and loan systems for the poor.
Constanza Ontaneda is a graduate of Deerfield Academy and a student at Cornell University. Constanza deferred admission to Cornell in order to volunteer at an orphanage in Peru and to establish a student exchange program between Deerfield and a secondary school in Peru. Students who participate in that exchange program will also work in the orphanage. Constanza received a scholarship of $1000 from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Anna Williams is a candidate for a Masters of Arts degree in International Affairs from the New School University. Anna’s $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation was directed to support her work on an AIDS awareness and assessment project in rural communities in Kenya.
Fei Zheng earned her undergraduate degree at the University of California at Los Angeles and a Masters in Public Health from Dartmouth Medical School. As a medical student at The Chicago Medical School, Fei was awarded a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support work in China , both in a local hospital and in a “Four Unite for Sight” program.
In addition, in our “special award” category we granted a $2000 award to underwrite a particularly wonderful initiative based right in Sara’s Amherst community. We supported a trip to Ecuador where five Amherst Regional High School students, accompanied by two ARHS teachers, delivered thousands of pairs of shoes. These students, members of Esperanza: the Ecuadorian Shoe Project initiative led by its founder, ARHS sophomore David Poritz, worked in the Ecuadorian communities most severely impacted by oil exploration and its detrimental effects on their environment and thus to their public health.
2004
Ana Luisa Ahern is a graduate of Barnard College. Ana used her $1500 scholarship to travel to Honduras for six months to work with abandoned children at two orphanages, one for malnourished children and one for children living with HIV/AIDS.
Olive Eckstein is a graduate of the University of Rochester and a medical student at the Chicago Medical School. Olive used her $1500 scholarship to support her clinical work at a center for health and population research in Bangladesh.
Caroline Kim, a graduate of Yale University, is now a first-year medical student at Chicago Medical School . Caroline used her $1500 scholarship to support her travel to Shanghai, China where she volunteered at a hospital.
Christina Krettecos holds a degree in economics from Dartmouth College. Christina received a $1500 scholarship to support her participation in the World Teach program. Christina taught English in a rural elementary school in Costa Rica.
Arielle Levine, a graduate of Princeton University, is studying environmental science, policy, and management at UC Berkeley. Arielle’s $2000 scholarship supported her field research working with rural fishing villages in Tanzania.
Amanda Loge received a $1500 scholarship to pursue her internship work in the field of children’s services in Arequipa, Peru. Amanda is currently a masters degree candidate in social work at the University of Minnesota.
Juliana Meyer is a third year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine. Juliana received a $1500 scholarship to support her travel to Honduras where she worked in family practice and rural medicine.
Jenny Petrow received a $2000 scholarship to support her work in Guatemala where she is focusing on literacy and advocacy for Mayan women. A graduate of Yale University, Jenny has a degree in international development from George Washington University.
Alina Simone, a graduate of Tufts University, is working on her masters degree in public administration at NYU. Alina was awarded a $1500 scholarship to support her research in Siberia where she will study best practices as well as barriers to economic growth in the non-profit sector.
Lauren Singer graduated from Williams College and now a medical student at Johns Hopkins University. This summer she traveled to Guatemala to study Spanish and volunteer at a medical clinic where she focused on parasitic diseases. Sara’s Wish Foundation awarded Lauren a $1500 scholarship.
Audrey Moore is one of our “special” scholarship recipients. Audrey led eight teenagers on an expedition to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota this summer. There the group worked with the Native American residents on a variety of home improvement projects – painting, landscaping, etc. Sara’s Wish Foundation decided to grant Audrey a $350 stipend, funds that enabled Audrey to take this trip and engage in this important work alongside her son and others.
Julienne Gage is our other very “special” scholarship recipient. Julie has been a member of the Sara’s Wish Foundation family since she was awarded a $2000 scholarship in 1998, in order to work with troubled youth in El Salvador. We have been in regular contact with Julie since then; in fact, Julie accompanied us to our first international travel safety conference sponsored by ASIRT in Washington, DC! Now a freelance writer, Julie traveled to Madrid for the installation of her photography exhibit depicting the lives of Moroccan immigrants in Madrid. We awarded Julie $500 so she could pursue this project to promote tolerance and global understanding.
2003
Fang An is a student at the University of Southern California where she is a business education major. Fang volunteered in the “Travel to Teach” program in Thailand. Fang received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Liza Anderson is a student at Swarthmore College. Her $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation helped fund her trip to the Philippines where she participated in a multinational program through The International Partnership for Service-Learning. Liza’s work included independent research on building understanding between Muslims and Christians through theology and service.
Naomi Cairns, a 1997 graduate of Amherst Regional High School, is a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. In the fall of 2003 Naomi participated in a study abroad program in Dakar, Senegal. While in Senegal, she taught photography in an orphanage. Naomi received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Sumie Iwasaki, a first-year medical student at Columbia University, participated in a medical program in Guatemala where she volunteered in rural clinics and laboratories. Sumie received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Loren Frant graduated from Amherst Regional High School, class of 1994. While a candidate for a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of California at Los Angeles, Loren volunteered in the World Library Partnership’s exchange program in South Africa. Loren received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation. (Pictured with Charlie Schewe)
Sandhya Jha is pursuing a joint masters degree in divinity and public policy at the University of Chicago. Her $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation helped defray the costs of traveling to India to provide volunteer care for patients with HIV/AIDS.
Sarah Polk is a medical student at Johns Hopkins University (and a graduate of Amherst College). Her $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation was used to support her study of Spanish in Spain. Sarah intends to practice medicine in an inner-city environment where Spanish fluency will be an invaluable asset.
2002
Debra Bossio, a 1999 graduate of Colby College, worked as a program associate at the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) in Washington DC. Sara’s Wish Foundation supported Deb’s volunteer work for four months in Ecuador with a $1500 scholarship. Deb volunteered with a non-profit organization that promotes a health care model that integrates general medicine with nutrition, homeopathy, and other wellness practices. Deb began medical school in the fall of 2002.
Megan Hall completed her sophomore year at Brown University, where she was active in a variety of community service activities. She traveled to Mexico on an American Friends Service Committee program to conduct community development work in areas of extreme poverty. The program joins college students from the United States, Europe, and Mexico to form a partnership with local Mexican communities. Sara’s Wish Foundation awarded Megan a scholarship of $1500 to support this work.
Sue Lee is currently a medical student at Columbia University, where she will receive her degree in 2005. Sue worked during the summer of 2002 with the Cinterandes Foundation in Cuenca, Ecuador. Her main project was traveling with a mobile surgery unit, traveling to rural villages as well as in the jungle region. Sue’s scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation was in the amount of $2000.
Michele Minihane, graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in chemical engineering, received her masters of science degree in environmental engineering from the University of Massachusetts in May 2002. Before beginning her doctoral program at Stanford University, Michele worked on a research project in the Netherlands where she studied the physical behavior of saltwater as it interfaces with fresh groundwater. Michele received a scholarship of $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation. Michele began her doctoral program at Stanford University in 2003.
Arlene Rhyne is a first grade teacher in Inglewood, California, with a masters degree from Pepperdine University in 2000. Arlene participated in the “Teachers in Service” program. This was a year-long commitment (August 2002 – August 2003) to work with teachers and social service workers in eleven countries world-wide. Sara’s Wish Foundation awarded Arlene a scholarship of $1500.
Danielle Romanetti was a graduate student in public and international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh when she participated in a service project in Peru over the summer. She spent seven weeks living in a Peruvian community, helping community members implement a new curriculum in their elementary school. Danielle also received a scholarship in the amount of $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Devon Rossetto, a May 2002 graduate of Humboldt State University in California, began a medical degree after she returned from Ecuador in 2003. In Ecuador Devon worked with the Child Family Health International Tropical Medicine Rotation. She also studied medical Spanish, tropical diseases, and rural and urban health care systems. Sara’s Wish Foundation granted Devon a $1500 award.
Kirsten Spaulding received her scholarship while enrolled in Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education, an eight-year continuum culminating in both a bachelor’s and a medical degree. During the fall of her junior year Kirsten will traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, where she studied issues of public health and health care systems from a Scandinavian perspective. Sara’s Wish Foundation awarded a $1000 scholarship to Kirsten.
Julia White, a doctoral candidate in special education at Syracuse University, was awarded a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation in support of her travel to the Slovak Republic. Julia will be conducting pre-dissertation research on the education of Romani (gypsy) children.
2001
Jessica Chan, an undergraduate at UCLA, received $1000 to support her participation in a marine science research project on the Great Barrier Reef through the University of Queensland in Australia.
Rebecca Crespi, a student at the Yale University School of Nursing, received a $600 scholarship to cover the costs of airfare to Belize where she provided nursing care in the villages of the Corozal district, paying particular attention to the health care needs of women and children.
Sarah Dixon received her bilingual teaching credential from the University of California at Chico in May, 2002. The Foundation awarded Sarah a $1000 scholarship to travel to Santiago, Chile, where she studied Spanish, lived with a Chilean family, and volunteered in an elementary school.
Jeanette Heinrichs was pursuing a dissertation in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2001. The $1000 Jeanette received from Sara’s Wish Foundation helped to defray the costs of her trip to The Philippines where she engaged in field research studying the efforts of Filipina women to combat the global trafficking of women. Read Jeanette’s travel tips.
Suzanne McCoy earned two bachelor of arts degrees from the University of Washington. Prior to entering the Columbia University School of Journalism this fall, Suzanne traveled to Guatemala to work on a small community newspaper. A scholarship of $1200 helped defray the costs of her travel and Spanish study.
Courtney Moyer, a classmate of Sara’s at Deerfield Academy, received a $1000 scholarship to help pay the program fees for her participation in a literacy program in the Dominican Republic this past summer. Courtney is pursuing her certification as a Spanish teacher at the University of Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Parsons, was medical student at Duke University when she was awarded a scholarship of $1500, to support her participation in an expedition to bring medical care to a Tibetan refugee population in India this past summer. Read Elizabeth’s travel tips.
Lori Pihl is a student in the medical school at Louisiana State University. The Foundation provided Lori with $1500 to help defray the costs of airfare to Saigon, Viet Nam, where she taught English and computer skills through a Vietnamese volunteer organization that promotes literacy and job skills.
Nisha Thampi is a student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. This summer, with the help of a $1500 scholarship, Nisha traveled to Zambia where she worked with children orphaned because of the death of their parents from HIV/AIDS. Nisha will pursue a graduate degree in public health from the University of Michigan. Read Nisha’s travel tips.
2000
Marie Andrews graduated from Colorado State University in May 2000, with a degree in occupational therapy. During summer 2000, Marie participated in a service project in Ghana as part of the Cross Cultural Solutions Program. While in Ghana she worked in a primary school teaching American games and songs as part of an exchange of cultures. In addition, she spent time working at St Teresa’s Center for the Handicapped where students receive therapy and learn a vocation. Marie received an award of $1500 to defray tuition costs for the program.
Ashley Currier was a master’s degree student in English at the University of Pittsburgh. During the summer 2000, she worked on a project to promote women’s literacy while interning with one of Zimbabwe’s national presses. Ashley was awarded a scholarship in the amount of $1000 to pay for the cost of her airplane ticket to Harare, Zimbabwe. Read Ashley’s travel tips.
Lena Fairless pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at Truman State University in Missouri where she also received a BS degree in biology in 1997. During summer 2000, Lena and eleven other nursing majors traveled to the Philippines where they worked in a variety of primitive medical settings. Lena’s award of $1000 covered her airplane ticket to Manila. Read Lena’s travel tips.
Karen Marotz was sociology major at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. During summer 2000, she participated in the International Summer School in Oslo, Norway. A student activist who plans on joining the Peace Corps, Karen’s application and recommendations emphasized her commitment to community service. The Foundation awarded Karen $800 to cover travel costs.
Karen Mera was student at the Yale School of Nursing when she applied to Sara’s Wish Foundation. Her plans were to graduate in 2001 with a Master’s of Science degree in nursing with the training to be licensed as a family nurse practitioner. Karen spent summer 2000 volunteering in a hospital in Kathmandu, working in the outpatient clinic. Karen lived and worked in Nepal for four years prior to beginning graduate school, and is fluent in Nepali. Karen’s scholarship award of $1600 covered the cost of her flight as well as additional living expenses. Read Karen’s travel tips.
Amy Romano received a Bachelors degree from the University of Michigan in 1997 with a double concentration in Women’s Health and Economics. Before entering an RN/Masters nursing program with a specialty in midwifery at Yale University, Amy traveled to Antigua, Guatemala during summer 2000 to volunteer at a woman’s health and midwife center and to study Spanish. The Foundation awarded Amy $1200 to cover the cost of airfare as well as some of her living expenses.
Kristine Schad majored in biology at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. During summer 2000, Kristine participated in a School for Field Studies program in northeastern Australia. Kristine studied tropical reforestation and worked with the community, government, and biological staff on limiting the destruction of the tropical rainforest. Kristine lived in the rainforest on the northeast coast of Queensland for the entire course. Kristine’s award of $1300 paid for her airline ticket to Australia. Read Kristine’s travel tips.
Ericka Schnitzer applied for her scholarship while pursuing a MA/PhD degree at the Divinity School at the Unversity of Chicago. Ericka attended a Hindi language immersion program in Rajasthan, India, during the fall of 2000. While in India Ericka worked with a group of children on art projects aimed at gaining an understanding of their visual conceptions of the gods and goddesses that their families worship. Once back in Chicago, Ericka planned to hold an exhibition of the children’s artwork through the University of Chicago’s Divinity School in conjunction with the Department of South Asian Studies. One goal of the exhibition was tol recognize the contributions of Sara’s Wish Foundation to this project. Ericka’s scholarship totaled $2000 to cover travel costs and the costs of art supplies. Read Ericka’s travel tips.
1999
Tsehaynesh Abebe was awarded $500 to defray expenses while volunteering with the Hague Appeal for Peace campaign and an additional $100 to cover the cost of airfare to Ethiopia where she studied at Addis Ababa University and conducted research on women and war for her honors thesis from Cornell University.
Anna Baker was the first American accepted into a special two year masters degree program in regional planning for third world countries. Anna received an $1800 scholarship to cover her tuition for the first year of study at the University of Dortmund, Germany. Anna then spent her second year in Ghana.
Nahid Bhadelia graduated from Tufts University. During the summer of 1999, she participated in a highly competitive program called VISIONS Worldwide. Nahid traveled to India where she raised awareness about the AIDS through working with high school and college groups. Nahid’s scholarship totaled $2000.
Patty Burleson attended a linguistics institute in Santiago, Chile, in the summer of 1999 before entering the Graduate School of International Affairs and Latin American Studies at the University of California in San Diego. The emphasis of Patty’s graduate study was comparative public policy. An award of $1000 covered the cost of Patty’s airfare to Chile.
Jennifer Ellison, a math teacher by training, returned to the University of Texas to pursue a pre-med degree. During the summer 1999, Jennifer participated in the People to People International Collegiate and Professional Studies Abroad program. The Foundation awarded Jennifer $1500 to help defray costs of participation in the People to People Program. Jennifer studied study international politics and economics while in Europe.
Julienne Gage conducted research in El Salvadoron how to build social programs which build cooperative, non-violent communities in the streets. While Julie worked in these programs she also dedicated considerable time to her writing. A superb essayist and journalist, Julie is campaigning for bus safety programs in third world countries. The Foundation awarded Julie $1600 to cover the cost of a laptop computer as well as airplane tickets to South America.
Martha Gove, a graduate of Amherst College in 1995, decided to return to school to pursue a masters degree in French from Middlebury College. This included a year of study in Paris. Martha’s goal was to apply this degree to one of three career paths: international business, teaching, or foreign language publishing. The Foundation awarded Martha $1000.
Jina Kim was a masters degree candidate at the Jackson School of International Studies in the University of Washington when she received her scholarship. She traveled to Korea to study its recent financial crisis and labor unrest. Jina wanted to examine how these events are unfolding in the lives of the Korean citizens. Jina traveled throughout Korea’s industrial cities and interviewed female factory workers. The Foundation awarded Jina $2000.
Ying Pan was a student at Rice University when she applied to Sara’s Wish Foundation to help support her work with children in a small orphanage in the Philippines in the summer of 1999. She implemented a new program designed to expose the children to a variety of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. Ying’s award totaled $1500, which covered the cost of her airplane ticket.
Michelle Pent pursued a combined MD/MPH degree at Tufts University during the time period in which the Foundation awarded Michelle $2100 – the cost of her airline ticket to Johannesburg, South Africa – so she could participate in a study of nutrition in children with HIV. The purpose of this research was to assess the value of nutritional intervention in improving the well-being of children who suffer from HIV. Read Michelle’s travel tips.
1998
Emily Dodds was our first recipient. A graduate of Notre Dame, Emily was granted a scholarship of $2500. This funding helped defray the costs of participating in the WorldTeach program in Namibia, Africa. Emily returned from Africa in December 1998, and visited the Schewes in Amherst in January 1999. Read Emily’s travel tips.