The spring before my senior year in college, I was accepted to a year-long program through American Jewish World Service, a national organization dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance to disadvantaged communities and people worldwide. The program consisted of a three-month stint in Ramogi Village, Uganda, working with an NGO supporting orphans and their caregivers impacted by HIV/AIDS.  The remaining 9 months of the program were spent attending retreats in New York and Washington D.C. to further explore the global development issues we were exposed to firsthand in Uganda, and lobbying congress in support of foreign aid.

Shortly after my return home, I organized a photography exhibit at Geraldine’s Counter to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the developing world.