Scholarship recipients offer safety tips!  Learn more (here) about keeping safe in the countries where our recipients have traveled.

2008 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

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 heathcare project, thanks to a $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation.

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.  

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 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

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.

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 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

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.

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 this summer.

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 will work in a children's home.

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.

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.

 

 

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.

Jodi Sebso is completing medical school at the University of Arizona. Jodi used her $1500 scholarship from Sara's Wish Foundation to support work in a community clinic in Kenya

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.

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 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

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 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Ana Luisa Ahern  A recent 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 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Fang An  Fang 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  Liza 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 multi-national 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, Naomi 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  As a first-year medical student at Columbia University, Sumie 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  Loren 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  Sandhya 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  Sarah 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 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Debra Bossio  A 1999 graduate of Colby College, Deb 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 After Megan 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  A graduate of Yale University, Sue 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  A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in chemical engineering, Michele 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  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  While Danielle was a graduate student in public and international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh she participated in a service project in Peru this summer where 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, Devon 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  Kirsten 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  Currently a doctoral candidate in special education at Syracuse University, Julia 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 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Jessica Chan  An undergraduate at UCLA, Jessica 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, Rebecca 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.  (Shown right: Yale nurses atop Mayan ruin.  Becky is farthest right)

 

 

Sarah Dixon Sarah will receive 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 Jeanette is pursuing a dissertation in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. 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.

Suzanne McCoy Suzanne 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, Courtney 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 A medical student at Duke University, Elizabeth was awarded a scholarship of $1500, support for her participation in an expedition to bring medical care to a Tibetan refugee population in India this past summer.

Lori Pihl Lori 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 Nisha 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.



(Nisha is center with four Zambian children)

2000 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Marie Andrews Marie 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.  (Note from Marie)

Ashley Currier Ashley 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.

 

Lena Fairless Lena 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.

(Lena Fairless with a patient in the Philippines.)

Karen Marotz  Karen 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 A student at the Yale School of Nursing when Karen 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.

(Karen Mera and Amy Romano)

Amy Romano Amy 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.



Amy Romano (back right) at the clinic.

Kristine Schad  Kristine 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.

(Kristin Schad [center] with friends in front of a Kauri tree)

Ericka Schnitzer  Ericka 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.

Deerfield Academy Awards

Lillian Guth and Constanza Ontaneda: Pictured below are the 2003 and 2002 Deerfield Academy award recipients.

Valerie Idehen and Ion D'Anjou: Each year Sara's Wish Foundation provides two students at Deerfield Academy with the scholarship support that they needed in order to participate in Deerfield's summer program in Paris.  To date, four students have received awards of $500:  Valerie Idehen, Ion D'Anjou, Emily Geiger, and Mark Kim.  These awards are special in that they help sustain Sara's legacy at Deerfield through a program that combines Sara's love of travel with her love of the French language.  One of Sara's teachers runs this program.



(Ion and Valerie on a bench dedicated to Sara on the Deerfield Academy campus)

1999 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Tsehaynesh Abebe: Tsehay 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: Anna 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:  Nahid 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. (Nahid Bhadelia and Wendy Kohler in front of a Boston coffee shop)

Patty Burleson:  Patty 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, Jennifer 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: Julie conducted research in El Salvador on 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, Martha 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:  Jina 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:  While a student at Rice University, Ying 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.



(Ying Pan (center) with friends on the Chocolate Hills)



Michelle Pent: While Michelle pursued a combined MD/MPH degree at Tufts University,  the Foundation awarded Michelle $2100, the cost of her airline ticket to Johannesburg, South Africa, so that 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. 

1998 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Emily Dodds: Our first recipient, a graduate of Notre Dame, 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. 

(Emily Dodds and Anne Schewe in front of the Schewe's home)

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