

Our Alumni
Learn more about the impact Christianson Fellows were able to have with their service projects
Alicia Goodwin Singham
2014 Christianson Fellow
Kara, Togo
Hope Through Health
Modernizing data collection and analysis at a community-based clinic in Togo
Alicia volunteered with Hope Through Health (now called Integrate Health) in Kara, Togo in 2014-2015 with the support of a Christianson Fellowship from the InterExchange Foundation.
During her eight-month stint with the organization, which provides high-quality healthcare to underserved populations, Alicia conducted community surveys to evaluate a Maternal and Child Health pilot program and used her tech background to update the clinic's data collection system.
I felt really good about the work I did to train local staff, and build up their capacity both to use new tools and to make informed decisions in the future.
Cheyenne Polk
2019 Christianson Fellow
Malawi
Development Initiative Network
Alleviating poverty and empowering communities
After serving in the Peace Corps in Cambodia working on community development projects, Cheyenne Polk wanted to continue helping others abroad. This led her to volunteer with the Development Initiative Network in Malawi, a non-profit whose mission is to alleviate poverty and create lasting change in vulnerable communities.
Cheyenne implemented “Sewing Seeds for Healthy Living”—a tailor training and community garden project for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS in Chikwawa, Malawi.
The Sewing Seeds for Healthy Living Project funded by the Christianson Fellowship has been the most rewarding project that I’ve ever been able to participate in. With this grant money, four HIV support groups were able to participate in two projects which drastically improved the nutrition and income of all 66 participants.
Darren Yondorf
2010 Christianson Fellow
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Semilla Nueva
Promoting sustainable agriculture in rural Guatemala
Darren promoted sustainable agriculture on the southern coast of Guatemala with the grassroots organization Semilla Nueva.
He assisted six rural farming communities implement eco-friendly practices, utilizing local resources and ecological principles.
To see from the perspective of a small rural producer in Guatemala has changed my concept of agriculture. Like many consumers in the U.S., I was disconnected from my food. I ate with no concept of the harvest and natural cycle, only the finished product... Working with rural farmers has helped to open my eyes to the slow natural cycle of production that is essential to consumption.
David Cotton
2017 Christianson Fellow
Athens, Greece
Project Layali
Empowering refugees through employment training
After a volunteer stint with Za'atar, an NGO that operates a refugee shelter and community center in Athens, David wanted to return to continue helping refugees in the country.
During his year-long service with Project Layali, David helped launch Layali Salon to employ and train refugees in the beauty industry. He also helped open Layali Shop, a storefront in Athens' tourist center selling handmade goods crafted by refugees.
The InterExchange Foundation's Christianson Fellowship made this work possible. I recently applied to MBA programs in the U.S. to focus on social impact businesses. Most of the experience I pitched in applications came from my time in Greece!
Gabriela volunteered with Socios en Salud (SES), a subsidiary organization of Partners In Health (an NGO bringing health care to marginalized communities) in Peru. She applied her background in public health and Spanish fluency to support a tuberculosis mobile screening project, TB Móvil, in the communities of Lima Norte.
I gained an enormous amount of insight into how a project is implemented on the ground and ultimately gained skills and memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you, Socios En Salud, for this incredible opportunity, and thank you, Interexchange Foundation Christianson Fellowship, for making it all possible.
Helen Gutierrez
2018 Christianson Fellow
Montevideo, Uruguay
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
Fostering cross-cultural connections to address climate change
Helen interned with the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research Directorate (IAI) in Uruguay, to support capacity-building initiatives.
These initiatives worked to strengthen national and regional capacities to address climate change issues by making cutting-edge scientific research accessible to a wide variety of stakeholders.
In a field as diverse and complex as the environmental field, cross-cultural collaboration is critical to addressing and solving the myriad of issues that we face today. Moving forward, I hope to take what I learned at the IAI to help amplify local and community voices so that they are at the forefront of decision-making processes.
Jakelynn Wert
2019 Christianson Fellow
Bali, Indonesia
Biosphere Foundation
Promoting environmental stewardship
Jakelynn spent her gap year before college in Indonesia volunteering with Biosphere Foundation, an organization that works with local leaders to “inspire intelligent use of the earth’s natural resources and empower individuals to become leaders in biosphere stewardship.”
Working with their Trash Management Team as an International Youth Trash Champion, Jakelynn raised awareness about trash management and championed sustainable waste practices.
While this is a tiny movement in the looming face of global waste management, we’re doing our best to take this step, and the next, to address this issue together!
Jessica Darby
2016 Christianson Fellow
Bangkok, Thailand
Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)
Helping refugee youth take the lead in Thailand
Jessica worked with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), helping coordinate a refugee youth leadership training program. The program aimed to strengthen their communication skills, nurture their leadership potential, and cultivate human rights awareness so that the youth could be agents of change in their communities.
I would like to sincerely thank the InterExchange Foundation for providing me with the opportunity to help refugee youth be a force for positive change in their communities.
This journey has profoundly shaped my social awareness to be more globally conscientious.
Madalyn McLennan
2019 Christianson Fellow
Jaltenango de la Paz, Chiapas, Mexico
Compañeros en Salud
Providing specialized healthcare to rural Mexico
Aspiring physician Madalyn McLennan volunteered with Compañeros en Salud (CES), the Mexican branch of the non-governmental organization Partners in Health, to provide healthcare to 10 rural communities in the difficult-to-reach, southern mountainous region of Chiapas—the most impoverished state in Mexico with some of the poorest health outcomes.
Receiving not only health care, but quality health care beyond a basic level should be ensured for all—no matter their economic status.
Madeline de Figueiredo
2019 Christianson Fellow
Sofia, Bulgaria
The Center for Legal Aid-Voice Bulgaria
Helping refugees rebuild their lives
University of Chicago graduate Madeline de Figueiredo spent six months in Sofia, Bulgaria volunteering with Center for Legal Aid-Voice (CLA) Bulgaria, an NGO connecting refugees and asylum seekers with vital social services. After her Christianson Fellowship-supported project, Madeline joined Human Rights Watch’s Crisis and Conflict division in London.
The multi-layered cultural exchange that happened during my experience not only gave me a deeper understanding of Bulgaria, but it also widened my global perspective to consider more deeply the nuances of multiculturalism and diversity in refugee and migration settings.
Margaret Poulos
2019 Christianson Fellow
Fort Dauphine, Madagascar
SEED Madagascar
Improving the livelihoods of female weavers
Maggie volunteered with SEED Madagascar’s Project Mahampy—a three-year, sustainable development project that aims to improve the livelihoods of traditional female reed weavers across six village clusters in southeast Madagascar. Maggie helped 166 women form a Weavers’ Cooperative to empower them and connect them with markets and traders.
Watching a cooperative come together from the ground-up has been a unique experience, and encourages me to continue working in the area of micro-business and entrepreneurship in the development context. The women weavers are excited to continue their work together and build a successful union.
Mariel Lutz
2019 Christianson Fellow
Santiago, Chile
The Nature Conservancy
Increasing water security and promoting sustainable usage
Mariel volunteered in Chile to assist in water conservation projects with The Nature Conservancy. While the major focus of her work was the Santiago Water Fund to sustainably manage the Maipo River Basin, she also helped conservation efforts in Chile’s Valdivian Coastal Reserve—a unique and threatened ecosystem.
The beauty of the Reserve is not just the ancient trees or unique species. The Reserve supports the local communities, both human and natural, and the way these two don’t hurt, but help the other is the true wonder of the Reserve. The Valdivian Coastal Reserve is a great example of what integrated conservation work can be and how to support people and nature, as they truly are one and the same.
Miles Schelling
2020 Christianson Fellow
Nersa, India
The Energy and Resources Institute
Helping 300 Indian Villagers Access Clean Water
The rural village of Nersa in India struggles with access to clean water. A devastating monsoon in 2019 damaged their sole clean-water pipe. Miles, who holds a master's degree in biological and environmental science, collaborated with locals to build a better pipeline to ensure reliable clean water access.
My connection with India began when I received a Phillips Fellowship to study sitar in New Delhi in 2015. My guru, Shubhendra Rao, has a foundation with the goal of making music every child’s birthright. The following year I received a Davis Project for Peace grant to teach music in a rural Himalayan village through his foundation. I have since turned my career focus to hydrology and, having grown up in Vermont surrounded by natural water resources, I hope to make water every child’s birthright.
Sheila Xu
2015 Christianson Fellow
Padua, Italy
Ca'Foscari University
Advocating for Deaf rights in Italy
While backpacking through Europe and delivering lectures at two deaf-related conferences, Sheila witnessed the lack of public services and rights for the Deaf population in Italy.
She wanted to make a difference so she reached out to the Department of Linguistics and Comparative Cultural Studies at Ca'Foscari University and local non-profits to create community development initiatives to help the deaf in Veneto Province and raise awareness about this community.
The Christianson Fellowship gave me the opportunity to jump-start my international career and lay the foundation for my future work with the Deaf community in Italy.
Shivani Raman
2019 Christianson Fellow
Jaltenango de la Paz, Chiapas, Mexico
Compañeros en Salud
Supporting community health workers in rural Mexico
Shivani volunteered as a Community Health Worker Program Assistant for one year with Compañeros en Salud, the Mexican branch of the non-governmental organization Partners in Health. In this role, she oversaw community health workers, locally known as acompañantes, in four rural communities in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Chiapas.
I now understand the tremendous importance of building local capacity in promoting health within communities. I also recognize the tremendous power of cross-cultural exchange. By working with the acompañantes for nearly a year, I developed meaningful relationships that will endure for a long time.
Tiffany Brown
2016 Christianson Fellow
Esperanza, Dominican Republic
Yspaniola
Empowering marginalized communities through education
Tiffany volunteered with Yspaniola, a nonprofit in the Dominican Republic that supports educational programming for youth in the marginalized community of Batey Libertad.
In addition to teaching Spanish literacy, Tiffany also helped design youth development programs. Prior to joining Yspaniola, she taught English in Colombia on a Fulbright Scholarship.
I’ve learned a great deal about community development and the importance of contextualizing everything in this cross-cultural work. I’ve learned to be much more aware of my preconceived notions and to always be quick to listen and slow to judge things that I don’t quite understand about a community or culture. I am incredibly thankful and humbled by this experience that would not have been possible without the support of the Christianson Fellowship.