Mary is a former South Sudanese refugee who has been supporting UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, since 2018. After fleeing her war-torn country as a child, she found security and hope in attending school in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. She has since become a teacher of young refugees in her community, and sees education as an essential tool for rebuilding lives and empowering a generation of girls who are too often denied entrance into the classroom. Mary is currently pursuing Theater as part of a scholarship program at St. Olaf College in the United States.

In 2018, Mary gave an impassioned speech at TEDxKakumaCamp entitled "Why I fight for the education of refugee girls (like me)". In collaboration with UNHCR she has gone on to advocate on behalf of refugees on multiple global platforms including Sky News and ABC News. Mary has spoken at international events including Global GoalsCast and the Girl Up Summit and supported the launch of UNHCR's annual Education Report. She has featured in social media films and briefings outlining the importance of education, and highlighting, through her own personal story, the resilience, talents and ambitions of the forcibly displaced in playing an active role, in not only the response to the global refugee crisis, but also to the global coronavirus pandemic.

mmaker@elimishakakuma.org

@marymaker43

Diing graduated with a degree in Systems Engineering and a minor in Economics from The George Washington University. She’s currently working as a Technology Analyst at Morgan Stanley. Diing studied primary and taught at secondary school in Kakuma. Diing is passionate about girls’ education and is always on the lookout for opportunities to increase girls’ education. Diing is an alumnus of the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), an organization formed by President Bill Clinton. She is a CGI U COVID-19 Student Action Fund awardee. She used her funding to organize We Are The Kakuma in partnership with Dreams Studio and Mary Maker to provide sanitizers, masks, food etc for refugees in Kakuma. She is the co-founder of a girl mentorship program, Me4Her: Breaking Patriarchal Barriers, with a grant she received from the CGI U. Diing was also a teacher at Kakuma Refugee Secondary School, where her passion to see more South Sudanese refugees receive educational opportunities compelled her to become a teacher after completing high school. As a student on her college campus, Diing has been part of the Enough Project's Student Upstander program, an organization that advocates for better policies to end genocide and mass atrocities against humanity in conflict zones such as South Sudan.

dmanyang@elimishakakuma.org

Dudi is in his last semester at Harvard University, majoring in History and Science. He grew up in Kakuma where he studied and taught in primary and secondary school. The summer of 2020, he helped with the construction of Elimisha Kakuma’s on-site center in Kakuma and equipped it with necessary equipment to facilitate learning. He is passionate about creating access to quality education, one of the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), to the less fortunate, especially refugees and internally displaced persons through the application of modern technology. He also went to and taught in primary and secondary schools in Kakuma. Therefore as a former teacher and student, he knows firsthand what it means to be a refugee with dreams and not have the opportunity to pursue them. This summer, he will be running a project that focuses on teaching 9th and 10th graders computer programming as well as teaching them how to apply to universities abroad after graduating from high school. By being a part of Elimisha Kakuma, Dudi hopes to realize his dreams of creating greater access to higher education for refugees.

miabokjd@elimishakakuma.org

Deirdre is an educator with a Master's in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction, with a concentration in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Deirdre has more than 14 years of experience teaching English across five continents, notably in Kakuma, Rwanda, Guatemala, Indonesia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. Her passion is promoting educational access to all, especially immigrants and refugees. She has taught in seven countries across five continents, with highlights including serving as an English Language Fellow through the U.S. State Department in Indonesia, interning for Jesuit Refugee Service in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, a teaching and research instructor at Virginia Tech, serving as Lead Teacher of a Scholarship Program in Rwanda, and working as the English Department Coordinator of a non-profit school in Guatemala. She has developed and taught curriculum to young adults and adults and strongly believes in the power of education to transform lives.

dhand@elimishakakuma.org

Anika Brennan is Elimisha Kakuma's Education Program Director. She is based in Kenya and works on the ground with students as a teacher and college counselor. She is a graduate from Macalester College who studied sociology and education. She has had a longtime passion for teaching and education access, working at various education startups in Nicaragua and Mexico. She joined the program in its very early days in May, 2021 teaching the Techniques in Writing Class, as well as working with students one-on-one providing support through the college application process.

abrennan@elimishakakuma.org

Katherine L. Hall has been working in education for over 30 years. She has recently returned from living and working in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Cairo for 14 years. She taught public speaking, composition and rhetoric, business communications, technical writing and psychology whilst abroad. She has worked with her students on community service projects worldwide for her entire teaching career and together they have impacted students around the world—including in Uganda, South Africa, Philippines, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Thailand. She received her Ph.D. (Curriculum and Instruction) and M.A. (English) from Virginia Tech and her B.A. (English) from Christopher Newport University. She currently is an Instructor in the English Department at Virginia Tech.

Jenn Gooding is an English language instructor who has taught academic reading, writing, grammar, and American slang and idioms to students preparing for U.S. universities as well as to adults in the nonprofit and community college settings. Through a grant to improve medical education in Tanzania, she provided individualized, online writing instruction to Tanzanian medical students for three years, and she visited Tanzania in 2014 to teach English workshops. She also taught English for International Relations at Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia for three years. Through three U.S. State Department programs, she provided teacher training for K-12 teachers from Pakistan and professors from the University of Tikrit in Iraq as well as advanced English and research instruction for Fulbright students from Argentina. She has been volunteering with Elimisha Kakuma since its inception. She has an M.A. in ESL & Multicultural Education and an M.A. in International Affairs.

Julia joined the Elimisha Kakuma team in July 2021 as an intern through the Virginia Tech Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies. She graduated in May, 2022, Summa Cum Laude, while double majoring in International Studies and Humanities for Public Service with a minor in Spanish. Throughout her time with Elimisha Kakuma, she has helped students with their college applications through one-on-one tutoring sessions. She helped one student receive the WUSC scholarship and another receive a full ride to the University of Elmhurst. She now leads essential parts of our academic preparation and college counselling programs as the Assistant Director of Education. She recently moved to Spain to teach English while continuing her work with Elimisha Kakuma. She cares deeply about ensuring more opportunities for higher education for all refugees and believes that refugee-led organisations and partnerships are vital to this goal.

jgreenman@elimishakakuma.org

Mauridi Kiza Ramadhan, a young refugee at Kakuma camp, is a first-year student at Southern New Hampshire University, pursuing a BA in management focused on logistics and operation. With six years of teaching experience, Kiza became an IT coach at the UNHCR-Vodafone Instant Network School. Witnessing refugees' economic struggles, Kiza founded "Action for Refugee Life," empowering refugees through on-campus digital training courses that focus on skill enhancement, job market readiness, mentorship, postgraduation support, and entrepreneurship assistance fostering sustainable economic advancement. Kiza manages Elimisha Kakuma in Kenya, facilitating online and in-person classes while providing vital technical and communication assistance.

Brett is the associate director of Virginia Techs's Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies, which pursues research and teaching around issues of displacement, and works with displaced individuals locally and internationally. His doctorate is in African history from Northwestern University. He teaches Elimisha students throughout the gap-year program and provides individual support through their time in EK.

Aida joined our team in August 2022 through Virginia Tech, where she earned her bachelor's degree in biology in December 2023. Her journey into tutoring began during her senior year of high school through math honors society, where she initially taught her peers. Since then, Aida has continued to volunteer her tutoring services across various subjects within Blacksburg Refugee Partnership in Blacksburg, VA. In this role, she not only served as a translator for refugees but also facilitated communication between local school systems within the partnership. At Virginia Tech's Department of Biomedical Sciences, Aida dedicated two years to research. Additionally, she contributed as a teacher's assistant (TA), imparting knowledge in evolutionary biology and cell function and differentiation. Aida's commitment to education and her students is evident in her role teaching supplemental biology, inorganic chemistry, and organic chemistry classes at Elimisha, where she enjoys closely supporting her students' educational journeys.

Maha Shoaib is a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in Clinical Neuroscience and minoring in Religion. She hopes to become a physician to work with underserved populations and give back to various communities. Being someone actively combating current-day issues, Maha began volunteering for the Blacksburg Refugee Partnership to resettle Afghan refugees in Blacksburg upon the fall of Kabul. Such an opportunity led Maha to discover her love for working with refugees through formulating friendships and developing a community. In the future, she hopes to continue working with refugee and displaced populations, where she can combine the skills she learns working with Elimisha Kakuma with her future career to combat health disparities that still prevail worldwide.

mshoaib@elimishakakuma.org

CJ Smith is a senior marketing professional specializing in B2B marketing strategy, most recently in live events and enterprise drones. CJ has extensive experience drawing actionable insights from data and creating digital marketing strategies, executed via paid media, content strategy and creation, and email marketing. Smith is a compelling presenter having hosted podcasts, webinars, and speaking at conferences, and is a published author in various media outlets. CJ is an avid musician and guitar player, enjoys innovative and disruptive technologies, international travel, languages, finance, politics, and sports. CJ thrives in fast-paced and entrepreneurial environments, enjoys collaborating across departments, and managing teams.

cjsmith@elimishakakuma.org

Elimisha Social Media Intern, artist and creative designer. Agot is a refugee student in Nairobi, Kenya.

Diego Domenici is an Italian/American student of Political Science in Italy currently working on his Master's. Aside from providing academic support to the main teaching staff, his main task is identifying European universities fit for the program's students.

Alden is a junior at Virginia Tech, studying International Studies, Professional & Technical Writing, and Spanish. In high school, she competed in Congressional and Public Forum style debate, eventually achieving fifth place at the Virginia state level. After researching various social problems like pharmaceutical price caps, maternity leave, and even equal rights, the issue of immigration always stood out to her. Towards the latter half of her high school career, she became an ESL tutor in the classroom. Collaborating with her peers from El Salvador, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Vietnam, Honduras, and Yemen, helped her develop excellent intercultural communication skills. Simultaneously, in an effort to further extend her passion for tutoring, she worked in her high school’s Writing Center. There she brainstormed, drafted, and edited personal statements, supplemental essays, etc. with her classmates. Since becoming an intern for Elimisha Kakuma, her idealistic endeavors to create harmonious relationships between those domestic and foreign in every space have only been strengthened. Someday soon she hopes to spend time in Kakuma refugee camp. Beyond that, her lifelong goals include teaching English as a second language, advocating for immigrants and refugees, and traveling to experience other cultures firsthand.

Alexandria Lilly is a junior at Virginia Tech, studying environmental science. Her main focus includes the development and process of achieving an equitable future for all beings, including the earth through a technical and human rights perspective. In fall 2023 she conducted research in Paris, France bridging the importance of equitable access of potable water to mobile populations such as displaced persons. In Paris, she provided support and contributed to food distribution initiatives, language exchange programs, and the mitigation of food insecurity for refugees. This experience altered the trajectory of her life, where justice and inclusivity for all is now at the forefront of her mind. She has also participated in the Afghan Conversation Project at Virginia Tech. Alex strongly believes in the power of education, compassion and community.

Nora Refai is a sophomore at Virginia Tech, majoring in Clinical Neuroscience and minoring in Arabic. She is originally from Egypt but was born in New Jersey and moved to Northern Virginia shortly after. She comes from a diverse background and has always been eager to help others. She joined Blacksburg Refugee Partnership as a freshmen in January 2024 and served as a weekly tutor for two elementary school students who had recently moved to the United States. From there sparked her passion for teaching and later joining Elimisha Kakuma in April 2024 she became an academic tutor. Beyond tutoring, she hopes to become a travel doctor so she can treat individuals all over the world.

Francesca Lilly is currently a junior at Virginia Tech studying Environmental Science. Driven by a profound interest in exploring the intricate interplay between science, technology, and their influence on the natural environment, she is committed to engaging in collaborative, hands-on projects and dedicated volunteer efforts. All with the aim of fostering meaningful positive change. Over the past year, she has participated in a four-month study abroad program in Paris focused on refugee, migrant, and displacement studies. However, beyond academic pursuits, what resonated most for her was the supporting efforts in language exchange programs and her contribution to easing food insecurity among refugees. Her dedication to this role springs from a firm belief in the transformative power of community support.

Avery Perkins is a senior at Virginia Tech double majoring in National Security and Arabic. After briefly serving as a Virginia Tech Hokie Ambassador, she joined Elimisha Kakuma in May 2023 with an interest in connecting students of all backgrounds to higher education. So far, she has been fortunate to assist one student through receiving the WUSC scholarship and another with a full ride to Virginia Tech. In the future, Avery hopes to continue working with displaced populations and deepening her knowledge of the Arabic language, even connecting the two passions.

Joshua Cuss is a senior majoring in National Security, Foreign Affairs, and Arabic at Virginia Tech. He hopes to work in the government to build and expand organizations that support the well-being of refugees and the countries that they hail from. Josh was looking for ways to help refugees when he found Elimisha Kakuma. He has done research on education in Kakuma refugee camp and is now a tutor for refugees within the camp, in which he aims to support students and help them get accepted into universities. Josh hopes that with the skills he has ascertained through his work with Elimisha Kakuma, he will be able to apply them to his future work and continue to help these groups.

Sophie recently graduated from Virginia Tech in December 2023 with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry. With her degree, she hopes to apply to medical school in the near future to become a healthcare provider for underserved communities, bridging the gap in health disparities. Her passion for mentoring stems from being the youngest child in her family and being fortunate enough to have older siblings as great role models to look up to. Carrying over this passion to college, she first began tutoring ESL elementary and high school students from local schools in Blacksburg. In addition, through the Department of Biochemistry at Virginia Tech, she served as a mentor to freshman students new to the Biochemistry major where she was able to not only tutor them academically, but also help ease their transition to college life. Joining Elimisha Kakuma provides her with a similar opportunity to continue supporting others in their journey towards higher education through community and mentorship.