Alumni Fellows

Jok Abraham Thon is a South Sudanese educational leader and a former Refugee. Jok is the founder and Director of Promised Land Primary and Secondary School, which provides education to over 1500 internally displaced students in Juba-South Sudan. He is a former Mandela Youth Leadership Fellow, a Ron Kovic Humanitarian Award Winner, and winner of the Billion Act for Peace award. He graduated in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership.

Taylor Gentry comes from Seattle, Washington. He was an education volunteer in Peace Corps Liberia, and received a Masters of Engineering Management here at UMBC while working with the Walden Circle Community Center.

Maia Scarabelli will be joined us from Honduras where she has been working as a teacher. In Peace Corps she was a TEFL volunteer in Myanmar and she received a Masters in TESOL. She worked with the Grand Challenges Scholars Program at UMBC.

Madison Pickard hails originally from Washington state, but has been living in Thailand for the past 3 years. She served in Ecuador from ‘16-‘18 where she worked as a teacher trainer in the TEFL program. She graduated in Intercultural Communication and worked with the Center for Global Engagement at UMBC.

Latisha Pledger is from Chesapeake, Virginia and went to Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. Latisha served as an education volunteer  in Liberia and was an active member on Peace Corps Liberia’s Gender Committee. Latisha received a masters in Community Leadership and worked with the Choice Jobs program at UMBC.

Larree Strickland comes from New Orleans and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Samoa as an English Literacy resource teacher. Larree received a Master of Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and worked with Soccer Without Borders and Pulse Forward.

Betty Yu will joined us from Phoenix, Arizona. She was a TEFL and Community Development volunteer in Peace Corps Mongolia. She received a a Masters of Applied Sociology at UMBC and worked with the Mayor’s office of Immigrant Affairs.

Andrea Moreno comes from San Antonio, Texas. She served in the Peace Corps in Cameroon as a secondary English teacher. She worked with the Lakeland Community and STEAM Center and graduated with a Masters of Public Health at the University of Maryland Baltimore.

Allison Mitchell comes originally from Madison, Wisconsin. She served in Zambia in 18-20, where she was a Rural Education Development volunteer. She graduated with a Masters of Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and worked at the Commodore John Rogers Elementary-Middle School.

Lydia Sannella comes from just north of San Francisco, CA. She served in the Peace Corps in Kosovo with the municipal Department of Culture, Youth, & Sport and with a women’s rights organization. She graduated in Applied Sociology and served with UMBC’s food access partnership, Retriever Essentials.

Julissa Gómez Ruvalcaba comes from Northern California. She was a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru where she was a youth development volunteer. She graduated in Applied Sociology and served with the Choice program.

Valerie Navarro Pasión is from Baltimore County, MD and served in Peace Corps Paraguay as an environmental education and conservation volunteer. She graduated in Geography and Environmental Systems and served with the Patterson Park Audubon Center.

Brandi Muller joined us from Washington, DC. As a Peace Corps volunteer, she was a community economic development volunteer in the Dominican Republic. She graduated inCommunity Leadership and served with the Mayor’s office of Children and Family Success.

Ray McKetty is joining us from Greenville, SC. As a Peace Corps Volunteer he was a primary literacy advisor in Jamaica. He graduated in Community Leadership and served with the McNair Scholars Program.

Markya Reed comes from Hanover, MD and served in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica as a youth development promoter. She graduated in Applied Sociology and her placement was with UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life.

Imani Davis is joining us from Washington, DC. She served in the Peace Corps in Kenya where she was a public health volunteer. She graduated with Masters of Social Work and served with the Baltimore City Mayor’s office of Homeless Services.

Grant Clifton comes from Fresno, CA. As a Peace Corps volunteer he served in Indonesia as a Secondary Education English Teacher volunteer. He graduated with a masters in TESOL and served with the English Language Institute at UMBC.

David Demarest joined us from metro Boston, MA. He served in the Peace Corps in Botswana as a Life Skills Educator. He graduated with a Masters of Arts in Teaching with a secondary Social Studies certification and serving with the Charlesmead initiative for Arts Education.

Alexandra DeCraene comes from Grosse Pointe, Michigan. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, Alexandra taught secondary education. She completed a Public Policy degree at UMBC and served with the Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP).

Elizabeth Garcia served in the Peace Corps in Republic of Georgia in the Community Economic Development program. She is achieved a Masters of Social Work at UMB and completed her Peaceworker placement with the Lakeland Community and STEAM Center.

Keenan Hickman comes most recently from San Francisco, California. He served in the Peace Corps in Indonesia as a TEFL volunteer; at UMBC he completed a degree in Community Leadership and served as the coordinator for the Walden Circle Community Center.

Faith Kamei is a UMBC alum who returned to her alma mater after serving in the Peace Corps in Peru as a Youth Development Volunteer; she is graduated with a Masters in Social Work and served with the Commodore John Rogers Elementary-Middle School.

Samantha Stowers comes originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She served for three years in Peace Corps Nicaragua, first as a Small Business Development volunteer and then as a volunteer leader. She achieved a degree in Social Work and served with the Newcomer Support Team of Baltimore City Public Schools.

Amy Soukup comes from Backus, Minnesota. She served in Peace Corps Albania as a Community Economic Development volunteer. She completed a Masters in Economic Policy Analysis while she worked with the Baltimore City Mayor’s office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs (MIMA).

April Cropper joined us from Columbia, MD. She served in the Peace Corps in Panama as a Community Environmental Conservation Volunteer; as a Peaceworker she supported Baltimore’s Soccer Without Borders program and studied for a degree in Instructional Systems Design.

Melody Concas joined us from Washington DC. She served in the Peace Corps in Zambia as an Education volunteer. She completed a Masters of Social Work and served at the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services in Baltimore.

Brian Horlick-Cruz comes originally from Florida. He served in the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso as a TEFL teacher. As a Peaceworker he completed an MA in Geography and Environmental Systems and served with the English Language Institute.

Shekinah Davis calls Portland, Oregon home and joined us directly from Ecuador where she served in the Peace Corps as a Community Health Volunteer. As a Peaceworker she pursued a Masters in Intercultural Communication and serving with the Charlesmead initiative at UMBC.

Jeanni Hines lives in Catonsville, MD, just up the road from UMBC! She served in Senegal as a Small Enterprise Development volunteer. As a Peaceworker she served with the Center for Women in Technology or CWIT and pursued a Masters in Applied Sociology.

Jason Jozwiak comes originally from Indiana. He served in the Ukraine as a TEFL volunteer. As a Peaceworker, he completed a Masters in Information Systems and served with the Baltimore City Department of General Services.

Nicho Nguyen joined us from Texas. He served in the Peace Corps in Ecuador where he was a Youth and Families Community Development Specialist and a 3rd year Volunteer Leader. He completed a Masters in Applied Sociology and served at the Patterson Park Audubon Center.

Joe Mayhew comes originally from Catonsville, MD. He served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay as a Community Economic Development volunteer. As a Peaceworker, Joseph pursued a Masters in TESOL and served at the Commodore John Rogers school in East Baltimore.

Kaitlin Benner-Kenagy Hails from Seattle, WA and served in the Peace Corps as TEFL Volunteer in Azerbaijan. While a Peaceworker, Kaitlin pursued a Masters in Elementary Education and TEFL at Loyola University of Maryland and had dual service placements as a coordinator for the Sondheim Scholars Program and with the College JUMP program, which creates college pathways for refugee youth.

Kiplyn Jones comes from Florida, but has most recently been living in Baltimore working with the Reading Partners program. Her time in the Peace Corps was spent as a Youth Development Volunteer in Indonesia. As a Peaceworker, she pursued a Masters in Public Policy here at UMBC and coordinated the Grand Challenge Scholars program.

Magee Morales joined us from Washington, DC where she has worked as a public school teacher and leader. She served in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic  as a Community Economic Development volunteer. As a Peaceworker she completed a Masters in Social Work and served with the Lakeland Community and STEAM Center.

Originally from Louisiana, Jay McNairn served in the Peace Corps  in The Republic of Moldova as a Health Educator. He pursued a masters in Intercultural Communication at UMBC and served with the 100% Project, working to encourage interest and access to higher education for students.

Rachel Wallace joined us from Callaway Maryland. In the Peace Corps, Rachel served as an agriculture volunteer in Paraguay. She completed a Masters in Education with a focus on Art Education and coordinated the Charlesmead initiative to engage young people from the region in arts programming at UMBC as a pathway to college access.

Travis Lageman is originally from New York state and served as a Science Education Volunteer and Volunteer Trainer in Ghana from 2015-2017. He completed a Masters of Public Policy and served at The Baltimore City Department of Public Works building a new initiative called Neighborhood Grow Centers .

Danielle Lew comes originally from California and as a Peace Corps Volunteer served as an English Teacher and Teacher Trainer in Indonesia. She completed a Masters of Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and served with the Mayor’s Office of Human Services, in the Homeless Services Division.

Ilana Hipshman comes from Portland Oregon originally. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, she worked in Community Health programs in Nicaragua. She completed a Masters of Social Work and worked with James McHenry Elementary Middle School and the Center for Women in Technology.

Emmanuel Ekekwe joined us from Washington DC where he has worked for Peace Corps headquarters for the past three years. Emmanuel served in the Peace corps in both Mali as a Youth Development Coordinator and later in Cameroon as a TEFL instructor. He completed a Masters in Intercultural Communication here at UMBC and served as the coordinator of the Walden Circle Community Center.

Phillip McKnight, a Maryland native, served as a Green Initiative Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica from 2015-2017. He completed a Masters in Instruction Systems Development with a focus on Mindfulness in Schools; His Peaceworker placement was at the Patterson Park Audubon Center.

Erica Peery comes originally from Michigan and served in the Peace Corps as a Community Health Volunteer in Senegal. She received a Masters in Public Policy at UMBC and served with the Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) in their Washington, DC office, working on policy related to Early Childhood Education.

Christopher Upchurch is from Indianapolis, Indiana. He served in the Peace Corps in Panama as a Tourism and English Advising Volunteer. In Panama, he taught English to children and adults, and worked to strengthen local cooperatives. Chris received a Masters of Arts in TESOL at UMBC. As a Peaceworker Fellow, he served as the Commodore to College Coordinator at the Commodore John Rogers School in Baltimore City.

Adriana Neuenschwander is originally from Reading, Michigan. She graduated from Central Michigan University, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand. Her work there focused on teaching English classes to students and training local teachers on student-centered teaching practices. Adrianna received a Masters of Arts in TESOL. As a Peaceworker Fellow, she served as the English Language reading and writing tutor in the English Language Institute.

Ciara Christian is from Springfield, Ohio. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Rwanda where she taught English and created systems to support Peace Corps Volunteers of Color. Ciara graduated from Howard University. As a Peaceworker fellow, she received Masters of Arts in Applied Sociology at UMBC. She served on campus in 2 roles: leading the Grand Challenges Scholars program in the Engineering Department and conducting research on applied experiences in higher education and their effects on building affective skills for students.

Eleanor Brasfield completed her service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia where she worked on food security and agricultural projects. A native of Manchester, Maryland, Eleanor is a graduate of Catholic University. As a Peaceworker fellow, she received a Masters of Arts in Intercultural Communication at UMBC and served as the coordinator at the Walden Circle Community Center running after-school programming for kids.

Ramona Dowdell is a North Carolina native, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Ricaas a Youth Development Volunteer working on grassroots community organizing and developing a suite of life-skills trainings for youth. As Peaceworker Fellow, Ramona received Masters of Social Work at the University of Maryland Baltimore, and served at Lakeland Elementary Middle School in the new STEAM Center.

Michael Hassett joined us from New Castle, PA.  He graduated from La Roche College with a dual degree in History and Political Science, and previously completed two terms with AmeriCorps working with inner-city youth in Pittsburgh.  As a Peaceworker Fellow, he first coordinated the Commodore to College initiative at Commodore John Rogers School in Baltimore City, and then worked as a policy analyst for St. Vincent de Paul while completing a Masters of Public Policy at UMBC.

Bridget Patton is from Rocky River, OH. She served in Cameroon where she created a Income Generation and Social Enterprise program for a local non-profit, and facilitated trainings related to business and income generation. Bridget received a Masters of Public Policy from UMBC and served at the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services.

Michaela Barnhart joined us from Tirana, Albania where she was working as a Science teacher.  After graduating from Guilford College, Michaela served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Indonesia. She received a Masters of Arts in STEM education, and served with the SUCCESS program here at UMBC, supporting young adults with intellectual disabilities.

Morgan Bowers is a Washington D.C. native, and a graduate of Spellman College. She completed her Peace Corps service in Guinea.  As a Peaceworker, she pursued Masters in Social Work with a focus on community organizing at the University of Maryland Baltimore.   She served with In, For, Of (a nonprofit dedicated to thoughtful community organizing in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood of Baltimore).

Ryan Good is a graduate of Wright State University and joined us from Springfield, Ohio.  Ryan served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Indonesia, and completed a Masters of Arts in Teaching ESOL at UMBC.  Ryan’s service placement was coordinating a new partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps working on strategic diversity recruitment for the Peace Corps at UMBC and other regional institutions and assisting with our Peace Corps Prep program.

Lucy Hernandez is a New York native, and received a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Binghamton University. Lucy served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua working on Community Health Education.  She completed a dual Masters Degree in Social Work and Public Health from the University of Maryland Baltimore.  As a Peaceworker, she served at Lakeland Elementary Middle School working closely with Latino immigrant families.

Becky Morrison a Philly area native, joined us from Peace Corps Headquarters, where she most recently worked as a Placement and Assessment Specialist.  She served as a volunteer in China from 2009-2011 after graduating from Notre Dame de Namur University, and pursued a Masters in Applied Sociology at UMBC.  Becky worked with the Office of Student Life coordinating service and volunteerism programming on campus.

Mollie Willis is from Portland, Oregon and graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Economics.  She recently returned as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon where she served in the Community Economic Development sector working on a clean water project and grants management. As a Peaceworker Mollie will pursue a Masters in Public Policy at UMBC and will serve with the Annie E. Casey foundation in Baltimore.

Jaclin Paul served in the Peace Corps in Ghana as a secondary education volunteer with a focus on visual arts. She completed a Masters of Fine Art in Intermedia and Digital Arts at UMBC and served as the coordinator for the SUCCESS Program, a college experience program for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Joel Baker is originally from Georgetown, Delaware and graduated from Eastern University with a degree in Communications.  He served as a Peace Corps and Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Guinea working on agroforestry extension.  As a Peaceworker Joel will study Geography and Environmental Systems and will serve with the Walden Circle community center.

Katie Miller is originally from Blandon, Pennsylvania and graduated from Messiah College with a B.S. in Elementary Education with a concentration in Special Education.  As a Peace Corps Volunteer she served in Guyana in the Education sector designing literacy trainings and developing library and computer resources in primary schools.  As a Peaceworker Katie will study Geography and Environmental Systems and will serve in Baltimore City Councilman Jim Kraft’s Office.

Pierce MacMillan is originally from Savannah, Georgia, and is joining us from his Peace Corps Response post in Guyana.  Pierce graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in International Affairs and German.  As a Peace Corps Volunteer he served in Vanuatu as an Information Technology Educator.  As a Peaceworker Pierce will study Information Systems Management at UMBC and serve here at the Shriver Center.

Mark Zachar is originally from Chicago, Illinois and received B.S. degrees in Environmental Engineering and Chemical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Mark served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana teaching junior high school students math and science. As a Peaceworker Mark will study for a Masters in the Art of Teaching and serve with the UMBC Office of Student Life.

Shannon Pierre-Jerome is originally from right here in Baltimore!  Shannon graduated from Towson University with a Bachelors of Arts in Spanish.  As a Peace Corps Volunteer she served in Macedonia as a Primary English Resource Teacher. As a Peaceworker Shannon will study Intercultural Communications at UMBC and serve as the graduate reading and writing tutor with the English Language Institute at UMBC.

Merrie Winfrey is from Blacksburg, VA and has gathered a variety of degrees during her academic career, including a B.A. and M.A. in English and a J.D. in Law from the University of Kentucky. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia as a TEFL teacher at a university. As a Peaceworker Merrie studied Instructional Systems Design, and served with Save the Children’s US Office in Washington D.C. on their new Be the Voice initiative.

Jennifer Mayo is originally from Columbus, Ohio and graduated from Ohio State University with a B.A. in International Studies. As a Peace Corps Volunteer she served in Honduras as a Small Business Development Volunteer. As a Peaceworker Jennifer earned a degree in Geography and Environmental Systems at UMBC and served with the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services in Baltimore City.

Molly Lemoine is originally from Chatham, New York and graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Political Science. As a Peace Corps Volunteer she served in the Republics of Guinea and Mali as a TEFL volunteer. As a Peaceworker she studied Intercultural Communications and worked with the MOSAIC Center on campus coordinating cultural diversity programming.

Greg Couturier is originally from Lititz, Pennsylvania and graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a degree in English and American Studies. As a Peace Corps Volunteer he served in Peru as a Water and Sanitation Volunteer. As a Peaceworker Greg studied for an M.S.W. at the School of Social Work and served with Lakeland Elementary-Middle School.

Mark Zachar served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana with the education sector. He studied for a degree in secondary education at UMBC and served with the Office of Student Life.

Kellie Bland is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in Communications and Spanish. As a Peace Corps Volunteer she served in Nicaragua as a TEFL volunteer. As a Peaceworker Kellie studied Intercultural Communications at UMBC and served with the Friends of Patterson Park in Baltimore City, working on member outreach.

Brooks Binau is originally from Hagerstown, Maryland and graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Television-Radio. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia working on farming and environmental planning projects. As a Peaceworker Brooks studied Geography and Environmental Systems and served with Lakeland Elementary-Middle School working to strengthen the community’s neighborhood association.