Angelica Thomas is joining us from Rockville, Maryland. She served as an English Education volunteer with Peace Corps Indonesia. Angelica will be pursuing a Master’s in Engineering Management while working with the Grand Challenge Scholars Program here at UMBC. She looks forward to diving into her area of concentration, human-centered computing, and working with students as they research ways to address the challenges of the 21st century.

Ashley Flateland is originally from Fox Island, Washington. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, she worked as a Youth and HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Volunteer in Botswana from 2012-2015. She will be getting her Masters in Public Health with concentration in Population and Community Health. At Walden’s Circle, she will be designing and implementing a health-oriented after-school youth program. She is both excited and grateful for the opportunity.

Ashley Ramos was born and raised in Southern California. She moved to Washington, D.C. four years ago for a new change of pace and growth opportunities. Ashley was a Community Health Improvement Program volunteer at Peace Corps in Zambia, where she educated host country nationals on malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, and child and maternal childhood nutrition. She will be studying for her Masters In Social Work and working with the Choice program. She is excited for this new endeavor and can’t wait to see what’s in store for her!

Zara Pollack is joining us from the Pacific Northwest, specifically Spokane, Washington. She was a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Volunteer in Peace Corps Guatemala from 2017-2019. She will be studying for her Masters of Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and serving with the Commodore John Rodgers Elementary-Middle School. Zara enjoys a good cup of coffee, genuine connections and is excited to be part of this vibrant community.

Akinyi Merab Victoria joins us as a global Peaceworker Fellow. She is a visionary African leader, visual artist, and social entrepreneur from Uganda, dedicated to community empowerment through the arts. She is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Streetlights Uganda, an NGO that uses visual arts as a tool for creating a better future for street-connected children. Through her work, Akinyi plays a crucial role in identifying, nurturing, and developing the talents and abilities of vulnerable children, providing them with the skills and opportunities needed to transform their lives. She will study for a Masters in Community Leadership at UMBC and work at the Center for Global Engagement to bring international delegations to UMBC, including the Young African Leaders Institute, which she participated in at UMBC in our inaugural year hosting the program in 2023.