What’s An ROA Part XI: Kaytee

February 6th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

Whoa! Bet you didn’t think that there would be any more ROA’s for you to meet here on the OCC Blog after last semester when we profiled 10 of the regional outreach ambassadors.  But now, at long last, is the final installation in the series: Kaytee, the new ROA from Hofstra.

Hey guys, my name is Kaytee Lozier and I’m the new ROA for Maryland, West Virginia, and D.C. I’m a junior Print Journalism major at Hofstra University and I am co-president of the ONE Hofstra Chapter. I’m originally from New Milford CT, and before that I lived in Fontana CA.

Until I began college I never really paid attention to politics. I didn’t feel personally attached to it in any way because I didn’t feel that I played much of a role in our political process. I have always been interested in international affairs and the state of third world countries, and I had done some volunteering for Invisible Children, but I have always felt there wasn’t much I could do about the state of the world in general.  That was before I happened to find the ONE Campaign last summer. I realized that this could be the perfect opportunity to make a difference with a stronger voice, the voice of 2 million others who feel as passionate about these issues as I do.

Once I became involved with the ONE Campaign, the Campus Challenge was the perfect way to rev my engine. Finally I had a way to reach out to people and make this movement grow! After the Power 100 summit, I feel more prepared than ever to unite Hofstra students under this cause. If you go to school in any of my regions and you want to start a chapter at your school, please contact me and I’ll help you get started!

Aside from battling extreme poverty, I like to play tennis, play video games, and.. actually battling extreme poverty is pretty much my favorite thing to do nowadays, with Guitar Hero as a close second!

What’s an ROA Part X: Gelila

December 19th, 2007 at 3:14 pm

At long last, the Xth (can you do that with roman numerals?) edition of “What’s an ROA”!

Hello my name is Gelila Asnake and I am a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania. I was born and raised in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, where I attended an international French school. My move to the US in 2003 was a surprising one, but also one that opened doors to many of my dreams. I started activism work at Westchester High School in Los Angeles, taking part in a union that I am passionate about: the Bus Riders’

Union, a project of the Labor/Community Strategy Center, promotes environmentally sustainable public transportation for the entire Los Angeles population, on the premise that affordable, efficient, and environmentally sound mass transit is a human right.

BRU members fight for the expansion of social, political and economic rights of historically oppressed communities in the struggle for economic democracy and redistribution of wealth. We all know LA is the most polluted city in the US and less accessible public transportation system in the country. If you live/study in the LA area, check out the BRU. Here is a link to their site: http://www.busridersunion.org/engli/index.html. I also did door to door voter registration and education in South Central.

Although I am not an American, I feel obliged to tell Americans how privileged they are to live in a country that holds presidential candidate debates that airs on public television, and to write to their senators to voice their concerns. Where I come from, these privileges are nonexistent or corrupt. I always believed that to create change you need to be in an environment where people are willing to hear what you have to say. The US did just that.

At the ONE Campaign, I am able to join other Americans who believe extreme poverty, malaria, fair trade, to name a few, are important issues of our generation.

The truth is that we are at a time in history, where countries such as the USA who benefited greatly from globalization have the tools to end poverty in third world countries. How willing are we as Americans is the only question remaining. I believe I have a moral obligation to promote this cause as an young Ethiopian woman who has witnessed these conditions at first hand. If you want to know more about my experience growing up in Addis, please contact me. I love talking about my people, my culture and my history, so don’t hesitate. If you are a Upenn student, please join our facebook group at http://upenn.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13807675098.

What’s an ROA Part IX: Betsy

December 18th, 2007 at 11:52 am

From the Pacific to the Rockies, if you’re in the OCC, odds are your ROA is Betsy Avila:

This is Betsy Avila, your fearless ONE ROA for the friendly states of CA, NV, AZ, HI, NM and CO. I attend the University of Southern California, and am a double-major in Fine Arts and Political Science. Born and raised in the city of Los Angeles, I love the hustle and bustle of urban areas. A few quick facts about me:

Favorite Fiction Novel: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Favorite Movie: Back to the Future
Favorite 18^th-Century German Philosopher: Immanuel Kant
Favorite Italian-Baroque Artist: Caravaggio
Zodiac Sign: Libra
What I do when I’m not studying: Paint. Always, always painting.

And how I ended up here: A little over two years ago, I was browsing through the bookstore down the street when I came across Jeffrey Sachs’ The End of Poverty. Having heard great reviews about the book, and decided to invest in the purchase. Sach’s book opened my eyes to a completely new and practical view on the power of our generation. As he wrote: “Social commitments are the commitments of individuals.” Since finishing the book, I became heavily involved with ONE, as well as other social and political organizations, and I love what I do. And what makes me love what I do is meeting individuals from all over the country that have the strong will and hope that will make our common goal a reality. And that the strength of our voices does not stop here – we’re just getting started. Fight on, everyone!

What’s an ROA Part VIII: Carol

December 17th, 2007 at 3:05 pm

We’re back for our last few ROA profiles, today we have Carol:

It was a dark and stormy night… all was a still except for…yea- Just kidding! My name is Carol John and I’m the ROA for IN, IL, WI and PA. As you can tell I’m a rather silly person but it’s within a decent balance. I am a 2nd year at Drexel University in Philadelphia (GO DRAGONS!) and I have managed to major in International Area Studies with a concentration in Human Rights and Social Justice, focused in Africa and the Middle East, while also minoring in Environmental Health.

I was never really sure what I wanted to do with my life but if I can paraphrase a quote from Hotel Rwanda it sums up what changed – “people see this footage and think, Oh My God that’s horrible and continue eating their dinners.” I knew then and after other experiences like visiting an orphanage in India and working for a food delivery service to those who can’t provide for themselves that I’d like to devote my life to changing others. But, the reason I love ONE so much is that it offers normal every day American citizens the opportunity to eat their dinners but also do something whether by calling a Senator or writing a letter. We don’t just have to just watch – we have the chance to enjoy the blessings of our lives while at the same time affording others the chance to have a better life too. My passion lies in giving voices to people who don’t have it from stigmatized populations of AIDS victims, to trafficked children. And (I hope) it reflects in everything I do.

I’ve actually spent most of my life in cities and originally from Brooklyn, NY I’ve had NYC for my playground. I really love people and their cultures, art from graffiti to Monet. I love watching movies and TV but I also love to read and write. Lastly I’m a little crazy when it comes to what I like in terms of fashion (new and intense!) I really just like trying new things and I simply can’t refuse even meeting new people.

All in all, being a part of ONE has really helped me gauge just how little people know and just how important it is to keep learning. I have a few years left at school and a whole life in front of me in which I really hope to make an impact preferably by experiencing life in Sub-Saharan Africa and areas of the Middle East. I’ve got a lot of big dreams and high aspirations. And I’m learning that my example can make a real difference when it comes to showing other people just how necessary a voice is.

What’s an ROA Part VII: Rachel L.

December 13th, 2007 at 1:45 pm

For our next ROA we have the second West Coast Rachel, tricky.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” My name is Rachel Leuck, and I am the ROA for Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. I am a freshman at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire; I am majoring in Politics, and I am pursuing my Environmental Studies Certificate. I will be going abroad for peace, conflict, and development studies in Rwanda and Uganda within the next few years, and the Peace Corps is definitely in my post-graduate plans. I hope to spend my life making a real difference in the area of sustainable human development, as far as it concerns the environment, poverty, and impacts on human rights, politics, and peace.

I am a native West Coast girl. I was born on Whidbey Island (just off the coast of Seattle) in Washington; at age 2, my family moved back to California. I have immense California pride; even so, I decided to go 3,000 miles away for college, just for the adventure! I am a humanitarian at heart. I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in, even if that means time behind bars. I embrace all faiths and cultures, and I try to like everyone. I’d rather have laugh lines than regret wrinkles, so I am always smiling!

Other than that, I am your typical hug-loving vegetarian! I enjoy politics, traveling, hiking, camping, writing, photography, relaxing at the beach, riding horses, and cuddling. Running is my de-stressor and my anti-drug. I love learning about the world, and I love wolves. My favorite books are “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen and “The End of Poverty” by Jeffrey Sachs. Everyone needs to watch these three films at some point: “The Girl in the Cafe,” “Yesterday,” and the BBC “Planet Earth” series.

Have a great holiday! I can’t wait to meet you all at the ONE Conference in January… and remember: “The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.” The world knows that extreme global poverty is a problem; our generation can and will end it.

What’s an ROA Part VI: Rachel J.

December 12th, 2007 at 3:42 pm

For Part 6 of What’s an ROA we head across the country to meet Rachel Johnstone in Washington state.

My name is Rachel Johnstone, I am from a town of 485 people out in the middle of nowhere in Oregon grew up in the country, and worked for City of Monroe for 2.5 years during my last years of high school where I originally became interested in politics and began to study a much bigger picture of world economics. After high school I left the small country town to go to school in St. Louis where my life was completely transformed and became even more involved in humanitarian issues. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2007 that I became actively involved with the ONE campaign and starting research more world-wide poverty, the effects of Aids/HIV/ Malaria, unclean water, and uneducated children. At the point I took on a personal commitment to raise awareness among the school I was currently attending and the church organization that I was heavily involved in.

I have recently moved back to the West Coast to Washington State where I am attending Yakima Valley Community College about 2 hours east of Seattle where we are standing up and joining the fight against extreme poverty!

What’s an ROA Part V: Maisie

December 11th, 2007 at 3:51 pm

 Part 5 (about half way done!) of our What’s an ROA series takes us to Virginia to meet Maisie:

Hello! My name is Maisie Pigeon, and I am a senior (!!) at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA studying Political Science, Anthropology, and Africana Studies. I represent the states of VA, GA, FL, AL, and MS. While I haven’t pinned down precisely what I want to do after graduation, I’m looking into international human rights law or global economic policy. I have been a member of the ONE Campaign since the summer of 2005 and will continue to work with it until the fight against poverty has been won of course!

Last summer, I took part in a study abroad program in Kenya where we traveled through the entire country. I picked up some invaluable experiences there and was able to put faces to a lot of the statistics I’ve studied over the years; for one, we stayed with families, so we understood living conditions. (I would pretty much be a worthless Kenyan, because I am absolutely no good at milking cows…) I’ve also spent time in Tanzania, Costa Rica, and a handful of European nations.

When I’m not concentrating on schoolwork, more likely than not, I can be found outside. I love snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, climbing, running with my dog Clyde, and learning how to do a lot of other stuff. I also love to travel (I’ve had a toe in 3 of the 4 oceans thus far), cooking, going to concerts, reading, and painting & sculpting. I love my dog, and I hate blueberries. I am ALWAYS game for an adventure.

The culmination of all of my experiences and hobbies has taught me about the difference one person can make in the world, be it a kind word of encouragement to a fellow snowboarder or a call to a Congressman to put pressure on poverty legislation. Our generation has so much potential to really change the world so remember to keep doing exactly what you have been doing; we have the ability to accomplish so much!

What’s an ROA Part IV: Steve

December 10th, 2007 at 2:00 pm

We start this week’s “What’s an ROA” series with Steve, a long time volunteer, and now gung-ho ROA.

Hi, my name is Steve White and I’m the ROA for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. I go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA but I live within a mile or two or Fenway so it’s basically in Boston. I’m a freshman so I haven’t committed to a major yet but I’m learning towards Economics and with a minor in Math and plan to work in development economics or epidemiology later in life.

I was born in a small town in central Florida, and lived in nearby Spring Hill, mostly a mix of Wal-Marts, churches, and old people, for most of my life. My parents taught me to respect life and consider other people when I voted. When there was a big election while I a kid, my mom said “this candidate is for the poor, and the other is for the rich.” I’ve been supporting the candidates who have plans to deal with poverty ever since (there have not been many until this year, thanks to ONE), and joined the ONE campaign around the time it was started and have been volunteering for over a year.

I spend most of my time procrastinating, reading articles on health and poverty, and trying to keep up with the election. I love to read statistics, starting as a kid memorizing the numbers on football cards and now in college reading polling data. A friend and I made a pact that one day we were going to run for president for a week if we could raise enough money to do it. Besides ending poverty, homelessness, enormous mortality from preventable disease, and a few other horrible things in this world, that is my dream.

What’s an ROA Part III: Ross

December 5th, 2007 at 4:25 pm

Part 3 in our “What’s an ROA” series is Ross Joy, who covers some of the North East and Mid Atlantic States

Hola. My name is Ross Joy and I am the ROA for New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. I attend Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ which is three blocks outside of Newark. I am majoring in International Relations and Diplomacy, Spanish, and hopefully a minor in Urban Studies. I am 98% sure that I am going to the Peace Corp after school. Dream job is to work for the UN Development Programme or Population Fund dealing with slum development.

I am originally from a small farming town south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Coming from an extend farming family and an active 4-H member, I have always been interested in agriculture and social justice issues. Reading letters from my parents’ college friends that have become missionaries in Ethiopia and in high school reading Jeffrey Sachs’ “The End of Poverty” and Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” (must reads), I came to realize that ending poverty is a call for humanity and myself.

Otherwise I enjoy long walks on the beach, Merengue dancing, the movie Garden State, photography, Bollywood music, the Brooklyn Bridge, and running, one day the Boston Marathon. I am very excited for winter break because I am going to be visiting family that lives in Santo Domingo, DR. Good luck with exams and remember that we are the engines for social change.

What’s an ROA Part II: Nick

December 4th, 2007 at 1:00 pm

Nick Stevens is the Regional Outreach Ambassador for Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Utah, and Kansas. He is also President of ONE Webster, and Co-chairman of ONEstl in Saint Louis, Missouri.

While studying jazz performance for guitar at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, he developed tendonitis in both hands and decided to leave music as a career. After a couple of months of soul searching, Nick found a new passion: the fight against extreme poverty.

Nick has been volunteering with ONE for over a year, and has also volunteered with Bread for the World, Oxfam America, Microfinancing Partners in Africa, and Lokahi Outreach. As a ONE volunteer, he has lobbied congress, talked with reporters, organized events, and tabled at colleges, churches, and concerts. At Webster University, he is majoring in Public Relations, minoring in French, and pursuing an International Human Rights Certificate and a Leadership Certificate. After graduation, Nick hopes to work for a non-profit that is working to fight poverty and other social issues.

“I support the ONE Campaign because it proves that someone’s voice is just as powerful as their pocketbook in the fight against poverty. For college students like me who are surviving on spaghetti noodles and dry cereal, that’s an empowering truth. The money is already there, we just have to tell our politicians what we want done with it.”

Nick’s favorite animal: Manbearpig

If you’re a leader in one of Nick’s states, make sure to join his Facebook group:
Leaders Facebook group for MO, OH, MI, UT, and KS.