World Camp High School Session in Malawi!

Welcome to the official team blog for the 2009 World Camp High School volunteer group working in Malawi this July. The group will be posting updates about their activities and experiences periodically, so be sure to check back often. We are very excited about our group this year, and would like to start by introducing the program coordinators who will be leading this year's team.

First, we have Pete Goff who will be traveling with the group from New York to Malawi and back, and will be leading the group while in Malawi. Pete began his involvement with WC as a volunteer instructor in January 2004. This trip inspired Pete to learn more about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa by volunteering with organizations addressing this problem from a variety of angles. After graduating from Middlebury College in May 2005 with a B.A. in Biochemistry, he spent several months volunteering, teaching, and studying with various HIV/AIDS related groups in East and Southern Africa. Subsequently, Pete joined Dr. Frederick Alt's lab at the Immune Disease Institute and Harvard Medical School to research development and diversification of the immune system in B- and T- lineage cells. This past year, he worked for Dr. Nathaniel Landau's lab in the New York University School of Medicine's Microbial Pathogenesis Program, where he investigates the molecular mechanisms responsible for HIV nuclear import. While pursuing his research interests, Pete continued his education and is graduating with a Masters of Liberal Arts focused in Biology from Harvard University. Pete joined World Camp's Board of Directors in May 2008 and serves as the Chair of the Development Committee. He has enjoyed working with high school students in the past as a swim team coach for several summers, and is looking forward to coordinating an AMAZING program in Malawi this summer! After returning from Malawi, Pete will enter the Mount Sinai School of Medicine as a first year student in August.

Also leading this year's group, and already working with World Camp in Malawi this May is Ashley Sawyer. Ashley graduated from California State University, Chico in 2001 with a BA in Social Science and a curiosity for international education and study abroad. The next eight years took her traveling through 16 countries, working and teaching in England, Spain and Malawi. Ashley’s passion for working with youth and social justice through education is what first brought her to World Camp. She currently works for our organization as a Program Coordinator in Malawi and on curriculum development in our Asheville office. She is pursuing her masters in International Education with SIT Graduate Institute. Ashley also takes her lifelong enthusiasm and love of soccer around the world, breaking down cultural and language barriers by engaging kids in matches wherever she goes.