How do you TIF?

I founded Misongi, an organization that identifies, nurtures and connects Cameroon’s most exceptional, motivated youth with leading institutions of higher education and further opportunities. By working with these students — beginning in junior high, Misongi aims to increase the percentage of talented Cameroonian students attending the world’s best universities and to support them to achieve success in their careers and communities. Our students come from across Cameroon and are driven by a desire to (re)discover their culture and the world. Besides being academically gifted, they demonstrate a keen interest for service that translates into the various volunteering activities they engage in their communities. Whether it is learning about water management, doing medical research to improve young inmates’ health care, learning first aid care with the Red Cross or teaching English to teenagers and adults, I am proud of my students’ commitment to making a difference in Cameroon. Proud to be an Eph, and happy to Teach it Forward! Veronique Hob-Hob ’13.

Brett Hammond ’04 is recognized as a model mentor for disadvantaged youth in Cleveland. For the full story, go here. 

This spring, Chloe Brown ’10 and Drew Newman ’04 are preparing taxes for low-income residents of Trenton, New Jersey, as part of the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. As graduate students at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Chloe and Drew became certified volunteer tax preparers. Throughout the tax season, they are volunteering on Fridays at the Arm in Arm social services center (http://arminarm.org/about/ ) where they help this families in need to file their tax returns, access the Earned Income Tax Credit and other programs, and obtain their tax refunds all for free.

In the September 2016 edition of Williams People, Mac Harman ’98 wrote: “I just boarded a flight from Manila to Bacolod City, Philippines, where I’m thrilled to be involved with an amazing NGO called Negrense Volunteers for Change. We focus on alleviating poverty by providing nutrition and education to kids, mostly in squatters’ villages; to be successful we’ve found we must first provide parents with dignity by training them and providing jobs. I’ve been involved for the past three years after Typhoon Yolanda ravaged the region; it really puts our First World lives in perspective.”

As an undergrad studying political science and environmental studies, Maggie Winslow ’84 developed an interest in environmental issues and social justice that was encouraged by her adviser Kurt Tauber. After receiving her PhD at UC Berkeley, she was a founding faculty member for the sustainability-focused MBA program at Presidio Graduate School.

Genesis Herrera is the director of education policy at the New York Mission Society. As part of her job, she developed the G.R.I.O.T. Program, which gives free music instruction to children (the teachers are well-known jazz musicians in NYC). Read more about the program here.

Elizabeth Baker ’00, along with Olivia Stapp and Ellen St. Thomas, founded Open Opera in 2008. Open Opera provides a public stage for Bay Area singers, whether they be young amateurs or seasoned professionals. With free performances, Open Opera hopes to ignite a passion for opera and classical music within the Bay Area. Read more about Open Opera here.

From the Boston Globe, a story about the nonprofit Boston Youth Wrestling program launched by former Eph wrestler Jose Valenzuela ’07 and several of his teammates: “I’ve seen lots of kids go through the Boston public schools without ever having a positive experience,’’ Valenzuela said. “They never have a taste of success. They feel like school is not for them. Then wrestling comes along and they feel like they’re good at something. You can see what it does for them.’’

Wrestling coach Jose Valenzuela, center, founded a nonprofit wrestling program for city kids.

“I’ve seen firsthand how hearing stories from one another can help build previously unseen connections between individuals from different social circles. These stories often reveal what is beneath the surface for those around us, illuminating a depth of character and life experience that we could not possibly know otherwise.”

We’re making great progress via the Teach It Forward Campaign, and via Purple with Purpose! Check out these quick stats from the spring 2016 issue of Williams Magazine.

What Can Happen When a Dominican Girl from the Bronx Gets the Right Education? Jess Torres ‘12, the Assistant Press Secretary of the 2016 National Democratic Convention, told her story to Women’s Health Magazine.

Dean Cycon ’75 prefers to be called a social activist rather than a businessman. His coffee business, Dean’s Beans, which buys organically and ethically grown coffee beans from 12 countries, began as an experiment to determine if a company that is wholeheartedly committed to fair trade could also turn over a healthy profit.

Liz Borowsky is on the cover of Woman Engineer magazine! Read the full issue here.

Vice President Joe Biden talks with Don Graves as he walks across West Executive Avenue at the White House, Sept. 29, 2014. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Vice President Joe Biden has hired Don Graves ‘92 to lead his major cancer research initiative: “Biden often says that there are three kinds of politics: church politics, union politics, and regular politics. But [Don] Graves said he and Biden have learned a lesson together: that there’s a fourth kind of politics — cancer politics — and it can be even more contentious than the rest.” Read the story here.

As the Director of Programs at ArtsConnection, I have the pleasure of working with dedicated artists and staff who provide much needed access to the arts for students in NYC public schools.  We know full well the power of the arts to empower students and foster the skills young people must know to thrive in the 21st century. www.artsconnection.org

Submitted by Rachel Watts ’97