Nourish is thrilled to announce another 5 of our 2012 Chapter Founders who have been selected from a competitive pool of applicants to found Nourish Chapters on their campus. We are so excited to welcome the Claremont Colleges, Indiana University and the University of Pittsburgh to the Nourish family!

Manya Janowitz is entering her sophomore year at Pomona College in Claremont, California, studying International Relations and French. Manya has always been interested in equality and social justice. Recently, she has expanded her interests globally and has begun to focus on sustainable development in college. She came across Nourish International and immediately fell in love with its mission, work, and model. She could not be more excited to bring it to the five Claremont Colleges and is confident the chapter will blossom and thrive. An avid actress, her passions include theater, tea, and yoga. Manya will continue to fight for a more equitable allocation of the world’s resources throughout her life, and she thinks the power we have to create change is astounding.

Jacob Fiksel will be a sophomore at Pomona College next year. He is majoring in economics with a minor in mathematics. Combating global poverty through sustainable community projects became his true passion after volunteering for six weeks in a Paraguayan community in the summer of 2010. In his free time he enjoys exercising, enjoying the company of his friends, and listening to music. Some of his favorite artists include The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Nas, and the Notorious BIG. He cannot wait to bring Nourish to the Claremont Colleges to work with fellow students on building a successful venture and fighting global poverty.

Carli Coughanowr is a junior at Indiana University studying Psychology and Pre-Medicine and completing a minor in Chemistry. While visiting UGA on her spring break 2012, Carli was introduced to Nourish International. She immediately knew Nourish would be a great fit at Indiana University. Carli decided to found the chapter with Mallory Harnish, a very good friend. She is very excited to see the variety of students that will become involved in the nourish chapter. Over the summer of 2012 Carli will make her second short-term mission trip to Poland. The first trip gave her the passion she has for international work on eradicating poverty. With the free time Carli has, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, taking runs on the beautiful IU campus, and watching Grey’s Anatomy. Carli wishes to practice medicine internationally one day and is excited to see where the new Nourish chapter will go at IU!

Mallory Harnish is entering her junior year at Indiana University majoring in Accounting and Finance. Coming into college as a freshman Mallory got involved in many organizations but wanted to find an organization fully focused on giving back and addressing global poverty. When she found Nourish International, Mallory knew this organization would be great for her campus. In her free time Mallory enjoys working out, listening to music, reading, spending time with family and friends, traveling, camping, and being outdoors.

Alex Deuley is starting her sophomore year at the University of Pittsburgh.  She is undecided on her major but is considering Business, Economics, and Spanish.  She has never left the country but has big travel plans in her future.  Alex is very excited to propel into the fight against poverty and to bring such an engaging organization to Pitt’s campus.  She has great faith that the message and principles of Nourish will be well-received and supported by the student body.  In her free time, Alex enjoys playing any sport, running, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Nourish is thrilled to announce 5 of our 2012 Chapter Founders who have been selected from a competitive pool of applicants to found Nourish Chapters on their campus. We are so excited to welcome the University of Minnesota, Randolph-Macon College, Juniata College, and Boston University to the Nourish family!

Read on to learn more about these Chapter Founders:

Hanna Mihalko is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota. She is majoring in Genetics with a minor in Spanish Studies. While studying in Ecuador this past year, she was confronted with the devastating lack of basic needs in many communities. As she left Ecuador, Hanna was motivated to join the global fight to eradicate poverty and found Nourish as a practical way to pursue this dream. In her free time, Hanna loves to go biking in Minneapolis, hike along the Mississippi river, and cook with her friends.

Valeria Vargas Brenes is a United World College graduate that is currently a sophomore at Randolph-Macon College, VA. She’s from Costa Rica but lived in Norway for two years while studying at RCNUWC. Her majors are Political Science and Sociology/Anthropology with a minor in Film. She was part of the founding group of the Peñas Culturales in Costa Rica and preformed her own poetry in these events for about three years. Valeria is excited to serve as Chapter Leader for the Nourish International Chapter at R-MC.

Shuyan Zhan is a rising sophomore in Randolph-Macon College. She is double-majoring in French and Econ/Business and minoring in English. As a Chinese student currently studying in the US, she is always fascinated by cultural encounters and is thrilled by the possibilities that Nourish International offers to foster outreach between different communities. She has a deep understanding of poverty and passion for a possible solution for the problems in impoverished areas. She is eagerly looking forward to the successful launch of Nourish on her campus.

Andrea Morillo is entering her sophomore year at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA studying Integrated Media Arts with an emphasis in Business. As a Honduran, she’s always been aware of poverty and has always known she would dedicate her life to improving the living conditions of those in need. She is extremely grateful for her education and she withes to provide other Hondurans with opportunities for education. She strongly believes in Nourish’s capacity to make a difference and she’s extremely excited to be a part of it. In her free time she enjoys drawing, traveling and spending time with her family.

My name is Pooja Shah, and I will be a junior at Boston University in the 2012-2013 academic year, majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  My dream is to become a Doctor and ultimately join Doctors Without Borders.  In my free time, I enjoy dancing, reading, and going home to CT to spend time with my family.

My passion for international healthcare stemmed from traveling to India and understanding that underprivileged communities in Third-World Countries need and deserve our help the most.  I love to teach, and I believe that education and the appropriate resources are critical tools in building a successful and sustainable community. I believe that Nourish is the key to providing these tools and making a lasting global impact.  I am excited about bringing Nourish to BU, and I believe that it will flourish here because BU is an integrative university with students passionate about facilitating change.