Alana Augello, M.S., TEACH Rwanda Secretary, is a 2013 Graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, where she obtained her B.S. in Elementary and Kindergarten Education. In 2016 she earned her Master’s Degree from Lehigh University in Educational Leadership.

Alana has taught 5th & 6th grade for 2 years at St. Michael the Archangel School in Bethlehem, and is now teaching 5th grade in the Bethlehem Area School District at Hanover Elementary School. She is also involved with extracurricular activities within the school including the school’s Lighthouse Team Facilitator and Fitness Club Advisor.   

Alana has participated in a numerous international mission trips and educational field experiences.  Locations include Mexico, Costa Rica, Germany, and Haiti.  Alana is passionate about making a difference in the life of a child both inside and outside of the U.S.  

Alana joined the TEACH Rwanda Board this in the summer of 2016.  Alana feels very strongly about and supports all of TEACH Rwanda’s mission and vision statements. She is highly intrigued with the leadership component of the professional development initiatives for the teachers in TEACH Rwanda’s schools.  She is looking forward to traveling to Rwanda in the near future.

Janet F. Brown, M.Ed., TEACH Rwanda President & Founder, has more than 40 years international experience as a teacher of diverse young children and teacher educator. She has served as Director of Publications for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Managing Editor for Crayola, and as Editor of Dimensions of Early Childhood published by the Southern Early Childhood Association. Jan has worked extensively as a consultant with Art As a Way of Learning®. through Northampton Community College. She is a regular volunteer at Head Start in the Lehigh Valley. She has traveled extensively and began learning about the opportunities for service in Rwanda first-hand in 2010.  Jan and her husband William Whipple III are delighted to share 5 adult children and 5 grandchildren.

Listen to a podcast interview with Jan Brown by Linda Buchner, Educate Podcast Host

http://lindabuchner.com/2016/08/kids-curious-globe-jan-brown-teach-rwanda/

http://traffic.libsyn.com/driventoeducate/Jan_Brown.mp3

Judy Insixiengmay, BBS. TEACH Rwanda Treasurer

I am a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Because my family is from Laos, I was taught from an early age about the importance of education. After learning about TEACH Rwanda, I was excited and honored that I could help support its vision and mission by serving as Treasurer on the Board.

I am a graduate of the University of Georgia with a BBA in Economics. My work experience has mainly been in accounting in corporate settings, and I am eager to expand into the non-profit sector. Among the organizations that I volunteer with are Habitat for Humanity, MedShare, Home Depot’s Military Appreciation event, and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. I completed my first Rock and Roll half-marathon fundraiser in November 2017.

In my spare time, I like to read, jog, and relax.

Tom Smith, B.S., TEACH Rwanda Co-Vice President, graduated in 2014 with a degree in Communication of Arts and Sciences and Minor in Business from The Pennsylvania State University. Tom is currently a Route Sales Representative for Frito-Lay in Easton, PA.

Tom served as the Head Boys Basketball coach for 8th grade at St. Michael the Archangel School for 2 years. Tom joined the TEACH Rwanda Board in March 2015 and took his first international trip to Rwanda in July 2016, where he volunteered at TEACH Rwanda schools. Tom brings unique talents to the board, such as his business, management, and communication skills.  He also brings board experience, as he formally served as the Vice President and Chief of Staff for Penn State Berks’ Student Government Association.

Tom is very passionate about the TEACH Rwanda mission and vision and is very driven to see the organization achieve its goals. Tom and Co-Vice President Clare Dillard were married in July 2017. They plan to return to Rwanda for more volunteer work.

William Whipple III, TEACH Rwanda Business Representative, retired in 2014 from a 33-year career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Certified Diabetes Educator so that he could go to Rwanda for extended lengths of time with his wife Jan and TEACH Rwanda. Dietetics has a strong diet education component and Bill has had an interest in high-quality education all his life, hearing about it at the family dinner table from his father who was a literature professor and his mother who had an advanced degree in journalism. He finds fascinating the process of implementing high-quality early childhood education (ECE) in Rwanda, where many preschoolers still sit quietly and memorize what the teacher says. He understands now that good ECE gives a strong foundation for learning throughout life and sees potential for making a strong impact on the lives of children in Rwanda.  He is learning a lot from, Jan, who is the ECE expert, and contributes his own talents, including communicating in French, a passion for teaching English, mentoring, management, and business skills. He loves being able to contribute in a meaningful way, even though he is “very old” according to his Rwandan friends, (a term of respect). He misses his children, grandchildren (see Jan’s bio), and friends in the U.S. when spending extended periods of time in Rwanda.

Demetrius D. Carmichael, B.S.

Demetrius brings his business management and administration skills to TEACH Rwanda. He is a Program Specialist at Wakefield Cottage in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, and was a TEACH Rwanda board member  2016-2017.

He is an avid outdoors-man who shares our passion for volunteering and helping others.

Ashley Shaheen, M. Ed.

Hello! My name is Ashley Shaheen and I volunteer with TEACH Rwanda because I am passionate about global education. Every child deserves not only a high-quality education but also a safe, warm, and well-resourced place in which to receive that education. TEACH Rwanda is doing just that for the children of Rwanda, which is why I love volunteering.

I am originally from Michigan and now live in New York City. I was an elementary school teacher for 6 years in Chicago and NYC and I am now a pre-school teacher in NYC!

Zawadi Nshimirimana 

Zawadi, a student at Wilkes University, is a support volunteer with TEACH Rwanda. She is a Communications Studies major with a dual concentration in Multi-Media Journalism and Strategic Communication Public Relations. Zawadi is minoring in Leadership, Women Studies, and concentrates in Anthropology.

Zawadi is fluent in Swahili, Kirundi, Kibembe, and English. She was born in The Republic of Congo, lived in Tanzania for 10 years, and came to the U.S. in 2008. Her strong global perspective has led her to seek a variety of experiences on and off campus at Wilkes.

Zawadi is a member of Public Relations Student Society of America. She enjoys dancing and writing, and is working on an autobiography with many chapters filled, and many yet to be filled.