Kristin Hayden Kristin was recently selected as an Ashoka Fellow, "as a leading social entrepreneur who we recognize to have innovative solutions and the potential to change patterns across society." Her passion for cross-cultural understanding began with her one-year study abroad experience as a Rotary exchange student in South Africa at age fifteen. That experience changed her life and set her on a committed path to explore the world, challenge injustices and pursue transformational learning opportunities for herself and others. Towards the end of the Cold War, Kristin began studying the Russian language in college and then lived in Moscow right before the break-up of the Soviet Union. She graduated with honors and a triple major in Soviet Area Studies, Russian Language and International Relations at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. Kristin then became the International Projects Director for Seattle-based, international events/consulting company called Bob Walsh Enterprsies, Inc., where she directed the operations of the Moscow and Tbilisi (Georgia, ex-USSR) offices. Kristin spent her twenties living and working abroad in Moscow, Paris, London and Tbilisi, where she developed a passion for global thinking, international project management experience and a keen appreciation for understanding other cultures. At the age of 30, Kristin moved back to the USA and Seattle and decided that after years of living abroad, it was time begin her life's work by combining her passion for international understanding and commitment to social justice and access to opportunities. In 2002, she founded OneWorld Now!, the global leadership program for underserved youth. After two years, OneWorld Now! was recognized as "one of the nation's most innovative after school programs" by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Kristin intends to create a national model for international education and promote the importance of study abroad for all! Kristin was recently appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire to serve on the Board of Trustees for The Evergreen State College. Jennifer Tanaka Jennifer's first introduction to the transformational power of international travel was when, in 1992, she traveled to Romania on a 6-week fellowship for university students. In 1994 she decided to return to Romania after completing her B.A. in history, and there she started working with a Roma (Gypsy) human rights and community development organization located in Bucharest. Through learning and working with local Roma activists, Jennifer became passionate about values such as respect for cultural diversity and the principle of non-discrimination, as well as the belief that citizens should organize for social change. After 3 years she decided to pursue an M.A. in Politics of Alternative Development Strategies at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague (The Netherlands). Upon completion of her graduate studies, Jennifer moved to Budapest, Hungary where she helped launch and manage the PAKIV regional initiative to build leadership, critical thinking and civic networking amongst Roma youth in Central and Eastern Europe. After seven years of living and working in Hungary, Jennifer and her family decided to return to the Seattle area, where she was born and raised. In her spare time, Jennifer loves listening to World Music, going to live concerts, cooking spicy foods and spending time outdoors with her kids. Arielle Davis Arielle Davis, raised in Los Angeles, California, and Bellingham, Washington, is a poet and hip hop enthusiast dedicated to youth work. As a recipient of and participant in some of Seattle's leading arts programs as a youth, Arielle knew from an early age that social justice and political activism were going to be large parts of her life. A short stint as a beauty queen taught Arielle the value of surrounding oneself with others dedicated to the ideas and ideals of service, which culminated with her joining the National Civilian Community Corps as a part of AmeriCorps in January 2007. As an AmeriCorps member, she encountered the large change that a small group could make, was interviewed by Anderson Cooper for CNN and spoke in front of hundreds of impacted families for Habitat For Humanity, all while brushing up on her (previously negligible) construction skills. Working with youth is her passion, joy and purpose, and she plans on spending her upcoming year at One World Now fostering strong and supportive connections with (and spreading her love of conscious hip-hop to) her mentees, pursuing her degree in Sociology/Anthropology, becoming more fluent in French and Spanish, and salsa dancing with the other OWN! staff. Vincent Gonzalez Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Vincent moved to Seattle in 1998 to attend the University of Washington. While pursuing degrees in International Studies and Comparative History of Ideas, Vincent was named a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, a McNair/EIP Presidential Scholar and Mary Gates Scholar. After completing his studies, he traveled extensively throughout Latin America with extended stops in Argentina, Cuba, Brazil and Bolivia on the Bonderman Travel Fellowship. Aside from his work with OWN!, Vincent is a budding percussionist and currently performs Brazilian music with various groups around the Seattle area. After serving as a small group leader in 2004-2005, Vincent joins the OWN! staff as the Leadership Program Manager. Nick Siler Nick is very proud to be born and raised in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. Nick holds a BA in Political Science from American University. While studying at American he interned at the NASA Headquarters History Office and spent his summers as a counselor at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. In addition to internships, Nick was artistic Director of AU's improv comedy troupe and a member of the Ultimate Frisbee team. In his senior year Nick studied abroad in South Africa and underwent a transformative experience. Soon after graduation Nick traveled and worked for over a year in New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Laos, Nepal, and Turkey. With a belief in working for the common good Nick returned to Kentucky and started a mission driven organization, Downtown Pineville. Downtown Pineville had many purposes, among them were to increase access to higher education for underprivileged youth in Appalachia, build community by providing an arts venue for youth and adults alike and to bring about social change through the arts and education. With deep passion and belief for creating a just and equitable world he enrolled at the School for International Training. Nick will receive his Masters in Social Justice in Intercultural Relations in fall of 08. Nick is more than excited to be joining OneWorld Now! as Curriculum Development Manger. Nick enjoys cycling, ultimate (Frisbee), hiking, reading, improv, traveling, and spending time growing organic vegetables in Tacoma. Miriam Halsey Although born in southern California, Miriam was largely raised in the Seattle area, considering the Northwest her home. Returning to California for school, she graduated from the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands with a bachelor's degree in Religion, Conflict, and Middle Eastern Studies with a minor emphasis in Expressive Documentation. During and after her studies, Miriam spent time in Ireland, Jordan, Syria, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand, fueling her passion for travel and communication. Her experiences abroad and academic pursuits led Miriam to focus on the importance of global experience and intercultural dialogue. Returning to Seattle last year, Miriam is incredibly excited to join the OneWorld Now! staff and students as Operations Manager, and to help facilitate this process into the future. When not absorbing herself in OneWorld Now!, Miriam greatly enjoys cycling, kayaking, cooking, building community, crossword puzzles, photography, and improving her Arabic. Aaron Alhadeff Aaron Alhadeff is a 6th generation Seattleite who graduated from Garfield High School in 1994. He received a B.A. at the University of Michigan having studied psychology and communications. Aaron is currently on the boards of The Jewish Community Center of Greater Seattle, Youthcare, The Ballard Family Center and Developing Minds. He is a local businessman with a passion to use his skills, abilities and resources to help unite our entire world into one community. Samir Belyamani Born in 1973 to a Moroccan immigrant father and an American mother, Samir Belyamani was raised in the Seattle area. Samir attended the University of Colorado where he received a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering. After graduating from college, Samir returned to Boeing Flight Operations Engineering where he completed his summer internship. Working in Flight Operations Engineering, Samir had the opportunity to support and form relationships with customers in the Middle East, Africa and Central America. After 5 years in Flight Operations Engineering, Samir moved to Boeing Commercial Aircraft Product Marketing where he is currently a Regional Director and primarily covers the North Africa and Middle East region. Because of his multicultural background and work experience, Samir is committed to reaching out to the youth and community members to increase global awareness. Katherine Bullitt Kay Bullitt was born and raised in Massachusetts. She earned her B.A. (with honors) in Government from Radcliffe College and taught in Cambridge before heading west in 1953. She picked Seattle as the place she wanted to live. During the past forty years, Kay raised six children and dedicated herself to civic activism. Through her leadership in numerous organizations she has promoted: quality integrated public education, civil rights, the history preservations of ships and buildings, and peace and international understanding. She helped found a women's bank at a time when women had difficulty getting credit. And as a Trustee of The Bullitt Foundation, Kay promotes environmental protection in the Pacific Northwest. As a result of her civic contributions, Kay Bullitt has received many awards. These include: The Jefferson Award for Public Service, the YMCA Milnor Roberts Award for World Peace Through International Understanding, the Partners in Public Education (PIPE) Katherine Muller Bullitt Award (named for her as its founder), the Ralph Bunche Award from the Peace Through Law Section of the Seattle Bar Association, the Paul Beason Award from Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility and the United Nations (Seattle Chapter) Human Rights Award. Christina Dawson Christina Dawson was born in Venezuela of a Spanish mother and Swiss father and spent the majority of her childhood in Spain and France.She holds a Master's Degree in international studies from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and is fluent in several languages. Having worked in New York in finance and journalism, she moved to Seattle in 1991 where she has raised three children while being active with the Seattle World Affairs Council, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle School District. She is passionate about the importance of exposing young people to cultures and languages different than their own. Hunington Sachs, Esq. Hunington is a business and intellectual property attorney. Hunington holds a BA in Political Science and a Juris Doctor degree from Creighton University in Omaha, NE, and is a graduate of the Haus Rissen International Institute for Politics and Economics in Hamburg, Germany, Hunington believes that world-building is not something we talk about, but something we do personally, with this attitude manifested in his service as a Captain in the U.S. Army-Europe (1985-88), and his desire to help OneWorld Now! launch the next generation of young American ambassadors of peace onto the no-longer bipolar, post-911 world. He is a member of the International Game Developers Association, the American Marketing Association, is a founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Children's Educational Film Association, pro bono legal counsel to the MAVIN Foundation, owner of the multicultural Urban Beat Performance Studio, and a father of five, including two children through the New Hope Foster/Adopt program for neglected and abused children. Bob Walsh Bob Walsh has pioneered many major international events and has been honored for many prestigious awards. He is best known for his role in organizing the 1990 Goodwill Games with Ted Turner in Seattle. His citizen diplomacy in the former Soviet Union also led to several humanitarian efforts. As a result of these humanitarian activities, Walsh received the Supreme Soviet Award in 1988 from then President Mikhail Gorbachev. Only three other Americans have received this prestigious award, including former Presidents Reagan and Bush. Walsh directed a portion of the Armenian earthquake relief effort for the Soviet government. The global humanitarian organization, CARE, credits him for introducing them to the former Soviet Union. After the break-up of the USSR, with the help of President Eduard Shevardnadze, Walsh arranged for the distribution of food and medicine to the Republic of Georgia. His years of humanitarian efforts and tireless promotion of the country of Georgia led to the award of Honorary Citizen of Georgia in 2002. and was given the 1990 World Citizen Award from the World Affairs Council. Herman Uscategui Herman Uscategui is a director, international business development for Starbucks Coffee Company. Responsible for new markets development, including partner selection process, negotiations, and coordination of overall project deliverables. Prior to joining Starbucks, Herman was director, Worldwide Projects at Westin Hotels & Resorts corporate offices in Seattle. He was responsible for international hotel management development and franchises agreements. Herman started his responsibilities at Westin representing then Westin’s parent company, Aoki Corporation of Japan in international business ventures. He started his business career in Tokyo, Japan with Aoki Corporation. He received a Master in Engineering from Saitama University/University of Tokyo and doctoral studies from the University of Tokyo in Japan. He also holds a Master in Economics from Temple University in Japan and is fluent in several languages. Photos by Bill Janes, Wanda Benvenutti and Kristin Hayden.