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From Cville to the Bay: My Journey into the Niche of Affordable Housing Finance It’s funny how a single connection can change your entire trajectory. For me, that connection started in a dining hall at the University of Virginia. During my time in the Global Development Studies (GDS) program, I became close with a woman who worked in the Newcomb dining hall. She eventually introduced me to the Southwood community and Habitat for Humanity, where I started volunteering with chi

Hi all! My name is Rosie, and I graduated from the UVA in 2022 with a degree in Public Policy & Leadership and Global Development Studies. For the past few years, I have been working in the international development and global health field. In my first post-grad role, I worked on a USAID contract supporting locally led global nutrition programs across Nutrition and Health Systems and Early Childhood Development teams. One of my favorite projects was developing a breastfeeding

Rachel Henderson GDS (Public Health) - Class of 2015 My career has focused on complex challenges in the climate and energy space, particularly within the clean energy sector. After nearly a decade in the field, my biggest takeaways can be distilled into three themes: multidisciplinary perspectives are essential, renewable technologies alone won’t solve our energy crisis, and personal healing is imperative. Together, I believe these are foundational to addressing the planetary

In my 2nd year at UVa, I attended a GDS info session in which Professor Richard Handler strongly advocated for the value of the critical thinking skills we could develop as GDS majors. At the time I agreed with him in principle, but it was hard not to question how this might compare to popular alternatives like the Comm School that touted the employability of their students. Nine years after my GDS graduation in 2017, I'm grateful I followed my gut and gave more weight to Pr

Like many GDS students, I came to UVA planning for a career in international development. And while my roles have changed, the throughline driving me hasn’t — I’ve always been inspired by mobilizing people to take on the toughest challenges affecting their communities. After GDS and my MPP at Batten, I spent time in Sri Lanka through a Fulbright grant; worked in local and national politics; served as Deputy Chief of Staff at Global Refuge, a US resettlement agency; and led st

Bio: Nyles is a 2021 GDS & Medical Anthropology alum currently finishing his MPH in London. He previously worked in public health consulting and plans to continue research in health equity and transformative justice. From GDS to Global Health: Navigating Bureaucracy with a Critical Lens If you had asked me during my first year at UVA where I’d be today, I never would have guessed I’d be finishing a Master’s in Public Health in London. Back then, I was a Cognitive Science maj

Grace and Ariana with Lemon Tree Hello GDSers, this is Ariana DeLaurentis (GDS ‘20) and Grace Gray (GDS ‘24)! We are currently sitting in Villa Pamphili, soaking up the first bit of winter sun after days of winter rain. We are here in Rome studying at The American University of Rome for an M.A. in Food Studies. What does that mean exactly? Great question! Instead of answering, we’d like to share small flavors of joy in our lives of late. For one, Grace has joined a self-proc

I am currently in my second semester of my Masters of Science in Education. I am at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education in the Teaching, Learning and Leadership program. Alongside classes, I am working as a graduate assistant for the program division and I am also working as a literacy tutor at a West Philadelphia K-8 school and a volunteer 2nd math tutor at a West Philadelphia K-5 school through one of my classes. Since graduating, I've been able to

Patrick Robinson ('19) Patrick is a PhD candidate in sociocultural anthropology and human geography at the University of Arizona. At UVA, he majored in Global Development Studies and Foreign Affairs with a minor in Latin American Studies. He was also President of the UVA chapter of Global Water Brigades, studied abroad in Ecuador, and participated in several undergraduate research projects, including an ethnographic research internship with the Self-Employed Women's Associati

Keya Turkiewicz at a South Philly festival Hi everyone, my name is Keya Turkiewicz! I am working as a parent and community organizer for a charter school organization in Philadelphia. The organization operates schools in neighborhoods which the city often overlooks, serving almost entirely students of color below the poverty line. Providing these students with a quality education requires work beyond the classroom. School district policies, state education budgets, street saf