University of Virginia '17, Finance and Management

Annie Borgeson grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey about 30 minutes outside New York City. She graduated in May 2017 from the University of Virginia with a degree in Finance & Management and a minor in Psychology.  After being involved in a club on campus that fundraised for health and education programs throughout Nicaragua and traveling there three times, she knew she wanted to serve with a nonprofit long term in a Latin American country.  She is excited to learn, grow, and create relationships with Manna's community in Ecuador.  In her free time, Annie enjoys being outdoors- swimming, kayaking, hiking (you name it!), listening to live music, and spending time with family & friends.

University of Delaware '16, Environmental Studies

Francesca grew up outside of Philadelphia, PA. In 2016, she graduated with a BA in Environmental Studies from University of Delaware. Francesca is passionate about environmentalism, social justice, and making the world livable for everybody! For these reasons, and the opportunity to develop her professional skills and work in the non-profit sector, Francesca applied to be a Program Director for MPI in Ecuador. She is very excited to teach as she learns and learn as she teaches.

Northeastern University '18, International Affairs and Economics

Joey was born in New York City and was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He is currently a senior at Northeastern University, located in Boston, Massachusetts. He is majoring in International Affairs and Economics and minoring in Spanish, and will be graduating in May of 2018. Joey wanted to work for MPI in Ecuador because he is very interested in the development field, especially when it comes to childhood education, and because he is interested in learning more about how an international NGO functions. He also wanted to work in Ecuador because he hopes to improve his Spanish speaking skills. After graduation, Joey plans to work for an NGO In either the U.S. or South America.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo '15, Civil Engineering

Mike is a civil engineer who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in July 2015.  He wanted to work in Ecuador both to get back into international nonprofits and to improve his Spanish.  In college he was a member of Engineers Without Boarders, where he had the opportunity to lead a team to Malawi, Africa for a project.  It was an amazing experience and since then he has been wanting to move his career towards that field of work.  In the future he would like to continue to work with international organizations focused on sustainable development around the world.

Colorado College '15, Neuroscience

Rob grew up in Ann Arbor, MI and graduated from Colorado College in Colorado Springs in May 2015 with a Bachelor's degree in neuroscience. After getting into medical school, Rob decided that he wanted to defer matriculation for a year to spend time learning about Ecuadorian culture and developing his Spanish skills before starting his career in medicine. He found Manna Project's holistic approach to community development particularly impressive and decided to apply as a Program Director. In his free time, Rob enjoys playing soccer and volleyball, mountain biking, and learning about natural science.

Worcester State University ‘16, History

Vincent was born in the Netherlands but has lived in Massachusetts for most of his life. He attended Worcester State University and graduated with his BA in History in May 2016. In addition to history, Vincent also focused his studies on political science, foreign services, and Latin American studies. After participating in an alternative spring break trip at Manna Project’s Nicaragua site, Vincent applied to be a Program Director in order expand his knowledge and understanding of Latin America. Vincent would like to spend the next couple of years in Latin America before choosing a Master's program and returning to the United States. He hopes to pursue a nonprofit career in community development with a focus on Latin America. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, researching and writing scholarly work, meeting new friends, and discovering new cultures.

Wake Forest University '16, Health and Exercise Science and Anthropology

Hunter grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and graduated in May of 2016 from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor's of Science in Health and Exercise Science and Anthropology. After previous trips to Central and South America, including three months working for a nonprofit in Tena, Ecuador, Hunter knew she wanted to return to Ecuador to learn more about the culture and values of the region. Her hobbies include working with other nonprofit organizations on strategic planning, photography, and running. After her time with Manna Project, Hunter plans to work with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs in Global Public Health.