Other experiences

Between 2014 and 2016, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji. There, I worked as a public health teacher in the remote, Nadarivatu highlands of the country. Aside form public health, I also taught English, Maths, and Sciences to primary and secondary school students. While there, I engaged in three major developmental projects with the local community. First, I worked to renovate the aging local water system. Working with the local and national governments, I obtained a grant of nearly 400,000 USD, which directly led to the completion of the renovation in 2016. Second, I was involved in rebuilding the local community from the damages of Cyclone Winston in 2015. After fundraising and obtaining 20,000 USD, I helped organize the reconstruction of the primary school dining hall. Third, I also fundraised for the construction of concrete walk paths in the village’s secondary school.

Giving a talk during an event at the village school (left) and at a school trip to the parliament building (right).

Village school dining hall before Cyclone Winston (top left), after Cyclone Winston (top right), and after reconstruction (bottom).

Despite this only being a two-year experience, Peace Corps is where I believe I truly grew into an adult, and it encouraged me to be more involved in activism. In the summer of 2017, I interned with the League of Conservation Voters. Then I was elected as the Vice President of the Duke Climate coalition during my Masters. I helped mobilize environmental activism, most notably by being involved in preventing Duke University from installing a natural gas facility on campus and in working to install a regional light rail project.

Fiji still has a big place in my heart, and I remain involved with Fiji through the Friends of Fiji. This group is a non-profit organization that sponsors educational and charitable activities in Fiji, while also acting as the alumni association of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and staff who have served in Fiji. With them, we have revied current Peace Corps Volunteers’ project grants and funded up to $1000 per project. We also organize biennial fundraising galas in partnership with the Fiji Association of Washington, DC, and raised ~$25,000 for several major infrastructure development projects in Fiji. Previously, I worked as the editor of the quarterly newsletter and was elected as president from 2021-2023. I now serve as the organization’s website manager. If you are more interested in us, please visit https://fofiji.org/who-we-are/