Barbara Dziedzic (Kenya)

Barbara Dziedzic (Undugu Society of Kenya - USK): Barbara’s commitment to social-justice issues began in college. In 2002, after receiving her BA in Religion from Carleton College in Northfield, MN, she moved to the East Coast to volunteer at an AIDS hospice with the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. A year later she began her teaching in inner city Baltimore at St. Frances Academy, a private Catholic school founded by Haitian Nuns in the early 1800’s for the education of slave children. Barbara earned a Masters degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution at American University. After graduating, she spent four years as a teacher working for the Anne Arundel County school system. After her fellowship, Barbara wrote: “It's changed the way I look at my own country. Given Kenya's pervasive issues with corruption and the inequality of its education system, I really appreciate the relative transparency of my own country and the public education system. I think I've come to realize how strong and tenacious I can be in advocating for a group of people I feel is being given a fair shake.”