Population Solutions for Health Team, Zimbabwe (pictured center, standing: PiAf Fellow, Bentley Choi)
Princeton in Africa News | June 2024
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Our 2024-25 fellowship placements are complete! We are delighted to share that our upcoming cohort will include 27 fellows, 5 of whom are joining through our Nexus program. Fellows will be engaging in impactful work with 19 unique host organizations in 10 different countries.
Due to overwhelming interest, only 5% of applicants were accepted into our program for the upcoming fellowship year. With your help, we can expand our portfolio of incredible host organizations and increase access to our trailblazing program. Click below to donate!
Fellows Update: Bentley Choi Receives International Recognition with Population Solutions for Health
Confronting challenges and exploring new territory has never been an issue for 2023-24 Fellow, Bentley Choi. Originally from South Korea, she moved to North Carolina at the age of 18 to attend Duke University and completed her undergraduate degree in Global Health and International Comparative Studies (with a concentration on the African continent) in just 3 years. During this time, she spent a summer in Kenya conducting HPV and cervical cancer research.
Inspired by her trip to Kenya and her undergraduate studies, Bentley pursued a Fellowship with Princeton in Africa because she saw it as an invaluable opportunity to live on the continent and engage in a responsible manner. She was partnered with Population Solutions for Health (PSH) to conduct research in their Strategic Information and Evidence Department. As a Fellow placed at a relatively young organization, much of Bentley’s work has been focused on capacity building initiatives that will strategically align the organization towards future growth and stability in Zimbabwe.
While Bentley has enjoyed many accomplishments throughout her time with PSH, her most recent recognition - being selected to present her research at the International HIV/AIDS conference in Munich this summer - is certainly the most exciting. With only 2% of applicants being selected for the oral presentation, Bentley is already among the best in the field. “My presentation focuses on drug and substance abuse, which is very prevalent in Zimbabwe and profoundly impacts the transmission of HIV,” states Bentley. “I think I’m the youngest presenter,” she continues, with a humble smile.
This fall, Bentley will begin her master’s in International Governance and Diplomacy at Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs in Paris. Upon completion of that degree, she is already weighing her options between law school or a PhD. Regardless of the path, Bentley is steadfast in her desire to positively impact people’s lives. “I want to make changes that are sustainable and structurally sound on a big scale,” she states.
Two Inspiring Leaders Join PiAf Board of Directors
We warmly welcome Irini Daskalaki, MD and Jason Knoch to to the Board of Directors at Princeton in Africa, and are grateful for their shared enthusiasm to develop young leaders committed to Africa’s advancement. Irini and Jason join a team of strong advocates of our mission, committed to steering the organization toward a successful and sustainable future, including our commitment to responsible, respectful and reciprocal engagement on the African continent. "We are beyond delighted to welcome Irini and Jason to our incredible Board of Trustees. Their extensive backgrounds and expertise will further enhance our goals to build young leaders while supporting growth in countries across the African continent," states PiAf's Executive Director, Damilola Akinyele Wolfgarten. You can find more information on each member of our dynamic Board by clicking here.
Irini serves as Assistant Director, Global and Community Health, Medical Services within University Health Services at Princeton University. In her role, she provides clinical care for students, develops Princeton’s outbreak surveillance systems, consults on infection prevention protocols across university research labs, oversees a robust travel health program, and formulates immunization policy.
Jason serves as the Assistant Vice President for Financial Services in the Office of Finance and Treasury at Princeton University. In his role, he oversees the processes, policies, and controls for more than $2 billion in annual expenditures. With expertise in business and process transformation, Jason has delivered value, cost savings, and efficiencies across financial operations including procurement, accounts payable, travel, payroll, global financial services, student financials, shared services, customer service, and technology.
Alumni Update: MK Speth Capitalizes on Alumni 'Mini- Grant' Program to Increase Understanding and Drive Change in Rwanda
MK Speth is a third year doctoral student in Genocide Studies at Clark University in Worcester, MA, where she researches the intersection of genocide, memory and tourism in Rwanda. “Princeton in Africa literally changed the path of where I was going” states MK. “My undergrad degree was in Biology,” she continues with a humble and humorous recognition of how certain experiences in life have the ability to completely shift one’s trajectory. Suffice it to say, her time as a PiAf Fellow with the Rwanda School Project in 2016-17 did exactly that.
Driven by a desire to see and experience the world, MK has been fortunate to live in several unique locations across the globe, which has afforded her many profound experiences. (Coincidentally, she was first introduced to PiAf from a friend who had mentioned the program to her while the two were traveling through the Philippines in the back of a truck!). Regardless of geographic location, however, she has maintained an unwavering commitment to responsible engagement and the practice of being present to the individuals and communities with whom she is working. In her current role as a Ph.D student, she remains mindful of how her work may affect those around her as she travels between Worcester, MA and Rwanda. “Princeton in Africa gave me that connection that has been really important to my work,” states MK.
When MK learned about the PiAf Sponsored Alumni Mini-Grants Program, which provides grants for PiAf alumni to pursue professional, academic, or personal endeavors, there was no question on how best to utilize those funds: “I tried so hard for so long to learn Kinyarwanda but it’s an extremely difficult language.” So, she secured one-on-one tutoring (via Zoom) and was able to purchase books and dictionaries that would further support the process. While she recognizes that there is a long way to go given the intricacies of the language, she is committed to the process and sees it as invaluable in further increasing her understanding of her work.
Upon completion of her PhD, MK anticipates a career in education. Regardless of the institution where she lands or the path that she takes, it is without a doubt that her work will be guided by a mantra that resonates from her being: That any cross-cultural experience should be approached with a level of understanding, compassion, and intentionality that honors the past, present, and future of all involved.
