Team Ecuador 2010-2011
From left to right:
Back: Brock Petersen, Jack Butler, Luke Shallenberger, Sam Arkin, Becky Sobey,
Front: Zoë McKinney, Ashley Hanson, Noel León, Hannah Palin, Bibi Al-Ebrahiml
Sam Arkin
Connecticut College, ’09—Sociology, Psychology
Fresh from an 11-month around-the-world tour that spanned nineteen countries on multiple continents, globetrotter Sam Arkin, originally from Angels Camp, California, has finally settled down for the time being to join us at MPI Ecuador. Having witnessed all different kinds of poverty during his journeys and during his time working with the Foundation for Sustainable Development, Sam is excited to have the chance to make a difference on the ground in Ecuador. In the future, he plans to go to law school and work in public interest law. When he has free time, he loves to scuba dive, ski, and hike.
Jack Butler
Vanderbilt, ’10—Human & Organizational Development, Economics
Jack Butler, of Rockville, MD, is no stranger to MPI Ecuador. In fact, it was his stint here as a summer volunteer in 2008 that ignited his passion for development work and inspired him to become a Program Director himself. In between then and now, however, Jack found other ways to serve—most notably, by running recruitment initiatives for MPI Vanderbilt and interning with the Vanderbilt Center for Health Services. He also fed his passion for travel by studying abroad for five months in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In his free time, Jack enjoys a good game of pickup soccer or basketball.
Ashley Hanson
Vanderbilt, ’09 – Human & Organizational Development
ashley.hanson@mannaproject.org
A native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Ashley Hanson brings a wealth of experience to her role as an Ecuador Program Director. In college, Ashley studied international and community development. She traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, where she spent a summer working on a variety of development initiatives. Her experience abroad served to broaden her horizons and magnify her passion for development work. After graduation, she spent a year leading individual and group therapy sessions for at-risk youth at the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital.
Noel León
Yale, ’09—Psychology
Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Noel has traveled far and wide, singing her way across Europe, Asia, Mexico and the Caribbean with her a capella groups at Yale. In addition to these travel experiences, it was largely her family in Mexico City that fired her interest in Latin American culture. Such passion, combined with a desire to engage in development work, brought her to MPI Ecuador. After MPI, Noel plans to attend law school and to continue to work to achieve social justice wherever it calls her.
Zoë McKinney
Vanderbilt, ’10—Human & Organizational Development, Spanish
Palos Verdes Estates, California native Zoë McKinney seems drawn to Spanish-speaking countries, having studied abroad in both Spain and Argentina. She looks forward to putting her Spanish to use in Ecuador, where she plans to learn as much as she can about the culture while taking advantage of the country’s many outdoor activities—hiking, in particular. Zoë aspires to a career in international law.
Hannah Palin
Vanderbilt, ’10—Psychology, Spanish
Hannah Palin grew up in Cumberland, Pennsylvania but now calls Amelia Island, Florida her home. Although she will certainly miss Chick-Fil-A and the Baltimore Ravens while abroad, she has had plenty of international experience to prepare her; Hannah studied abroad in Madrid in the fall of 2008, spent three summers in Ayacucho, Peru translating for a medical clinic, and previously visited MPI Ecuador as a spring break volunteer in 2008. Hannah was also involved with event planning at MPI’s Vanderbilt chapter. After MPI, Hannah plans to attend graduate school to study Clinical Psychology.
Brock Petersen
Vanderbilt ’10—Civil Engineering
brock.petersen@mannaproject.org
Brock Petersen grew up in Marietta, Georgia and it shows—his favorite hobbies include floating the Chattahoochee River, cheering on the Braves, and spending time at the lake. Brock also has an impressive roster of development experience. In addition to having built houses in Mexico, he worked on a farm in New Zealand and spent time doing service work in Kenya, Brock is a three-time veteran of MPI spring break trips, offered through our Vanderbilt chapter. Brock has a passion for green engineering, a subject he studied in Australia, and plans to pursue a career in this field following his time with Manna.
Luke Shallenberger
Illinois State University, ’08—Business Administration
luke.shallenberger@mannaproject.org
Luke Shallenberger, from Mahomet, Illinois has, for some time now, felt a strong calling to work in the non-profit arena. He interned with a non-profit in central Illinois, where he organized a fundraiser for a senior citizens’ nutrition and transportation program. This experience prompted him to look for more opportunities to serve, and when he discovered MPI, he jumped at the chance to learn more about how non-profits function from an insider’s perspective. He will miss watching the Green Bay Packers, but is excited to experience the diverse culture of Quito. A very active individual, Luke spends his free time working out and “being awesome” at video games.
Becky Sobey
Vanderbilt ’10—Human & Organizational Development
Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Becky Sobey joined MPI Ecuador in order to engage in development work, to experience a new and exciting culture, and to learn more about the inner workings of the non-profit world. Previously, she taught English and Sports at a YMCA camp in Taipei, Taiwan and worked at an orthopedic clinic in Mesquite, Texas. When she returns to the United States, she will study to receive her Masters of Accountancy from Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management, a degree she hopes to use to pursue further opportunities within the non-profit sector.
