Team Nicaragua 2009-2010
From left to right:
Megan Aberley, Will Howard, Steph Barnett, Luke Harris, Katie Hathaway,
Country Director
Nicaragua Director
After graduating from Baylor University with a degree in Sociology, Amira moved to Nicaragua with the plan of working for one year in an orphanage located south of Managua. Eight years later, she is happy and proud to call Nicaragua home. After working in the orphanage for two years and then holding several different jobs in the private sector, Amira became our Nicaragua Director in the summer of 2008.
As Nicaragua Director, Amira oversees all of our Nicaragua programs and volunteers.
Program Directors
Megan Aberley
University of Victoria, ’10—Fine Arts, Theater & Film
Adding Canada to the ‘international’ part of our organization’s name, Megan Aberley is a native of Vancouver. After spending a summer volunteering at our Ecuador site, Megan wanted to check out one of our other international sites and so she decided to spend thirteen months as a program director in Nicaragua. An artist and an avid surfer, she hopes to share these passions with the members of our MPI Nicaragua community. After her time with MPI, Megan hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in Fine Arts.
Steph Barnett
University of Virginia, ’10—Spanish, Education
It only takes a quick glance at Steph Barnett’s passport to get a sense of where her passion lies. With a semester in Spain, summers abroad doing service work in Puerto Rico and Peru, and trips to Bolivia, Mexico, and Costa Rica, it’s pretty clear that Steph, originally from Purcellville, Virginia, has a strong affinity for the Spanish language and Latin America. When not teaching high-school Spanish or ESL classes, Steph enjoys outdoor recreation—hiking, camping, canoeing—and soccer.
Zachary Gordon
Vanderbilt University, ’10—History
Bostonian Zachary Gordon prides himself on his outgoing nature. He loves skiing, baseball, and backgammon—the last one so much that he hopes to eventually become a backgammon hustler in Monte Carlo! Zac can’t wait to challenge the MPI Nicaragua community members to an intense game of baseball.
Luke Harris
Colorado State University, ’10—History, Social Studies Education
Fort Collins, Colorado native Luke Harris is no stranger to Nicaragua, having been both a participant and a leader on two mission trips to a Nicaraguan orphanage. In fact, a visit to La Chureca while on one of these trips was what inspired him to become a program director. In his free time, Luke loves sports, snowboarding, and hanging out with friends.
Katie Hathaway
UT Austin, ’10—Humanities, Pre-Med
After spending a summer in Rivas, Nicaragua, Katie Hathaway, of Austin, Texas, knew she’d be back—and now she is! Katie also brings a summer’s worth of experience in Guadalajara, Mexico, along with short trips to Costa Rica and Haiti, to her work with MPI. In her spare time, Katie enjoys playing drums, reading, and being outside. Once her time with MPI is through, Katie will start at Baylor College of Medicine.
Will Howard
Vanderbilt University, ’10—Economics, Spanish
Will Howard hails from New Orleans, Louisiana. His experience with the Trinity Educational Enrichment Program (T.E.E.P.), a tutoring program where he mentored underprivileged youth in academics and led them in recreational activities such as basketball and swimming lessons, inspired him to pursue further service activities. Combined with his international experience studying abroad in Buenos Aires and his work as a Spanish-speaking door-to-door salesman in Waco, Texas, this led him join MPI as a Program Director. After MPI, Will hopes to pursue a career in finance.
