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Each year HBAS joins other SIGS and Clubs in supporting Harvard College students as part of the Summer Community Service Fellowship Program. This year we awarded three undergraduate fellows $4,000 to support them as they engage in summer projects consistent with HBAS' mission. HBAS President Monica Clark and Student Affairs Chair Barika Edwards had the honor to meet two of these dynamic and inspiring fellows in-person during the Global Changemakers Conference (pictured below). We could not have done this without your support! Please visit HBAS' Instagram page to hear directly from 2024 HBAS Fellow Hailey Akey and the impact of the grant or click here. This Giving Tuesday through year-end, we hope to raise $24,000 to double our funding for fellowships, as this is one of the most important services HBAS, its members and donations provide.
Can you help us reach our goal by donating?Meet the fellows!Click HERE to watch Summer Fellow VideoAriel Mekonen, AB ‘27 “From beneficiary to Legal Intern, Ariel will be working with the Criminal Justice unit of the NYC Legal Aid Society” Ariel Mekonen is from New York City and a rising sophomore at Harvard College studying neuroscience and government. He is an avid member of the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School where he serves on the conferences committee. He is also a member of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association (EESA) and a member of the EESA dance team, who have performances across the Northeast at colleges such as Yale and Columbia along with venues in the Greater Boston Area. This summer, Ariel will be an intern at the Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice through the Investigative Internship Program. By Interning at the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit legal services organization, Ariel will have an intensive training curriculum where he will shadow senior investigators and be mentored by attorneys and supervisors at the Borough Trial Office and Specialized Unit. After training, he will collaborate with other interns to apply their newfound knowledge to handle a variety of misdemeanor cases while investigators and attorneys directly supervise his work. Richardine Mamam Nbiba AB ‘27 “Digitally decolonizing stolen West Africa art using blockchain and NFTs to create 3D re-imaginings of these looted artifacts.” Richardine Mamam Nbiba, or Richie as she's known, is a Togolese student from New York City. Richie, a passionate spoken word artist, performs at various venues, including the renowned Nuyorican Poets Cafe. At Harvard, she actively contributes to the arts community through her involvement with the Advocates Poetry Board. A recent trip back to Togo this past winter opened her eyes to a cause that resonated deeply with her. Witnessing the displaced ancestral art of her home country ignited a desire to make a difference. This summer, Richie will tackle this issue head-on through her work with Looty NFT. Looty NFT is an organization dedicated to digitally decolonizing art stolen from West Africa. They achieve this by using blockchain technology and NFTs to create 3D re-imaginings of these looted artifacts. This summer, Richie's role will be to assist Looty NFT in researching the origins and rightful homes of specific pieces and explore impactful ways to share her discoveries with the public. Hailey Akey, AB ‘27 “Investigating the impact of Urban Heat Islands on health and how to create communities that are resilient to climate change in the future.” Hailey Akey is a rising sophomore in Winthrop House planning on double concentrating in Environmental Science & Public Policy and Economics with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. This summer she is excited to be working with Green Columbus, a nonprofit seeking equitable environmental outcomes for the people of Central Ohio by increasing the presence of green space and tree coverage. She will also be investigating the impact of Urban Heat Islands on health and how to create communities that are resilient to climate change in the future. |
