2009 Rwanda Leaders: Fiona Littlejohn-Carrillo and Dan SheffieldFIONA LITTLEJOHN-CARRILLO: Yale University, B.A., Political Science. During her Studies at Yale, Fiona focused on the areas of International Development and Poverty alleviation and took every opportunity to work or conduct research in the field. She spent a summer working in rural Kenya with an NGO focusing on youth development programs. During this time she was involved in the creation of a HIV/AIDS educational awareness program for high school and middle school students in the region. The following year Fiona travelled to Western Nepal to spend the summer working in an NGO that focused on the rights of the ‘untouchable caste’. During her junior year she spent a semester in Cameroon on a study abroad program focusing on development and social change, she then remained in the country conducting research for her thesis on the effects of culture on micro-credit success. Fiona will be heading to London next year to pursue a Masters in Development Studies at the London School of Economics. She is half Mexican, half English, grew up in Italy, England, and Oman, is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, and French, and is studying Portuguese.
DAN SHEFFIELD: Miami University, B.S., Zoology, minor in Italian; Loma Linda University, MPH, Maternal and Child Health, Health Promotion and Education; Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, DO candidate. After completing his undergraduate education Dan served as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 2003-2005 in Tanzania. Dan’s main function was teaching Biology, Physics, and Chemistry at the secondary school level. Along with the coursework he also conducted workshops and classroom education in HIV/AIDS, gender equality, and life skills. Dan also volunteered at the local village clinic where he administered vaccines and birth control shots, monitored and evaluated children's weights and growth patterns, conducted educational seminars, and initiated a women’s exercise program. After his time as a Peace Corps volunteer, Dan spent five months taking the long way home and traveling around the world (including time spent in Rwanda). The disparities he saw during his travels inspired Dan to get his Masters in Public Health. He is currently finishing his first year in medical school. Dan has worked with youth in various settings and led a public health focused trip for teens this past summer in Belize. Dan’s travels have taken him throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and North and Central America. When he is not in the classroom, or abroad you can find him enjoying the outdoors. Daniel is proficient in Kiswahili.
