2009 Costa Rica A leaders: Jake Schwarz and Shiri RaphaelySHIRI RAPHAELY: Tufts University, B.A., International Relations. While at Tufts, Shiri studied abroad at the University of Buenos Aires where she focused her studies on anthropology and Argentine history. In Buenos Aires, Shiri worked on a research project with Butler University focusing on indigenous educational policy and the process of decolonialization. During this project she conducted interviews with government officials and bilingual indigenous teachers in Argentina. While at Tufts Shiri co-founded Tufts Education Action! a group focused on issues related to inequality in education. She also founded and served as president of Global Visionaries Youth Board, a mentoring program in Seattle, WA, focused on local and international community service work. Shiri currently works as an Assistant Director for The Andean Collection Project in Medford, MA, and Ibarra, Ecuador. Shiri also works as a writing tutor with Calderwood Writing Initiative, serving under-resourced Boston Public School students. She is fluent in Spanish and Hebrew.
JAKE SCHWARZ: Colby College, B.A., Geology. Jake gained a love of science and the outdoors on a high school semester program at the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset, Maine. At Colby, Jake led trips with the Outing Club, served as a monitor and instructor with the Mountaineering Club, organized and volunteered at a local soup kitchen, and tutored situationally-challenged students at the Maine Alternative School. While at Colby, he studied abroad in Spain and did an independent study in Costa Rica on environmental agriculture. Jake spent 11 summers at Camp Robin Hood in Freedom, NH, during three of which, he led camping, hiking, and canoeing trips for campers 8 to 15 years old. Last summer he spent two months on an independent bike trek from Montana to San Francisco. He recently learned to play the banjo and the harmonica, and now plays in a bluegrass band. After this summer, Jake plans to serve in the Peace Corps in Central America as an agricultural development agent. He is fluent in Spanish.