Nakem Narratives

Tessa Jenks | Tessa has long loved to travel and learn about other cultures, living and working in Asia for the five years between completing her BA in conflict studies and Political Science at DePauw University and returning to the US to earn her MA in International Affairs at the New School. Her research has predominantly focused on the intersectionality between food sovereignty/security, education and rights for the rural poor. This summer, Tessa will be researching sustainable food systems through the International Field Program in Havana, Cuba.  

Rachel Stevens | Rachel developed a passion for storytelling while blogging about her work in Zambia as a community health volunteer with the Peace Corps. Subsequent experiences as a public health professional working with immigrant and refugee communities in her home state of Colorado inspired her to study how media positively impacts community development around the world. Rachel will receive her MA in International Affairs from The New School in August 2016. She holds a BA in Spanish Literature and Linguistics from the University of Colorado

Malachi Garff | Malachi developed her passion for social activism as an undergraduate in Post-Katrina New Orleans where rebuilding efforts were foundational to her college experience.  After completing her B.A. in International Development and Anthropology, Malachi travelled and volunteered around the world.  From refugee resettlement in India to community development in Tanzania, Malachi’s interests took shape and eventually led to The New School's GPIA. Here, she has pursued her interests in human rights research and advocacy and been able to study and work in Nepal and Guatemala in conjunction with coursework. She loves getting lost in new places and would happily eat breakfast for every meal.

John Sapida | Originally from the Philippines, John Sapida is currently a graduate student with a concentration in Media and Culture. His research interests include in the role of media in human rights education, media and memorialization, and migrant's rights. John enjoys participating in media projects in film, photography and social media. Recently, he has participated in media projects in Brazil and Guatemala. If/when he has free time, John is also an actor who has been performing on stage since the age of 11. 

Andrea Gonzalez | As an architect, Andrea likes to understand space in its different socio-political dimensions. She is very interested in mapping, photography, storytelling, and cultural studies. Andrea likes to think of creative ways to intersect media with the work of human rights.  She has researched the nuclear disaster of Chernobyl and interviewed settlers still inhabiting its surroundings and helped design an installation as well as document Guantanamo with a group of artists that work with archiving as a radical practice.  Currently, she is helping to produce a short documentary film about critical housing in communities from Rio de Janeiro. She is finishing her MA in International Affairs with a focus in media at the New School. She also holds a BA in Critical and Visual Studies from Pratt Institute.

Peter Lucas | Peter teaches at New York University and The New School. He received his Ph.D. from NYU in 1996. His teaching and scholarly writing focuses on human rights with an emphasis on participatory media, documentary practice, photography, the poetics of witnessing, human rights education, and youth media. He also directs the International Field Program for Brazil in the Graduate Program of International Affairs at the New School, an annual two-month study abroad program in human rights and media in Rio de Janiero.

Kathleen Morris | Kathleen is graduating with her masters in International Affairs specializing in Development. She previously attended The University of Arizona (Bear Down!) majoring in Political Science with a minor in Chinese. She specializes in Monitoring and Evaluation and is always searching for ways to make programming more effective and efficient. She focuses in projects that work for gender equality and hunger alleviation with experience in school feeding programs. Her work has taken her to China, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. Kathleen is always looking for new passport stamps and iced coffee.