MEET CBOB'S new team members!

We are so excited that our CBOB team is ever growing! Meet the new additions to the team!

​Briana Fletcher is the Service Trip Director at CBOB. She was born in Palo Alto, CA, but grew up in Gainesville, FL. She has often thought about the quote "think global, act local." However, she has found herself striving to identify conscious actions she can take that transcend borders and operate on a global scale. CBOB and the Bound for Peace trips represent a way of thinking and a commitment to mindful actions that do just that in the context of Colombia and Latin America at large. She is most looking forward to opportunities to translate what she have learned from her global experiences as an undergraduate, and to enhance her Spanish language proficiency.

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Rahma Mkuu is the Health Initiatives Director for CBOB. She is originally from Kenya but has been in the US for 15 years. She also says she is from Bell, Florida, a lovely community in Gilchrist County, north of Gainesville. CBOB to her is an opportunity to contribute to working towards ensuring that vulnerable children and their families have access to resources that will allow them to have a better quality of life in order to pursue their dreams. CBOB is made up incredible volunteers who are all passionate and CBOB is a place where people are joining together to make a world a place where access to education and health resources is not reflective on socioeconomic status. She is most looking forward to working with the team to ensure that everyone in the community, regardless of immigration status, receive basic health care services and resources. She looks forward to increasing knowledge about our health fairs and working with the community to identify the best avenues and resources to provide. She hopes to increase the number of people who access our resources. She looks forward to working with the team and community to identify ways to increase the number of people who access our health fairs and receive the resources they need.

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​Emily Santiana is originally from Ecuador, yet also considers herself to be from Tarpon Springs, Florida. She is CBOB’s new Education Director and could not be more excited. This organization’s mission spoke to her and her passion to create educational opportunities and therefore, she hopes to contribute to its noble cause of equitable education. She aspires to expand the educational component of CBOB by growing our resources, capabilities, and programs for the benefit of more students now and in the future. As a CBOB team member, she is most looking forward to seeing our efforts being reflected in the community and the futures of the students we serve.

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Rayanah Mkuu is an Administrative intern at Children Beyond our Borders. She grew up in Bell, FL but her family is from Kenya. CBOB means a lot to her. More specifically it means giving a helping hand and maintaining positivity to those who are disadvantaged. She believes these people are looking towards the light at the end of the tunnel and CBOB means making sure they have the opportunities to get to it. As a CBOB team member she looks forward to seeing CBOB in action firsthand and getting more involved. She hope to shed more light on the organization and work to expand it.

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​Kindy Michael is a Grant Writing intern at CBOB. She was born in Canada but moved to Florida when she was very young and grew up there. To her, CBOB means empowering children and giving them the resources that they need to be successful. As a CBOB team member, she is most looking forward to working with a team of compassionate people, toward the goal of expanding our community and helping children to succeed academically. She hopes to help CBOB expand its resources, while continuing to see the growth of this incredible organization. ​

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Isabel Zorn will begin her position as Operations Director on May 1. She is from Sea Cliff, New York. To her, CBOB means recognizing that the resources and education that some people are fortunate enough to have is not easily accessible to everyone. Being apart of CBOB means that she can help those who are less fortunate with their educational opportunities, which she believes should be available to all people equally. She is most looking forward to being able to meet all of the people that CBOB strives to help and to be able to see the positive difference it will make in peoples lives. By working with CBOB she hopes that as a team we can accomplish expanding our outreach to more and more students each year!

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Angela Shar is currently a Public Relations and Social Media intern at CBOB. She is from Leesburg, Florida but was born in Canada. To Angela, CBOB means opening up opportunities to those that may not readily have them and encouraging others to seek their highest potential. She most looks forward to working with other like-minded individuals to create an environment where dreams are achieved, whether it is through education or career goals. She hopes to impact CBOB by bringing innovative ideas to increase its presence. 

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​Gabriela Perez is a Public Relations and Social Media intern. She is from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico and loves CBOB! It has been very exciting and therapeutic thus far, especially during this time of social distancing and isolation. She really enjoys getting to do things related to social media so it’s been fun getting to work on different projects for our distinct platforms, especially when knowing that it’s helping raise awareness of CBOB’s mission! She cannot wait to start being more hands-on with different CBOB events once this quarantine is over. What she most hopes to accomplish during her time as an intern at CBOB is to increase social awareness of the incredible work being done here to change the lives of kids and scholars, not only in Colombia but in other parts of the world as well.

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​Julie Marciante is a Public Relations and Social Media  intern for CBOB. She was raised in Boca Raton, FL, and moved to Gainesville to start her undergraduate studies at UF in 2017. CBOB’s mission to aid children facing adversities and social injustices through education and empowerment inspires her to do her part in making a difference in the world. She is so excited to be a part of a team with such a moving and uplifting vision, and she hopes to use her experiences with CBOB to propel her into working in the nonprofit field post-graduation. As a CBOB intern, she looks forward to using her skills and knowledge of public relations to elevate the organization, expand its reach, and in turn, increase its ability to change children’s lives.

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Wafaa Ateyah is the new Development Director. Her parents are originally from Egypt, but she was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida. CBOB means family - whether it's the CBOB team or the children in the community. As a family, it means that we aim to empower each other and the people around us and advocate for the rights and needs of others. As a CBOB member, she is most looking forward to giving back and helping empower children to empower themselves, advocating for children who are often silenced, and being a part of a family that aims to build relationships and break down barriers. As the new Development Director, she hopes to assist CBOB in expanding its reach, coming up with innovative ways to sustain our current programs, expand future endeavors, and have the opportunity to work with a compassionate and passionate team who aspire to lead with empathy.  

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