2025 Napier Fellows
Anya Fineman - Pitzer College
Anya Fineman will support the revitalization of traditional Thāru medicinal practices in Nepal’s tarāī region. The establishment of national parks has marginalized Indigenous Peoples, evicting them from ancestral lands and barring them from resources. In Nepal, the Thāru People’s traditions have been impeded by national parks, including their long-standing medicinal practices. The goal of this project is to facilitate a community-led effort to create a garden for traditional medicinal plants. The garden will center around expressed community needs, informed by extensive interviews with Thāru leaders and locals. Anya, a human biology major, has laid ground work for her project in a semester of immersion and research in Nepal.
Cecilia Ransburg - Pomona College
Drawing on experiences of teaching taekwondo and supporting students in under-resourced schools, Cecilia Ransburg plans to create a free taekwondo and leadership training workshop for K-12 students in Pomona, CA. The course will first teach taekwondo and leadership to high school students to prepare them for the second phase, in which they help teach taekwondo classes for elementary and middle schoolers and also mentor the younger students, offering one-on-one or small group support. As an anthropology major, Cecilia recognizes issues in educational systems, and she aims to provide an engaging, empowering, confidence-boosting, and skill-building opportunity for Pomona’s youth through active movement and attention to safety.
Diana Reiss - Scripps College
Diana Reiss intends to create a documentary video about Third Act, an organization of climate activists over 60. She will challenge notions that people become less politically radical in later stages of their lives. Diana will explore the motivations of Third Act members and the lasting legacy of intergenerational climate movements, building on observational footage and interviews in Southern California and New York City, plus a short video created in preparation for the project. With background in film-making, media internships, and a major in media studies, Diana seeks to turn her passion for climate justice into a film that raises awareness and raises money for ongoing climate work.
Maria Duran Gonzalez - Pomona College
Maria Duran Gonzalez proposes the “Ecological Storytelling” project that implements story-based workshops to uplift the lineage of environmental histories present in Las Balsas, Ecuador. Her project is intended to ensure that all generations will rescue ancestral knowledge and continue their transformed heritage of environmental protection of flora, fauna, and land. Three phases will build upon one another: Storytelling Workshops, Ecological Group (focusing on birding by youth), and the Creation of New Stories, leading to creating an Anthology of Environmental Stories.
Daphne Achilles - Claremont McKenna College
Daphne Achilles’ project focuses on cognitive decline in people experiencing chronic unsheltered homelessness. She plans to partner with USC Street Medicine to administer the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to assess the extent of cognitive decline on the streets of Los Angeles County. Should the team discover widespread cognitive decline, the knowledge gained will guide advocacy for decreasing the current barriers to accessible housing. Daphne has spent significant time volunteering on similar projects at USC, and hopes to enter the field of Street Medicine in the future. To that end, she is a government and chemistry double major.
Shakinar Mutulili - Pomona College
Shakinar (Shark) Mutulili proposes an initiative for the Freedom within Kenya Project, which she co-founded. Her proposal aims to improve living conditions for children and mothers in two ill-equipped rural prisons. The project will provide immediate needs, such as baby food, diapers, and cots, as well as work towards long-term goals like improving sanitation by renovating toilets, providing water tanks, and creating childcare spaces. She will partner with the Rotary Club of Karengata in implementation, and with local organisations for sustainability. Shark has experience in advocacy for children in Kenya and mobilizing other youth for change. She now studies public policy analysis at Pomona College.
Christabel Akowuah - Pomona College
Christabel Akowuah proposes a program in Ghana to foster Sanbra (“come back” in Akan). The project seeks to reintegrate youth with mental illness into their communities, led by traditional community elders (Abusua Maame/Papa) and formal mental health leaders. The elders will be trained to create safe spaces at community events where mental health issues can be discussed. Youth volunteers (Abusuafo) will be trained to foster conversations and reach out to community organizations. The goal is to help persons develop a sense of well-being and belonging. Christabel, a neuroscience major, has already completed one project in Ghana, which prepares her and the community for Sanbra.
Emily Dong - Scripps College
Emily Dong intends to introduce the Junior Health Advocate Initiative (JHAI) and improve patient-centered care and language access for communities with limited English proficiency (LEP) in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Her particular focus will be on developing language resources and non-medical interpretation in Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC), while giving local high school students an opportunity to serve their communities. Health Bridges will train the students in cultural competence and patient care, seeking to establish a sustainable model for non-medical interpretation services. Emily offers her unique understanding as a Mandarin speaker, student of biophysics, aspiring physician, and longtime volunteer in health organizations.
Natasha Yen - Pitzer College
Natasha Yen plans to implement a Youth Empowerment and Leadership Program at Little Rose Center in Soweto, South Africa. The program includes leadership and skills development workshops, and a mentorship program where youth will enact community-based projects. By addressing local needs, students will foster social responsibility and sustainable development. The project aims to build youth leadership, equipping participants with resources and skills to strengthen their agency for meaningful change. Natasha’s prior work with the Center during her study abroad in Southern Africa, combined with her mentoring and project management experience and studies of sociology and environmental analysis, prepares her to lead this transformative project.
Paa Thompson -Pitzer College
Concerned about unsafe gold-mining (Galamsey) on water, soil, and people, Paa Thompson intends to mitigate environmental and public health consequences in Tarkwa, Ghana. In Phase 1, he will oversee the installation of boreholes and biosand filters with biochar, opening access to clean water and reducing waterborne diseases. Phase 2 focuses on natural remedies for the parasitic disease schistosomiasis, working with Nhyira Medical Relief. He will also create training guides, facilitate knowledge transfer, promote cultivation of medicinal plants and biochar, and establish local committees for health education and infrastructure. Paa plans a future in sustainable development, informed by his active service and a major in economics and data science.
Bryan Soh - Claremont McKenna College
Bryan Soh plans to launch a community-building initiative that raises awareness for increased youth involvement in Singapore’s foreign policy, particularly in advancing opportunities for Singapore to facilitate U.S.-China cooperation. He plans to do the project through an existing community-building organization that brings diverse groups together to save an historic building in Chinatown. He sees his project as re-empowering youth to secure their own peaceful future through US-China cooperation. Bryan has prepared for the project with a major in international relations, a semester abroad and internship in China, internships in Singapore working on sustainability and policy, and research on multicultural governance.