Welcome, Jacquelyn!
We’re excited to welcome a new team member to our Komera family! Jacquelyn is joining Komera as the Development and Communications Manager to support Komera’s work and amplify the voices of women and girls in our community.
How did you first hear about Komera?
I first heard about Komera over five years ago from Lauren Mason- the Managing Director - when we worked together at lululemon. I remember she was so excited to start working at Komera and shared all the great things the organization does with and for the Rwandan girls and their families. From there I was hooked and began participating in different events. When I moved to NYC in 2019 to get my master’s in Urban Planning at NYU - Wagner, I took that opportunity to get even more involved and volunteered on the host committee for the 2020 NYC annual Social. And finally, the following fall, I joined the Komera team as an intern while I finished up my last year of school.
What made you want to join Komera full time?
I studied urban planning and focused on international development in grad school, so I was exposed to many different NGOs, INGOs, non-profits, etc. and something I noticed was that many organizations had very narrow focuses. What I love so much about Komera is that we focus on not just one aspect of a girl’s life, but many different aspects, including their families and the community. Komera looks at the whole picture with the goal of creating long-term generational change and I really wanted to join full-time to support that mission!
What projects are you most excited to dive into and support the team with?
Komera does such a great job at sharing their story. I’m excited to continue to help with that, and hopefully expand our outreach to grow our Komera community. Some of that looks like finding new ways to engage with different markets or businesses to form partnerships, or create exciting events that support our mission. So if you are interested or have a great idea, hit me up and let's chat! I love connecting with people!
What is your favorite part of the Komera program or mission that inspires you?
Our name alone inspires me! Seeing our name Komera, (meaning “Be strong, have courage” in Kinyarwanda) on a daily basis is a constant reminder that I can push through the hard times, and take on the things outside of my comfort zone.
A big piece of Komera’s mission is female empowerment through sport and health wellness. What is your personal favorite way to sweat and how do you practice self-care?
My favorite way to sweat is anything water based - swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding - I love it all! I even take hydrocycle classes where the spin bike is in the water! As far as practicing self-care, I love being in nature. Whether it's in the mountains, at the beach, or hanging out at Brooklyn Bridge Park, being in nature just helps me let go of it all.
What is a fun, unique or weird fact about you:
In 2018 I hiked the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu with my husband and absolutely fell in love with trekking. Our next goal is to hike Mt. Fuji and hopefully Mt. Kilimanjaro in the next few years. My long-term goals are to do Mt. Rainer and Everest Base Camp 2 (EBC II). I don’t think I’m quite up for a full Everest trek, but never say never!
Inspirational quote or mantra you live by:
One of my favorite inspirational quotes is by Mark Twain - “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.”
A mantra I live by is “Ain’t nothing to it, but to do it!” (thanks Dillion Francis!)
Please join us in welcoming Jacquelyn to our Komera family! If you’re interested in connecting to chat all things partnership, outreach, or just want to connect, you can reach her at jac@komera.org.