Welcome to your regional page! I am please to be serving you, and look forward to getting to know you better. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions, comments, or concerns when it comes to Fair Trade (and even your campus).

I first learned about Fair Trade as a rising sophomore in high school. I attended Justice Action Week, which is a social justice-oriented program held in Baltimore City, MD each year (sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore) in which high school-aged youth are immersed in the culture of Baltimore. The goal of the program is for participants to become more socially aware of their surroundings. On the last day of the program, I attended a presentation at Catholic Relief Services' headquarters and learned about Fair Trade. That evening, we were writing commitment statements in which we would explain how and what we would take from our experiences throughout the week back to our home parishes and schools. I chose to commit to raising awareness about Fair Trade within my parish and school by holding Fair Trade fundraiser sales. I was able to fulfill my commitment statement, and the Catholic Review even wrote an article about my work a year later. Days afterwards, I was interviewed be Sirius' "The Catholic Channel". At the age of 16, I would never have guessed that I would be explaining to adults what Fair Trade was.

As high school progressed, I began to fear college. I was worried that wherever I went I would not be able to continue my work with Fair Trade. Luckily, I was accepted to John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH and was offered a position in the Arrupe Scholars program (a social justice honors program). I was a Fair Trade intern for two semesters at John Carroll. As an intern, I was in charge of hosting Fair Trade sales and educating Immersion Trip groups on the topic of Fair Trade.

After my first year at John Carroll, I decided to transfer to the University of Maryland: College Park. I have a lot of friends at Maryland and have been able to network with approximately 10 student groups and have their support to make UMD a Fair Trade University. My goal is for Maryland to be a Fair Trade University by 2013 and with the support of student groups such as Feminists Without Borders and the Love Movement this goal is becoming a reality. This past spring, the Diamondback (our school newspaper) did an article on my work with Fair Trade.

Today, I am a junior at the University of Maryland. I ask that you do not hesitate to send me an email if you would like to become more involved in the movement. Thank you for taking the time to check out our website, and I look forward to hearing from you.