Past WorldLink Interns
2011-2012

Spring 2012 WorldLink Intern

Katherine Guerrero
High Tech High International

Katherine Guerrero is a junior at High Tech High International with a growing passion in world issues. She is incredibly interested in environmental issues and conservation. In the summer of 2011, she served as an Ambassador for the International Rescue Committee, which helped her realize her passion for international relations. This past fall, she was chosen to serve as an intern at the San Diego Zoo, where she was exposed to different career paths and had a chance to explore her growing interest in journalism by maintaining a blog of her experiences. Through opportunities at the International Rescue Committee and the San Diego Zoo, she furthered her growing interest in both environmental issues and international affairs, as well as her love for journalism. Katherine has been selected to be the Editor in Chief for the 2012 WorldLink Newspaper - a role she is eager to fulfill.

In her spare time, she loves to travel, and immerse herself in different cultures. Katherine is also an avid hiker, horse back rider and music enthusiast. A lot of her extra time is spent volunteering with various organizations that focus on her passions, such as the San Diego Humane Society and Partners Therapeutic Horsemanship.

 

Fall 2011 WorldLink Interns

Eric Nicolas
Canyon Crest Academy

Eric Nicolas is presently a junior at Canyon Crest Academy (CCA). Eric is interested in international conflict resolution and the protection of human rights. He spent last summer as an Ambassador for the International Rescue Committee in San Diego working on refugee issues, both local and global. Eric is an Eagle Scout, and is very involved in service activities in his community including building a wheelchair accessible walled garden for the special needs class at Earl Warren Middle School. At CCA Eric founded the Model United Nations Club and is an active member of the Amnesty International Club. Eric is also involved in the CCA Academic and Science Olympiad Teams, and his FIRST robotics team went to the world championships this year. In his free time, Eric volunteers at the San Diego Zoo with Zoo Corps and as an Assistant Water Polo Coach at his local pool. After high school, Eric hopes to study economics and international relations, and work with the United Nations and global NGOs as a human rights lawyer or economic/policy analyst.

 

Jesus Villalba
MAAC Community Charter School

Jesus Villalba is a junior this fall at MAAC Community Charter School. Dividing his time between Mexico and California, Jesus began to recognize issues of injustice that transcend borders. This led him to become an advocate towards social justice. At just fifteen, he served on the Advisory Committee for the San Ysidro Health Clinic and assisted The San Diego Food Bank in distributing food to his community. Jesus was hired by the Media Arts Center to produce and edit a documentary on food justice in the City Heights area, where he was later asked to teach other students how to document their interests through video. In 2011, Jesus was a recipient of the 2011 South Bay ROP Student of the Year Award. Jesus is fluent in Spanish and is an active student leader at his high school, as co-founder of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and a Leadership Camp Teen Leader who helps facilitate workshops on teen relationship violence, homophobia and discrimination. After high school, Jesus plans to major in video production and pursue a career in documenting social injustices throughout the world.

 

Summer 2011 WorldLink Interns

Sebastien Akarmann
Cathedral Catholic High School

Sebastien Akarmann will be a senior this fall at Cathedral Catholic High School. Currently active in many school activities, he is head of his school’s WorldLink Club and captain of the Academic League Team. He enjoys learning about different places and cultures around the world and spends his time volunteering in many areas around San Diego, including the Carmel Valley Public Library and previously at the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center. He is also part of the National Honor Society and California Scholastic Federation at his school. Sebastien enjoys being a member of the varsity badminton team, hiking and playing tennis and golf.

 

Ruth Ali
San Diego Early Middle College High School

Ruth Ali will be a senior this fall at San Diego Early Middle College High School. Born in Ethiopia, she moved to the border of Kenya and Somalia at the age of five due to political issues. She lived in a refugee camp up until she was 11 and was brought to the United States through a program that protects women and children. After graduating from high school, Ruth plans on joining the International Missions Board and spending a summer in a third world country. After college, she wants to work with the United Nations. Ruth believes that the WorldLink summer internship will give her an opportunity to gain experience and become more involved in global affairs. Outside of school, Ruth is very involved with her church, where she teaches Sunday school and has helped start a youth group.

 

Emiliano De Riquer
La Jolla High School

Emiliano De Riquer will be a junior this fall at La Jolla High School. He previously spent time living in Spain, which provided him the unique opportunity of experiencing not only Spain’s culture, but also the cultures of France, England and Italy. Here in San Diego, Emiliano has participated in the Global Youth Leadership Summit, a program created by Anthony Robbins to bring future young leaders from around the world to UC San Diego. He will serve as a summit youth coach later this year. Emiliano has also been involved in local community service projects, including visiting residents of nursing homes, feeding the homeless and promoting an eco-friendly environment through a recycling program at his school. Emiliano joined WorldLink because he believes it will be a chance to contribute to the work of the IPJ and do something for his community and school. His short-term goal is to increase awareness among young people and get them more involved in finding solutions to international conflicts. After graduating from high school, Emiliano plans to major in international relations and philosophy and pursue a career in international law.

 

Savannah Dowling
La Jolla Country Day School

Savannah Dowling will be a senior this fall at La Jolla Country Day School (LJCDS). She is a passionate language learner who strives to become fluent in her two languages of study, Arabic and Mandarin. In the summer of 2010, she studied Arabic at the Middlebury Monterey Language Academy, a month-long language immersion program. In spring 2011, she travelled to China to improve her Mandarin communication skills and her knowledge of the rich Chinese culture. Savannah is the president of F.A.M.E (French, Arabic, Mandarin, Espanol), a club that combines language learning with cultural education to create a generation of globally aware citizens. She is a member of her school’s Community Service Board, the Student Diversity Leadership Club and the Amnesty International Club. During her sophomore year, she travelled to the Dominican Republic with LJCDS, where she stayed at an orphanage and taught English at a local public school. In addition to her involvement with WorldLink this summer, Savannah was accepted to be an ambassador for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and she plans to start an IRC club at LJCDS this fall.    

 

Rayne Ibarra
San Diego Early Middle College High School

Rayne Ibarra attends San Diego Early Middle College High School and will return in the fall as a senior and part-time college student at San Diego City College. Rayne is passionate about writing and published a short story in City College’s 2009 anthology during her freshman year of high school. She is a dancer and works closely with Eveoke Dance Theatre, a dance studio devoted to raising public awareness of feminist and social issues. She recently performed in Eveoke’s spring company show, Refuge, which addresses contemporary issues of sexual violence and abuse. Rayne graduated from the studio’s Teacher Training Program in June 2011 as a certified dance teacher, and she intends to combine her dance background with a career in psychology to teach a wide variety of students, ranging from the physically impaired to victims of sexual assault. Rayne is excited and honored to participate in the realization of WorldLink’s inspirational, humanitarian vision.