Regional Outreach Coordinators

West Coast

Jenna Fox - College

University of Nevada, 2011
westcoast@standnow.org

The West Coast is home to some of the most incredible anti-genocide activists in the country, and Jenna hopes to help all of the chapters she works with to become even stronger. An International Affairs major with a minor in Health Ecology, she started a chapter at her school in 2007 and has been working closely with STAND ever since. She has plenty of tools to help your chapter, and is always up for a late night brainstorming session on gchat or Facebook! Who needs sleep anyway? Back to top

Southwest

Kayla Mueller - College

Northern Arizona University, 2009
southwest@standnow.org

Kayla was born and raised in Prescott, a small town in Northern Arizona. She currently lives in Flagstaff where she is a senior at Northern Arizona University (NAU) studying International Affairs. While attending high school Kayla became aware of the atrocities occurring in Darfur and worked with community members, schools and organizations to raise further awareness on the issue. While at NAU Kayla was a member and later president of the STAND chapter at NAU. Currently, Kayla serves as the college Southwest Regional Outreach Coordinator. Kayla also enjoys artistic expressions of all kinds including playing her guitar and writing. She also loves to travel, hike, backpack and kayak. After graduating from NAU Kayla hopes to pursue an internship in Uganda working with the reintegration of child soldiers. Back to Top

Great Plains

Jon Leach - College

Emporia State University, 2010
greatplains@standnow.org

Jon Leach is a senior Social Sciences Major (emphases in Politics and History) at Emporia State University. Jon has a passion for languages, minoring in Spanish, but also having studied Arabic, German, Korean, Persian and Portuguese. An Eagle Scout (with clusters), Jon enjoys playing Capoeira and his kitten Butros-Butros-Ghali. Back to top

Great Plains & Southwest

Nate Seeskin - High School

John Burroughs School, 2010
nseeskin@standnow.org

Pulling double-duty this year, Nate is both the Great Plains and Southwest High School Regional Outreach Coordinator. He has lived in Saint Louis for his whole life and is a senior at John Burroughs School. He decided to start a STAND chapter at his school during his junior year after meeting GI-Net Founder Mark Hanis the previous summer. So far, his chapter has gotten more than 100 signatures for a petition to remind Barack Obama to keep anti-genocide efforts high up on his foreign policy, and raised several hundred dollars that will go toward sending therapeutic food to children in Darfur. Outside of school, Nate is active in his synagogue's youth group, and participates in two inter-racial/religious dialogue groups.

Great Lakes

Christina MacKenzie - College

Northern Illinois University, 2010
greatlakes@standnow.org

Christina is a senior at Northern Illinois University, majoring in history and double minoring in political science and German. She got involved with the anti-genocide movement in 2008 when her professor invited her to hear Samantha Power speak, and left the event fired up and ready to act, co-founding her university’s STAND chapter. She firmly believes the best way to end genocide is to educate people on all genocides, past and present, their world wide repercussions and to impress upon others that a peoples’ political will can halt atrocities. She has previously served as the Conflict Education Coordinator for Sudan. Christina favorite past times include traveling, cooking, baking, and watching EastEnders. Back to top

Vinay Nayak - High School

Hinsdale Central High School, 2010
greatlakes.hs@standnow.org

Vinay joined STAND during his junior year of high school and is now serving as the High School Great Lakes Regional Outreach Coordinator.  He has been involved in political campaigns in the past and served one summer as a United States Congressional Page is Washington, DC.  He is excited to spread the voice of the movement and high school activism across the midwest!  An interesting fact about Vinay is that he one day aspires to become T-Pain.  Back to top

Southeast

Frank Stiefel - College

Elon University, 2011
southeast@standnow.org

Frank grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey and is a sophomore at Elon University in North Carolina where he is double majoring in Political Science and African/African-American Studies. Frank became involved with STAND during his junior year in high school after he took a Holocaust class with his favorite teacher Mr. Gwin. During his freshman year at Elon University Frank helped to start a STAND chapter on campus and eventually became president of the chapter. Frank is obsessed with two things and they are the band Coldplay and the show The West Wing. Back to top

Zach Peirce - High School

Mooresville High School, 2010
southeast.hs@standnow.org

Zach is a Senior at Mooresville High School in Mooresville, NC and is the Southeast High School Regional Outreach Coordinator and the “Mini Design Monkey”. Having held numerous fundraisers and education events, he with the help of MHS STAND have more than quadrupled the number of people in his school that know what Darfur is. While he is not fighting genocide Zach likes to hang out with his friends, savor a fine meal, and stay up all night on gchat. Back to top

Northeast

Andrea Hong - College

Smith College, 2011
northeast@standnow.org

Originally from the west coast, Andrea attends Smith College where she studies Government and East Asian Studies. She first witnessed the power of efficient organization as a senior in high school when she led an anti-genocide campaign for the victims of Darfur and fundraised over $17,000 in six days. She continued her activism in college by joining the STAND team by creating a chapter at her college and joining its O-team.  As the Northeast Outreach Coordinator, she is excited about STAND's collaborative, nation-wide initiatives, and looks forward to strengthening STAND as an effective engine for students’ anti-genocide efforts. Outside of STAND, Andrea plays rugby, sings with the Smithereens, and enjoys tasting new cuisines. Back to top

Brett Perl - High School

Scarsdale High School, 2010
northeast.hs@standnow.org

Brett is a senior at Scarsdale High School in New York, only 30 minutes from New York City, where he often goes to rallies and protests.  Brett became involved with STAND when he helped the already-established club, Human Rights Coalition, become a STAND chapter last year. Previously, Brett had followed many of STAND's campaigns informally. Brett is extremely excited to work with the Northeast this year and do some great STAND campaigns! When Brett isn't working with STAND, he is doing art, running, with friends, or at a random starbucks. Back to top

Mid-Atlantic

Ben Swartout - College

Lafayette College, 2011
midatlantic@standnow.org

Ben is from the small town of Upton in Central Massachusetts. He is a Junior Civil and Environmental student at Lafayette College in Easton, PA. Ben became involved with STAND when founding the Chapter at his school in the Fall of 2007 and is thrilled about being the Mid-Atlantic Coordinator and working with other chapters across the region. An interesting fact about Ben is that he is in love with Coldplay and U2! Back to top

Sofia Gold - High School

Georgetown Day High School, 2010
midatlantic.hs@standnow.org

Sofia grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland and is now a rising junior at Georgetown Day School, in Washington, DC, where she is involved in her school's STAND chapter, an editor for the school newspaper, and an active soccer player. Sofia first became involved with STAND when she joined her school's STAND chapter her freshman year of high school in 2006. She served as the president of her school's STAND chapter for more than a year. If Sofia could be anywhere in the world she would be in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire in the summer. In her spare time, Sofia loves hanging out with her friends, watching old movies, and reading Dave Eggers and J.M. Coetzee. Back to top

New Chapter

Katie Walsh - College

Seton Hall University, 2011
newchapter@standnow.org

Katie comes from the Charlton, Massachusetts but now attends Seton Hall University in South Orange New Jersey where she majors in International Relations and Diplomacy and is perusing a double minor in Arabic and French. Katie first became involved with STAND when she created a new chapter at Seton Hall and now serves as the STAND New Chapter Outreach Coordinator. If Katie could be anywhere in the world she would go to Africa or be on a boat. An interesting fact about Katie is that she has a fake eye socket. Back to top

Sarah Juster - High School

Community High School, 2010
newchapter.hs@standnow.org

Sarah Juster is a junior at Community High School in Ann Arbor Michigan, and is very excited to be the new hiNuCOC. She learned about the atrocities in Darfur in an African Civilization class her freshman year of high school, and started a chapter of STAND for high school students in Ann Arbor the same year. Her chapter has raised several thousand dollars through movie screenings, concerts, and through selling fla-vor-ice. Sarah hopes to one day prosecute those committing horrendous crimes, such as genocide, through the International Criminal Court. In her spare time, she is also an avid fan of jazz music, and loves to play gigs with her jazz band.Back to top