In December 2019, five members of our chapter traveled to Njau, The Gambia to implement a solar-powered water access project. Before departure, each shared what drew them to EWB and what they hoped to accomplish.
Maggie Miles — President & Travel Logistics Coordinator
Maggie has been involved with EWB since her freshman year. Her motivation is straightforward: "Anyone who really wants to work towards a better, more sustainable standard of living for all humans of the world should join this organization." As the chapter president and PMEL lead, she was focused on ensuring the largest implementation trip in the chapter's history ran smoothly — and on finally meeting the community members she'd been working alongside for years.
Lily Liu — DOT Committee Lead
Lily joined during her first semester at Ohio State. "I have a strong passion both for helping others and for engineering, and EWB has been the ideal intersection of these two passions." She was particularly excited to apply her research on boreholes and hydrogeology directly in the field during construction.
Andrew Derge — Mentor Group Coordinator
A third-year member, Andrew saw the trip as "the greatest opportunity that I may ever have to positively affect people's lives." It was his first time traveling to Africa.
Dante Della Vella — International Projects Lead
Dante oversaw the project from the beginning of the year. "I'm overjoyed to see the community myself," he wrote before departure. "I am so excited for the moment that we turn the pump on."
Jared Brown
With 4.5 years in the chapter and a previous assessment trip under his belt, Jared had the longest perspective of anyone on the team. His takeaway: "Working and partnering with people around the world is the most rewarding work I have done."
