Meet Malaika!

My name is Malaika and I’m pleased to serve as your Staff Advisor. I’m originally from Boulder, CO, studied Sociology at the University of Southern California (USC), and received my Master’s from the University of Maryland (UMD).

At UMD, I’m the Assistant Director for Global Communities, a living-learning program based in Dorchester Hall. Prior to joining the Global Communities team, I worked in recruitment and outreach for the Critical Language Scholarship Program; I was a project manager for NAFSA, a non-profit association for international educators; and I was a study abroad advisor at the University of Tennessee.

I love education and international travel! When I was an undergrad, I studied abroad for a semester in Australia, and have been “bitten” by the travel bug ever since. In grad school, I studied abroad in Brazil and fell in love with South America. After graduation, I spent a year teaching English in Venezuela.

My first introduction to Alternative Breaks occurred while I was at USC. Back then, they only had one trip and we all went to a Navajo Reservation in Southwestern Utah. The trip was incredible and sealed my interest in service. I’m really excited about our trip and we have two amazing Trip Leaders, Naina Soni, and Nicole Zion!