In honor of Global Brigades Month, we are bringing you a new student highlight every week. These student volunteers were nominated by our Advising Team for their dedication to GB and for going above and beyond in planning and participating on Brigades.
Who: Raissa Arguelles
School: Columbia University
Nominated by Clare, Microfinance Brigades Program Advisor: Raissa worked incredibly hard throughout the brigade to try to motivate and organize the rest of her group and was constantly having conversations with all staff members about ways to improve the group’s interaction with the community, teamwork, and overall experience. She also helped facilitate a new partnership with a Microfinance organization on her campus called “Microlumbia” who invited us to apply for a potential grant of $10,000-20,000 and consultants from Columbia’s graduate school of business, which could be huge for our program growth here in Ghana.
We asked Raissa, what was your most memorable Brigade experience?
Through my involvement with Global Brigades at Columbia University, I’ve been fortunate to travel to Ghana as president of Global Microfinance Brigades, and to Panama as a volunteer with Global Business Brigades. One moment from our recent Ghana brigade endures as my most memorable. My classmates and I held a financial literacy clinic, where we implemented a shareholder model in the community development fund and sold 500 shares to villagers. For me, witnessing concrete change in the community, along with awesome enthusiasm for the undertaking from all sides, reinforced my belief that sustainable development through microfinance is completely possible. Global Brigades has given me the opportunity to meet and learn from incredible people–students, villagers, and GB staff–an experience that has been incredibly rewarding. My involvement with GB has inspired me to pursue my interest in development both in and outside of the classroom, and has undoubtedly enriched my experience living in a city as diverse as New York.
