Wednesday 9 August 2017

Meet The Staff - Fall 2017

So long summer... hello Fall 2017! August finds the USP staff regrouping from our various summer travels and activities and getting ready for a new semester and the year ahead. Our two new PA's are here-- learning the ropes, our Global Health students are already working hard at their modular course work, doing site visits and hearing from guest speakers, and we are all gearing up for the arrival of the rest of the group, orientation and our Rwanda trip! 

USP staff work hard to provide a supportive environment for students to live, grow and learn in. Whether you are a parent, friend, alum, perspective student, home university faculty member, or a current USP student, we would like to introduce you to our current team. 
Staff members: what is the best part of your 
job at USP??

Lydia Wankuma- USP Office Administrator
"I like the fact that my job is multifaceted, so I get the opportunity of interacting with staff members every day and with students at various points during the week. There’s no room for boredom.” 

Rachel Robinson - USP Director
"Crossing cultures, being in new and different situations with people who think and do things differently than you is one of the most valuable learning spaces to put yourself in; it is not always comfortable, but it brings new insights, perspectives and empathy. What I love most about my job, is building relationships with the students and bearing witness to their growth and development over the course of the semester. And not just their growth, but my own as well. I am often challenged and encouraged by their journeys, to keep pushing into the questions and to live what I believe as authentically as I can. (Also, I work with some of the best people ever!)"




Eddie Tokpa- Assistant Coordinator (Below, Right)
“I think the favorite part of my job is relationship. I enjoy the interaction both with students and with host families. In addition to that is also the community aspect of it. I can go to a family’s house even if I don’t have an appointment and they will receive me.” 

























Micah Hughes - Global Health Coordinator (Left, pictured with Zac Tamale- Head of the Laboratory at Uganda Christian University's Health Centre) 

“What I love most about working with USP is the unique privilege to combine the academics of biomedical sciences with Christian experiential learning in the Ugandan Context. When more and more programs are moving towards short-term (1 or 2 week) international trips, I am grateful to work with students for 5 months and witness a deeper transformational learning that takes place through cross-cultural relationships with host families, internship supervisors, and the surrounding USP community."



Lisa Tokpa-  Social Work Coordinator (Left)  
“Being a cultural bridge as well as empowering and equipping both students and supervisors."
             


Paige Schaffer- Program Assistant (Right)
“My favorite thing about my job is that I get to learn so much from so many different people while also getting to support students as they learn so many new things themselves." 
                                    
                                                                                                                                                                    










Innocent Atimango- USP Administrative Assistant (Left)
“Working and being able to coordinate with different departments and seeing it fall in place successfully. Seeing students having functional supplies. I find joy in seeing them be satisfied with what they have be it books or dorm supplies." 







Lydia Koma- USP Office Attendant (Below)                     
"Teamwork!"



John Kabugo – USP Driver (Below)
“My favorite part of the job is to drive students safely on the road to their practicum sights and bring them back; and also to interact with them, exchanging ideas and they tell me what is about American and I also tell them about Uganda: different cultures, different behaviors, making friends. And to get to know them.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    


Benjamin Apuuli – Program Assistant (Above, Right)
“Getting to know the students and having interactions with them and in those interactions getting to know more about the American culture and them getting to know more about Ugandan culture. And also working hand in hand with staff and learning from each other."    
                     


Morgan Walker- Program Assistant (Far Left)
“My favorite part of being a Program Assistant is the awesome community I get to live in and work with. The students and staff at USP and Uganda Christian University are incredible and so is the district of Mukono where we are located."