Bio: Kelly Christianson

     I am a triple major, studying Elementary Education, Sociology, and Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College. In the next few years, I plan to become a teacher in post-conflict countries after receiving a Master’s degree in Elementary Education and a Special Education certification from Keene State College. In the summer of 2013, I spent 6 weeks in Cape Town, South Africa as a study abroad student and worked at Baphumelele Children’s Home in the township of Khayelitsha. Here I created and taught an education unit on environmental sustainability. Upon returning to Keene State College, I became a global ambassador for the Global Education Office and began presenting to classes about the importance of study abroad experiences. In November, I organized and presented with the first student panel at KSC’s Biennial Symposium on “Exploring and Rethinking ‘Community’, ‘Poverty’, and ‘Structures of Power’ Through Study Away”. This spring, I have been working as a Teaching Assistant for Professor Seibert’s Rwandan Genocide senior seminar course. As part of this, I designed a lesson and presented on Dr. James Waller’s theory for perpetrator behavior to the class. 
     While in Rwanda, I expect to learn as much as I can about Rwandan society and the associated culture. In addition to traveling the country and experiencing the natural beauty of Rwanda, we will be visiting memorials for the 1994 genocide. Although this experience will be difficult, there is so much that we can learn, while looking at the positive growth that has occurred within the country since the genocide. During the Peacebuilding Institute held by Never Again Rwanda, Alex and I will be presenting Dr. James Waller's theoretical model for perpetrator behavior and facilitating a cross-cultural dialogue about the theory's implications for genocide prevention. After our group trip to Rwanda ends, I will be spending an additional three weeks living with a Rwandan family in Butare. In those three weeks, I will be volunteering at L'Ecole Primaire de Butare, which is a public primary school that provides education to about 1,200 students.