She looked up into the sky, squinting, as the hot, shining sun rays soaked into her skin. Her feet tingling in the warm-soft sand and the calming sound of the waves moving in the background. She looks around her watching the world’s most professional surfers waiting to catch a wave. She smiles. To them, this was a commercial shot. To her, this was home.
As American University’s very own first-year student, Ella Decker started most of her life born and raised in San Diego, California – specifically, the small beach town of La Jolla. Her adventurous lifestyle and childhood curiosity urged her to experience new hobbies and juggle around all of her extra-curricular activities. From playing semi-pro soccer with the San Diego Sea Lions as a child to hosting a fashion show with eight local high schools, Ella Decker has done it all.
Her life in California has surely given her an abundance of opportunities that led her to Washington D.C. During high school, Decker planned an event for a non-profit that ended up raising $18,000 for Cervical Cancer in women throughout Mexico. Her name began circling around the city after a planned silent auction and various fundraisers she had hosted prior to the benefit for the non-profit, that Mrs. California ended up dropping by as the host/MC for the evening! With the money and the support from her family and friends, Decker was able to deliver the vaccines to the diagnosed women in Mexico and the rest was history. Her experience sparked a career interest where she realized that this was what she wanted to pursue for the rest of her life; helping others achieve a more sufficient and healthier way of life pushed her to start a sub-fund of a non-profit and continue her journey from there.
With extensive research in non-profit management and a few phone calls later, Decker found herself choosing to go to school in Washington D.C., home to hundreds of non-profits, nationwide and internationally. The final outcome led her to attend American University for their exceptional program in non-profit management – this is where she would be able to pursue her dream. Her go-go-go mindset led her to attend a few classes on the side at Gallaudet University – one of the world’s best institutions for American Sign Language. With build-up of a sub-fund for her non-profit organization and plans to take a test and become an ASL interpreter, Decker is well on her way to a successful future.
Today, Ella is working on her non-profit, “Pro Salud” (better health), that combats Cervical Cancer and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to prevent sexually transmitted diseases in Eastern Tijuana, Mexico. Currently, 97 clinics have been created by Pro Salud across Mexico and have successfully achieved in lowering the rate of STI’s, preventing them, and promoting sexual education and other medical services.
Additionally, Ella’s expanded interests and involvement with her non-profit along with on campus has led her to join AU’s SPA Leadership program. She is currently working on hosting another event with her fellow peers at Busboys and Poets on Tuesday, April 8th. The current project will feature a co-created documentary about adult illiteracy in Washington D.C. The documentary, Without a Word, will feature adults between the ages of 23 and 60, who have never been able to read. Tickets are no more than a few dollars and all proceeds will go back to the Washington Literacy Center, a non-profit which has been teaching adults to read since 1963.
Ella Decker is one busy woman, currently working on a THIRD project of footage from a recent Alternative Break trip to Cape Town, South Africa. With the footage gathered from her passion of non-profits she worked with, Decker plans on creating a tribute and advocacy campaign for each of the grassroot organizations her along with the Alt. Break team has volunteered with. Although still in its early stages, she plans on keeping up with the documentary while working her butt off as an art curator for Bleakhouse Publishing and Tacenda, Pro Salud, and her SPA Leadership projects. Juggling all of these projects has surely shown Ella Decker’s true dedication and drive to want to succeed.
Keep up with Ella Decker by following her on Instagram @ddecks or adding her on Facebook.
Don’t forget to check out the documentary, Without a Word, co-created by Decker and the SPA Leadership peers. This event is something you would not want to miss out on!
Get your tickets here: