Crusaders for Education: Maud Reavill and Claire Wampler

This weeks Campus Celebrity is not one but two girls on campus! Claire and Maud are two sophomores who are working hard to establish a club on campus. Read on to find out more and how you can get involved!

What exactly is BuildOn/BuildLife?
buildOn is a national nonprofit organization that works to combat the cycle of poverty and illiteracy through local afterschool programs and international school construction projects. buildOn students and staff have helped communities build over 400 schools all across the globe since 1991. We are in the process of getting recognition for the CU chapter of buildOn; additionally, a group of nine CU students are travelling to Nicaragua in May to build a community school.
buildLIFE is the nickname for the CU buildOn chapter, and a chapter of another national nonprofit, MEDLIFE – the two chapters share similar values and are working together in international service.
 
How did you get the idea to start it?
Claire: I found out about buildOn from a friend from back home, and it was exactly the kind of program that I wanted to get involved in. I’m interested in international education, and while there is a fabulous range of service/travel groups at Barnard and Columbia, there wasn’t one that provided the incredible opportunities that buildOn has, so I figured I could start a chapter.
Maud: Claire was really invested in starting a buildON chapter, Elena (our other Cofounder) was interested in beginning MEDLIFE and I was looking to get involved in aid organizations abroad, so it seemed like the perfect fit!
What will the trip be like?
The buildOn treks are incredible experiences. Each university chapter gets to choose where to travel to, and this year we are going to Nicaragua in May. The trip will be two weeks long, and during that time, we will live with host families and work along side community members laying the foundations for a school. The trek gives Columbia and Barnard students the unparalleled opportunity to really experience the life of another culture and help support them in providing education and opportunity for their children.
 
What are some of the challenges the club faces?
Claire: We face a huge hurdle with fundraising. The CU chapter will cover all the school construction costs, as well as our own travel costs and compensation for our host families. Finding donors and grants is always a challenge.
Maud: Because we are just starting out it’s really hard to reserve space and hold fundraisers without being recognized. Otherwise, people have shown a lot of interest and things are coming together surprisingly well!
 
How does the club fit into your respective interests and goals?
Claire: I’m a PoliSci major with a focus in International Affairs, and buildOn’s work is essentially what I want to do in the future. Illiteracy is one of the root causes of poverty and unrest, and creating ways for children in developing countries to get education from in a sustainable way from local teachers is something I plan to work on. Additionally, I love international travel and exploring cultures that are radically different from ours.
Maud: I am extremely passionate about aiding those in need abroad, especially children. I especially love that both MEDLIFE and buildON work hard to emphasize cultural immersion and how important it is that we provide continuous care and don’t just build a school and leave the townspeople to simply fend for themselves afterwards.
 
What do you hope to have achieved by the time you graduate?
Claire: We are hoping to go on one buildOn trek each summer, and a MEDLIFE trip each summer and winter. Once the chapters are recognized, we also hope to establish a local community service and education aspect to the club. Getting the Barnard, Columbia, and broader NY communities involved in communities abroad is one of the main goals of buildLIFE
Maud: I hope we are able to gain a serious and permanent interest in these two amazing organizations. It would be great to get 18 people to go on each buildON trip and 20 people to go on each MEDLIFE trip! Also, I would love it if we were able to extend our reach locally, and raise awareness on the local level by talking to highschoolers and holding public events.
 
How can anyone interested find out more and get involved?
If you are interested in going on the buildOn trip to Nicaragua in May, or to Peru with MEDLIFE in January, please email CUbuildLIFE@gmail.comfor an application. Hurry, the deadline is October 28th! If you simply want to support the club or if you are interested in donating to fund our school, please email us as well. You can also check out our facebook page: www.facebook.com/CUbuildLIFE