Amanda grew up on Long Island, New York with her wonderful parents and beautiful younger sister, spending her time dancing and horseback riding. In her senior year of high school in 2005, she traveled with her language teachers to Italy, opening her up to the art of travel.Amanda began her bachelors at Pace University in New York City in 2005 as an anthropology major. She then spent the summer of 2006 working in a special education school in the slums of Lima, Peru through Cross Cultural Solutions. Amanda began to understand how important awareness is for the betterment of society.
In 2007, she studied abroad with Semester at Sea, broadening her scope to 5 other continents. With meeting other amazing students, Amanda came back from SAS knowing she has to work to create progressive change. She returned to Pace and interned with Keep a Child Alive to help fund ARV drugs for AIDS victims.
After falling in love with India on her first visit with SAS, Amanda then studied abroad in Kolkata with International Partnership for Service Learning and Leadership in 2008. While taking classes, she also volunteered at All Bengal Women's Union, a shelter for female survivors of violence. Upon returning after creating indelible relationships with the young women, she decided to double major in Women and Gender Studies at Pace U.In her senior year of her bachelors, Amanda was an active student on campus as well as working as a research assistant at the New York Immigration Coalitionstudying perspectives of immigrants on health insurance. She graduated with honors and special awards in May 2009. During this time, she received the J. William Fulbright Scholarship to conduct independent research in Bangladesh on women's empowerment after sexual violence and trafficking. Since July 2009, Amanda has been living in Dhaka, observing several organizations, their programs and constitutes to learn about different approaches and methods towards women's empowerment. Her grant ends in June 2010.
Amanda's only goal is to visit more countries than years she's alive (currently at 22). She is an Aries rising sign and Scorpio ascendant, and swears they are impeccable. She shaved her head for charity and thinks every woman should try it. Amanda thinks there is never a bad time to dance. She could survive the rest of her life eating only her mother's lasagna, her father's Sunday breakfast and spinach-goat cheese-cranberry-walnut salads. If you ever want to get on her good side, sing "Moon River." Amanda also has a slightly odd fear of peacocks.
