Meet Our Team!

We have one staff advisor, two student experience leaders, and thirteen awesome participants. Read through our bios to get to know us a bit better. We can't wait to depart for Harlan in four days!

Staff Advisor: Leslie Krafft
I am a Case Manager in the Department of Resident Life, responsible for supporting North Campus students through challenging times and raising awareness around mental health. I have my doctorate from the University of Redlands, CA in Leadership for Educational Justice, my master's in Counseling from Youngstown State University, OH, and my bachelors in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. I love to try things outside my comfort zone, and I am known for trying crazy foods. Last year I accompanied the Pine Ridge, SD AB trip to work alongside the Lakota Nation, and I can't wait to have a new experience with our team.


Experience Leader: Emily Murdock
I am a senior Flute Performance and Mathematics double major from Eldersburg, MD. I am also pursuing my Masters in Secondary Education as a part of an Integrated Masters and Certification Program at UMD. I am passionate about education; I love both teaching and learning from others. I have been on two AB trips to Gaston, NC to learn about rural education and Bland, VA to explore socioeconomic equity. In my spare time, I love running, group fitness classes, reading, and exploring new places. I am so excited to go to Kentucky for the first time and get to know a new community that is very different from College Park/DC. I hope to see my participants experience many new things outside of their comfort zones!


Experience Leader: Julian Washington
I am a senior biochem major. I am from a town called Deptford in South Jersey. It is right outside of Philadelphia, so I am a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, although that is hard to admit at times. I have participated in two trips with AB before, but this will be my first time leading a trip. I am most excited to learn as much as I can about Harlan and see my participants learn as well. I plan on doing my best to make sure my participates enjoy their time with AB and get as much as possible out of the experience.


Participant: Christy Arevalo
I am a junior anthropology major with a french minor. I hope to work in international development and I currently intern at an advocacy organization that aims to reduce extreme poverty through international development policy. In my free time, I like to write and perform comedy- I am a member of Sketchup, a comedy group at UMD! I am very excited to go to Kentucky for the first time, I have never been before!

Participant: Ningzhi Yu

I am Ningzhi Yu and I will go by Stella. I am originally from China and currently a Master Science in Accounting student. I like hiking and there is one trail called Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah I like most. In my spare time, I like to visit museums in D.C.. This is my first time going as part of AB program and I am so excited about the upcoming trip. Also I find it hard to name some of the American food and I'll be appreciated if we could have a talk on it！

Participant: Nathanael Brian
I am an international student from Indonesia. I am on my 2nd year and studying in Computer Science. I have just been in the United States for 2 years, and it is my first time being here. I have participated in AB last spring break in North Carolina. I was really fun, to travel to a new place and actually doing something good for others. I choose this AB trip, because I am interested what the situation in Kentucky looks like, also to gain some valuable experience in it.

Participant: Sarah Husted
I am a senior Accounting major with a minor in Sustainability Studies. I was born and raised in the Southern Maryland area, love art (and just recently started wheel throwing classes!), and my apartment bedroom at college is full of bamboo plants from IKEA. After graduation I will work for a large public accounting firm in the DC area while I pursue my CPA. In the meanwhile during my last semester at UMD, I am very excited to embark on my second AB trip to Harlan, KY. About two years ago during my freshman year, I was fortunate enough to attend the Bahamas: Environmental Conservation & Ecotourism trip to Andros and Nassau. While I learned an incredible amount about ecological welfare on my international journey there, I cannot wait to extend that knowledge to my upcoming Appalachian adventure. I know we have some incredible people on our team and I cannot wait to get to know everyone better!

Participant: Manasi Samal
Hi! My name is Manasi but I tell everyone to call me Mani, which is my family nickname. I am currently a sophomore at the University of Maryland and I am double majoring in Neurobiology and Physiology and Public Health Science. I love dogs and I have a mini golden doodle at home named Snickerdoodle. I am also Premed and want to be a surgeon when I grow up. I have lived near the College Park and Hyattsville area my whole so I am so excited to go to Harlan, Kentucky and learn more about the country I live in.

Participant: Siyao Ma
My name is Siyao Ma. I come from Shanghai, China. I'm a senior geography major with a minor in Spanish. This is my first time participating the Alternative Breaks. Traveling is one of my many hobbies. I enjoy exploring new places and experiencing different cultures. I'm a super Liverpool fan, although I've never been to that amazing city! I also enjoy reading, especially during quiet times.

Participant: Adria Obonyo

I am currently a sophomore Government & Politics major from Elkton Maryland. For leisure, I love to hike, read personal development literature, brunch, and take day trips to surrounding cities. Some of my greatest interests include being outdoors and learning about the intersection between social/environmental issues, legislation, business practices and how they effect everyday people.This is my first time participating in the Alternative Breaks program and I am eager to learn about this region of the country, the people, and the future of the area's overall well-being. Moreover, I can't wait to dive into this service trip while creating meaningful bonds with my group members.

Participant: Cole Marra
I am a freshman premed Bioengineering major in the Integrated Life Sciences program and I am from Clinton, NJ. In my free time I enjoy wrestling, soccer, spikeball, reading, and exploring new places. I have never been to Kentucky and I am very excited to see what beauty it holds. I really want to get more involved on campus and I am excited to participate in my first AB experience. I can’t wait to get to know you all!


Participant: Eliana Hubacker

I am a freshman Public Policy and CERES double major from Bethesda, Maryland. I am really interested in international affairs, particularly with Russia and how Russian aggression is shaping European and American policy. During this trip, I am most excited to learn about how climate change has impacted the community, and in general learn about a new community that's so different from that of College Park. I hope I will get the chance to step outside of my comfort zone.

Participant: Emma Bonanno
I am a freshman Atmospheric and Oceanic Science major and a member of Global Communities. I am from Owings, MD (which is in Southern Maryland) and lived there my whole life. I went on a service trip to the Dominican Republic this Winter and had an awesome experience. I have 2 dogs that I am obsessed with and miss a lot, and won’t be seeing until after this Alternative Break :( . But it's okay because I love service and I have never been to Kentucky, so I am very excited to hit the road!


Participant: Linnea Warburton

I am a sophomore Mechanical Engineering student with a concentration in Biomedical engineering. I am from Lexington, Massachusetts and I am on the UMD Sailing Team.


Participant: Lori Huang

Hey, I am Lori, the first year graduate student majored in finance. I am a outgoing and fearless girl who is fond of adventure, my idol is Richard Branson. I love traveling, hiking and diving. I have been to Canada, Thailand, Hongkong before. Traveling all around the world is one of my dreams. In my spare time, I love running, painting, watching movies and exploring new places. As for AB experience, this is my first time. But I have participated in Raleigh China Expedition for a month which is similar to AB trips, I am excited for AB trip٩(๑^o^๑)۶ Looking forward to seeing you~

Participant: Tory Hubbard
Hi! I am a junior studying Hearing and Speech Sciences, hoping to one day become an Audiologist. I grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland. I enjoy traveling to exotic countries; most recently I went to Iceland to explore their amazing glaciers, hot springs, and waterfalls. I like to surprise everybody with crazy adventures so a couple of months ago I went skydiving by myself. On an average day you can find me snuggled up with my tailless cat, Nubby, watching Grey’s Anatomy.

Pre-Trip Service: Rising Above Addiction

Back in February, our team spent one afternoon at the Reclaiming My Life House, a sober house for women run by Rising Above Addiction. RAA was founded about two and a half years ago by Tammy Lofink on the one year anniversary of her son, Robert's, death.
Prior to visiting the RML House, Tammy spoke with some members of our team on campus about her experience as a mother losing her son to a heroin overdose. She described how founding RAA has been a bittersweet experience for her as she aims to keep Rob's memory alive while she helps to save the lives of others suffering from addiction. Tammy visits schools, works with the state attorney's office, and even works directly with individuals who are struggling to quickly get their loved ones into rehab. She calls rehabilitation centers almost every day to make sure they get the help they need. She really is saving lives.

At the Reclaiming My Life house, our group put together a taco bar for the eight women who live in the house. It was good practice for when we will be cooking dinner for our whole group of 16 in Harlan every night!

     

After lunch, we gathered in the living room and listened to the residents of the house, and some past residents, share their struggles with addiction, rehab, and staying sober. We were in awe of their willingness to be so open and vulnerable with us, as we were almost strangers to them. It was truly a humbling experience for us all. 

The girls expressed how Reclaiming My Life is unique to other sober homes they've stayed in; they described a strong bond among them and within their community that has made a positive impact on their journeys. We feel honored to have had this afternoon with a group of such strong individuals. We will carry this experience with us on our trip to Harlan, where we will continue to discuss the issue of drug addiction in rural communities, and how we can help to raise awareness and save lives as well.

Tammy, you are an inspiration to us all! On a personal note, it meant so much for me to have this opportunity to connect Alternative Breaks with an organization in my hometown community. I went to school with Rob growing up, and it is amazing to see how his memory continues to live on in Rising Above Addiction and Reclaiming My Life House, and that his life truly is serving an even greater purpose.

Thank you, Rising Above Addiction!

-Emily, and Team Harlan