The End of an Era

WFP Headquarters in Rome, December 2007

Tomorrow is my last day of work at the World Food Programme.

It feels like the end of an era (and yes, I know how cheesy that sounds). My adventures with WFP started in 2007 when I moved to Rome Italy to spend 6 months interning in the Fundraising for Donors, Private (FDP) division. I learned so much about myself in those 6 months - about what I wanted in a career, how to live in a foreign country alone, and for the first time I realized how much I truly love to travel. It was such an important time and I'll never forget it.

I also loved the work I was doing - specifically, supporting the first World Hunger Relief campaign with one of WFP's partners YUM! Brands. I realized I was passionate about nonprofit communications campaigns - the opportunity to reach people who otherwise would never hear about an issue and educate them and give them the opportunity to get involved and help. I also learned a lot about the due diligence research process and other WFP private partners.

I moved back to Gainesville in 2008 before heading to graduate school at Duke University. Inspired by my work at WFP, I focused my coursework in merging public policy and consulting skills with an emphasis on public-private partnerships. The summer of 2009 I did an internship in Tanzania where I worked on a range of issues, including nutrition assessment for people battling AIDS. One weekend I went to Dar es Salaam for the WFP/TNT event "Walk the World." Even though I wasn't working for WFP at the time I felt connected - I even had my WFP FEED bag with me during the walk!

Walk the World in Dar es Salaam, June 2009

My second year at Duke I worked on my Master's Project for WFP - a strategy to engage the agribusiness industry. I even came to Rome in April 2010 to present the final project. A few months later I started working in the Public-Private Partnerships division (CPP) in New York City, where I have worked the last two and a half years. I've been incredibly proud of the work of our division, particularly the Hunger Games partnership which I helped initiate:

I also returned to the management of the YUM partnership, where I supported the World Hunger Relief campaign as the global coordinator. I learned so much and I was lucky to get the opportunity to travel twice: once to Rome for a month of training, and once to London for The Hunger Games European Premiere (which is still without a doubt one of the coolest experiences I've ever had).

WFP Colleagues in Rome, April 2011

Hunger Games Premiere in London, March 2012 

Any major life change fills you with a mix of emotions - excitement, anxiety, nostalgia. It can be bittersweet. I'm so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have worked with WFP in so many capacities for so many years. Life events continued to bring me to Rome a total of 5 times (in addition to living there for 6 months) which has instilled in me a fierce love of Italy. I remain passionate about solving hunger and believe WFP is the solution.

At the same time, I'm also so excited for my new adventure at March of Dimes - to work on an amazing cause and be challenged in new ways. It is always hard to say goodbye so instead I'll say see you around the bend, WFP. Who knows what the future will hold! Until then, rest assured every October I will visit a Taco Bell and donate $1 to WFP for World Hunger Relief - and I'll be tuning in to the next installments of The Hunger Games films and I can't wait to see what will happen with that partnership.

Arrivederci (for now!)