Loretto at the UN Welcomes Volunteer

Shawna Ohumay is the new Loretto Volunteer at Loretto at the UN in New York.  This introduction recently appeared in the Loretto at the UN newsletter.

My name is Shawna Ohumay, and I will be Sally's intern here at the Loretto at the UN office for the 2012-2013 year. I would first like to say thank you for welcoming me so warmly into your community. I truly admire the ubiquitous presence of Loretto's commitment to community, spirituality, and social justice not only in its official works, but in the attitude and affect of each community member that I've encountered. I feel that Loretto has taken me into its arms and I am honored to have the privilege of working with and representing it. 

Now for a little more about me: I am 23 years old and I was born in Washington, DC and raised in Northern Virginia. My mom is from Kenya and my father is from Tanzania; East Africa has always been a part of my life through intermittent trips to visit my extensive family. It is my profound love for this devastatingly beautiful yet heart wrenchingly destitute land that has formed the core of my need to fight for social justice. 

I graduated in 2011 from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in both Political Science and Spanish. I then spent a year working as a temp at various non-profits in the DC area and looking for more long-term work. Although I was happy to have work, I did not find these positions fulfilling of my calling to work for greater social equity. Then a series of coincidences that I can describe as nothing other than the forceful pull of fate brought me to Loretto, and I am very happy that it did. 
 
 
 Peace & Justice,
 
Shawna Ohumay
Volunteer/Intern
Loretto at the UN 
The Loretto Community

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