We are so excited to welcome this year’s Campus Hunger Project Cohort! Twelve leaders at nine colleges and universities will develop and lead campaigns to fight food insecurity on their campuses. Learn more about each leader below.

Skidmore College: Hillary Goldstein and Emily Gordon

Hillary is from Colchester, Connecticut and is currently studying Education and Human Health & Physiology. She is a founder and co-president of Challah for Hunger at Skidmore and serves as the Senior Mentor for Hillel on campus. Hillary is also a campus tour guide where she serves on panels and gives tours for prospective students. In her free time she enjoys baking in mass quantities, swimming, rock climbing, and going to Target. 

Emily is from Southborough, Massachusetts and is a rising senior at Skidmore College where she is a double major in Education and Psychology. Emily is a co-president of her college’s chapter of Challah for Hunger. In addition to CfH, Emily works in the Early Childhood Center on campus in the Pre-K classroom and is a Peer Advisor for an Outdoor Pre-Orientation Program for incoming freshman. In her free time, Emily can always be found with a cup of coffee in her hands, spending time with friends or at Target (where she and Hillary go on weekly trips to the dollar section!).

Vanderbilt University: Olivia Rastatter

Olivia‘s hometown is Columbus, Ohio, but she currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee where she is a senior at Vanderbilt University. She is pursuing a triple major in Elementary Education, Child Studies, and English, and has been part of Challah for Hunger since her freshman year, most recently as a Community Service Director. Other favorite activities include teaching schoolchildren in English-immersion summer camps in Italy and serving as Co-President for an elementary-college literacy tutor program. Olivia loves baking, reading, and crafting! 

University of Virginia: Natalia Kulczycki

Natalia grew up in Virginia and is pursuing a double major in Russian & East European Studies and Computer Science at the University of Virginia. In addition to serving as the Education and Advocacy Chair for Challah for Hunger this past year, Natalia helped to establish the Community Food Pantry at UVA as a Drives Coordinator. In her free time, Natalia enjoys teaching software development and playing water polo.  

Muhlenberg College: Gabi Solomon and Natalie David

Gabi grew up in West Orange, New Jersey and is pursuing a double major in Accounting and Finance from Muhlenberg College. Gabi brought Challah for Hunger to her Campus through her Hillel as a freshman. This past year Gabi has served as Muhlenberg CfH’s President and has expanded the club greatly in terms of volunteer turnouts, sales, and advocacy work. In addition, Gabi serves as the Social Justice Chair at Muhlenberg Hillel, where she leads community engagement and volunteer efforts. In her free time Gabi loves baking, painting, and volunteering.

Natalie is a sophomore at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA as a biology major and Jewish Studies minor on the pre-medical track. She does research on bumblebee olfaction, plays the flute in the Wind Ensemble, and loves spending time with the residents of the local nursing home. Her first semester at Muhlenberg, she went to the interest meeting for Challah for Hunger and was shocked to learn about the magnitude of campus food insecurity. Immediately, she knew she had to get involved in this organization and applied to the board of the newly nationally recognized chapter. She is excited to begin working with the Cohort and create change in her campus community as well as further the national conversation on this long-overlooked issue. 

College of Charleston: Shira Bezalel and Lauren Dryzer

Shira is from Marietta, Georgia and is a sophomore majoring in Psychology at the College of Charleston. She is currently serving as her Challah for Hunger chapter’s Treasurer and has helped make Challah for Hunger an official club on campus! Shira has also been a part of the Israel committee for her campus’s Hillel and the outreach committee for Charleston Miracle.

Lauren grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and has recently moved to Charleston, South Carolina. She is a sophomore double major in Arts Management and German at the College of Charleston. She is Vice President of her Challah for Hunger chapter and frequently participates at Hillel. She is an avid lover of art museums, thrift shopping, pho, and dogs.

Occidental College: Hannah Rice

Hannah was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is a junior at Occidental and is president of their Challah for Hunger chapter. She is also a vegan and loves her three rescue dogs and four cats. Hannah is a psychology major and a politics minor; she is hoping to get a social work degree and help special needs children.

UC Los Angeles: Elan Karlin

Elan grew up in Irvine, California and graduated high school from Tarbut V’ Torah, a Jewish day school. He is currently at UCLA studying molecular biology and is president of the UCLA Challah for Hunger chapter. He is thrilled to be serving in this position, as he has learned more about the issues of hunger in Los Angeles, specifically among his fellow UCLA students. He is currently working with CALPIRG, Swipe Out Hunger, and the UCLA women’s gymnastics team to eliminate the issue. In his spare time, Elan enjoys practicing guitar and engaging in competitive sports. He is also an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Virginia Tech: Maddie Pels

Maddie is from New York City and goes to school at Virginia Tech. She is going into her Junior year as a Geophysics major with a visual arts minor. At her Challah for Hunger chapter she is currently an outreach chair and the baking coordinator. In her free time she also plays water polo, draws, hikes, bikes, and volunteers with other organizations.

Colgate University: Joelle Marx

Joelle grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts and is currently a senior at Colgate University majoring in International Relations and minoring in Economics and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies. At Colgate, she has taken on several leadership positions including treasurer of Challah for Hunger, treasurer of Colgate Jewish Union and class senator in the student government association. She is very excited to continue her involvement with CfH as a member of the 2019-2020 Cohort ! Last semester, Joelle studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland and interned at the United Nations in an organization representing the rights of international civil servants. In her spare time, Joelle loves to travel, go to pure barre classes and bake with her friends!