Sarah Walsh

Staff Writer

Who says a sophomore in college can’t make a difference in the world?

University of California, Los Angeles student Allison Hornstra believes that a little compassion toward others can make all the difference.

Hornstra is a 2009 Cal High graduate, and now attending UCLA. This summer, she will be visiting Tanzania to work as a volunteer to teach people about HIV and AIDS.

“The campaign that Allie is participating in is absolutely amazing,” said junior Devon Haley. “It goes to show that everybody is capable of making a difference in the world, and it is amazing to see her making this capability a reality.”

The program which she’s participating in is called Support for International Change (SIC).

“Our mission is to limit the impact of HIV/AIDS in under-served communities and to train future leaders in global health and development,” according to the SIC website, www.sichange.org,

The program that Hornstra chose involves her going to Tanzania with a few of her peers from UCLA, along with students from Stanford, Harvard, and UC Berkeley.

“I am really excited to be able to meet and work with people from other schools that share the same interests as me,” said Hornstra.

Hornstra will be in Tanzania for about two and a half months working in a specified village. For the first week, the students all attend an orientation where a curriculum is established. The students need to learn the curriculum because they will be the ones talking about prevention and teaching in schools.

After the first week, the students will be split up and sent off to different village communities to teach about HIV/AIDS. Hornstra and the other students will stay with host families during the two-plus months they are there.

“While we are there, we will teach to local schools and community groups including moms and dads,” said Hornstra. “We also provide forums for people to come in and ask specific questions.”

An interesting fact about the Tanzanian government is that it provides medicine to those who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, which is about one in every 10 people.  But it is very difficult for many people to travel into the cities to retrieve the medicine they need. This is why the SIC program provides local mobile testing for many rural communities.

As a student in high school, Hornstra was anything but ordinary. While attending Cal, she took a two-week trip to Vietnam through the Global Leadership Adventures program, and even lived in Japan for a little while.

“I wish I could have had more time in Vietnam to have more of a significant impact,” said Hornstra.

Also while attending Cal, Hornstra was involved in a church group that participated in building houses in Mexico every year, and she would occasionally serve meals at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco with her lacrosse team.

“Allie’s background experience with the church group will benefit her,” said sophomore Bridget Heins. “She is able to understand that everyone faces difficult things in life, like dealing with HIV, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Hornstra’s parents have been supporting her decisions throughout life and believe she built a good foundation while in high school.

“We feel strongly that Cal High prepared Allie with the education she needed to move forward with her goals,” said her mother Barb Hornstra.

Allie Hornstra first heard about the SIC program through an event at UCLA called the Dance Marathon.

The Dance Marathon is a fundraising event for the Pediatric Aids Coalition, a student run program at UCLA. The fundraiser puts the money raised towards the HIV/AIDS program.

This year, the fundraiser earned more than $400,000, bringing their funds to just over $3 million in the 11 years the program has existed.

English teacher Susan King had Hornstra in her sophomore class in 2007, and also wrote her a letter of recommendation her senior year.

“Allie always knew who she was and was not easily influenced by other peers,” said King. “She had her own opinions and ways of thinking, which is rare for a sophomore.”

Hornstra decided to pursue a career in environmental science/engineering after taking teacher Brian Coburn’s AP Environmental Science course her senior year.

“This trip is a great opportunity for Allie to do something on a manageable scale, but at the same time, it gives her the chance to make a difference in the world,” Coburn said.

Anyone interested in donating to SIC can contact Allie at (925) 336-1654 and her email at [email protected].