Spreading Hope: Caitlan McDaniel

Below is an excerpt of a story that has been featured on WaupacaNOW about new AAH volunteer, Caitlan McDaniel written by Angie Landsverk.

A year ago, Caitlan McDaniel was preparing to head for Kenya. This year, she’s in Uganda. “These opportunities just keep coming up, and I can’t say no,” she said. McDaniel left earlier this week to serve as the volunteer coordinator at the Arlington Academy of Hope in rural Uganda. She will spend the next year and a half there. John and Joyce Wanda, who emigrated to the United States from Uganda, founded the Arlington Academy of Hope in 2004. They remembered the crowded schools in Uganda that lacked books, desks and sometimes even teachers. The academy they founded has opened a primary school and rural health centers. “It’s a high-energy place with a lot of hope,” McDaniel said. The daughter of Chuck McDaniel and Teri McDaniel, she graduated from Waupaca High School in 2006 and from the University of Minnesota in 2010. McDaniel majored in psychology and minored in family social sciences and leadership. “My leadership minor is where I found my passion for community organizing and helping people realize their potential,” she said. The final course she took for her leadership minor had a global leadership theme. For a group project, McDaniel was paired with a woman from Kenya. While she was taking the class, McDaniel was reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a novel about following ones dreams. To continue reading this story, please visit: http://www.waupacanow.com/leadstories/128778883.html