Bishop’s student raises funds for female students in Liberia

Kelsey Hangar, a junior at Bishop’s, works with Foundation for Women to help educate women in Liberia. Hangar is especially interested in Liberia because it just came out of a civil war and elected its first female president. To bring the project to Bishop’s, Hangar started by working with her advisory, or homeroom, and a community service director to bake cinnamon rolls and sell them for $1 each. Hangar’s project is called Students for Students, and the money raised is directly donated to Foundation for Women. According to Hangar, $100 will provide a Liberian student with a year’s tuition at a private school, supplies and possibly a uniform. As a result of her efforts, Hangar was able to meet the president of Liberia.

Q: What inspired you to start Students for Students?

A: “Last year, I decided I wasn’t really doing anything with my life. I was a good student, but I just didn’t feel accomplished. I called my friend Deborah Lindholm, founder of Foundation for Women. They do micro-credit banking,” Hangar said. “I wanted to help with that, so I decided to bring the project to Bishop’s, Bishop’s prides itself in its education, so I thought, ‘let’s help out with education in Liberia.’ ”

Q: Why do you think education is so important?

A: “I love my school and academics, and I truly believe it’s the only way we can make this world a better place. If we make it possible for everyone to be educated, we start make a better world. It’s like my little part of the globe I can help educate.”

Q: What else do you enjoy?

A: “I love languages, it’s my passion. I would love to be an ambassador.”

Q: What future do you see for the project?

A: “I think our eventual goal should be to have every student at Bishop’s support one student in Liberia. There are more than 700 students at Bishop’s. This year, I am planning on doing a two-week Liberia project where Deborah comes in and speaks to each grade and we have a Liberia awareness week. This girl in Poway just e-mailed me and she’s starting a Students for Students club at the Poway High School, so we have been talking a lot, and we’ve been exchanging fund-raising ideas. This could be pretty big. It’s exciting.”