I grew up in Northern California and I was fortunate to attend Castilleja, an all girl's high school...

I grew up in Northern California and I was fortunate to attend Castilleja, an all girl's high school. I say fortunate, because although I had to wear a uniform that looked like a sailor suit and I didn't get to get to know too many guys, I was able to "grow up" in an educational environment where teachers made me feel like I could succeed at anything I put my mind to. Better yet, taking risks, being smart and expressing my opinion was encouraged at Castilleja.

My interest in the amazing continent of Africa began when I was in 11th grade and I had the opportunity to represent the US at a Global Young Women's Conference in Melbourne, Australia. At the conference I became friends with a group of young women from South Africa and got my first glimpse into both the incredible richness of Africa and its people, and the medical hardships that too many Africans must endure. This experience prompted me to travel to South Africa in the summer after my junior year in high school to participate in a program with the newly formed African Leadership Academy (www.africanleadershipacademy.org). While in Cape Town, I worked at a clinic for children with disabilities and saw firsthand the devastating effect that malaria, a largely preventable disease, was having on people who were already facing far too many hardships.
When I returned to the US I founded "Nets of Love", a non-profit focused on purchasing insecticide treated bed nets that are delivered through prenatal care clinics.

I am now a sophomore at Princeton University and returned to Africa last summer where I worked in Ghana with ProLink, a Ghanaian HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention organization. To my dismay, I saw the devastating partnership that the combination of HIV and malaria can have on people. I became friends with the courageous and tireless workers at ProLink, as well as with some of the patients in the program. When I returned to Princeton this fall I was determined to do more to alleviate some of the medical challenges my Ghanaian friends were facing. I am reaching out to my friends and family to ask if you will join me through your donations to make a positive difference at my website (http://ashleyschoettle.tripod.com)
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