Lynn ElHarake

Lynn ElHarake

Intern

Lynn graduated cum laude from Duke University in 2010 with two degrees: one in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, and another in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. 

While an undergraduate at Duke University, Lynn spent a summer in Cape Town, South Africa, working for the Treatment Action Campaign, the leading HIV/AIDS advocacy organization in Africa. She also spent her senior year as a research assistant for a grant proposal that intended to assess HIV/AIDS infection rates and suggested prevention strategies for sex workers and their male partners in Beirut, Lebanon. In the fall of 2010, Lynn worked as a research assistant to the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. Her experiences there included conducting extensive literary analysis on the topic of ‘war and health;’ assisting with community health voluntary training workshops and projects; and conducting surveys concerning the Lebanese youth perspective on prescription drug use/abuse.

Upon graduating in June 2010, Lynn was awarded a Fulbright grant to be an English Teaching Assistant in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. In addition to teaching at an all-girls Islamic secondary school, Lynn also worked to improve cross-cultural understanding by engaging her students in activities beyond the classroom. Her most valuable contribution was the founding of the Muslim Girls’ Fashion Club (MGFC) through which involved students learned about the culture, religious practices, and fashion of Muslim girls in other countries. The MGFC’s final project was a Charity Fashion Show that raised over 1200 MYR for charitable donation to students in need.