As a student at New Paltz, Alicia Ortiz has always been involved in everything from activism to residence life on campus. This past summer, she got the chance to apply her passion for helping others elsewhere--in Ghana, Africa.

Alicia and five others traveled to Ghana with Operation Crossroads Africa, a cultural exchange organization that set them up with the Christian Rural Aid Network (CRAN). On their trip, they helped community members renovate a kindergarten building, worked in a mushroom cultivation plant and taught local youths. It was in teaching that Alicia found what she sees as her calling: empowering young people about sexual health.

"I wanted to go somewhere that wasn't necessarily Westernized and came across a service learning program in Africa [offered through a sister SUNY campus]," Alicia said. "The Crossroads program has been called the ancestor of the Peace Corps."

Upon arriving, Alicia and her group were welcomed to the village by its chief and invited to a festival in their honor. The group soon became acquainted with life without running water, phones and, in many cases, electricity. They were also introduced to some of the issues plaguing the area.

"The region that we were in-the Vota region in the Hohoe district-has a 13 percent HIV rate," said Alicia. "That's the second highest in the region."

Despite the fact that the country has a large campaign to educate its people about HIV and AIDS, Alicia found that many did not understand the issue. She decided that she wanted to use the training she had received from Planned Parenthood to become a peer educator and the experience of holding programs on sexual health as a Resident Assistant at New Paltz, to educate young people in the village about the topic.

"I wanted to do something, so I went to see the chief and asked permission," said Alicia. "He thought it was a good idea."

Alicia teamed up with a CRAN staff member to offer programs and discussions about safe sex, faithfulness, and HIV/AIDS. They were highly attended and well-received. Despite working with men and women of all ages, she found herself drawn to working with young girls. "I knew I was passionate about it," said Alicia.

Alicia left Ghana feeling she had made a difference in the village and felt strongly that the people she met there had greatly impacted her life. She now hopes to pursue her interest in empowering young women as a career once she graduates from college.

Why New Paltz? "I came to New Paltz because of its political fervor," said Alicia. "People in New Paltz are passionate about having an impact."

Hobbies: Dancing, singing and poetry

Motivated By: Her family, who are very supportive

Little-Known Fact: In Ghana, Alicia was given the nickname "Akasa Noma," which in Twi, a regional language in Ghana, means a bird that talks a lot and knows various calls.

An additional fact: Last summer, Alicia participated in an exchange program with German students and is now studying in Seville, Spain for the fall semester.