Matt first travelled to Tanzania as a high school student in the summer of 2007. He was overwhelmed by the liveliness and kindness of everyone he met—in spite of rampant poverty, people never hesitated to share. One boy in particular, John Medo, opened Matt's eyes to the true power of education. Education provides individuals with the means to better the future for themselves, their families, and their community. Funding John's first year of secondary school marked the The School Fund’s beginning. Since then, Matt has transformed that simple action, a person helping a student pay for school, into a project that is granting others the opportunity to support and befriend students in another part of the world. As of 2012, The School Fund has funded over 250 years of education for students in 13 countries. Matt is a Founding Member of The School Fund.

Matt attended Palo Alto High School ('07) in Palo Alto, CA and Brown University ('11) in Providence, RI.

Christi comes to The School Fund with a background in teaching and an interest in sharing stories through outreach. She was drawn to TSF for their mission to help connect people across cultures while advancing educational opportunity. She believes that the best kind of giving starts with connection.

Christi attended Palatine High School ('07) in Palatine, IL and Brown University ('11) in Providence.

Andrew's interest in development goes back to high school, so when he first visited Tanzania with Matt in 2007, he was fascinated. Over the next two summers, Andrew and Matt did the groundwork to design The School Fund and interviewed its first students. During that time, they saw a great deal of Tanzania by boat, bus and plane. Andrew is a Founding Member of The School Fund.

Andrew attended Palo Alto High School ('07) in Palo Alto, CA and Cornell University ('11) in Ithaca, NY

As a teacher, Zara was profoundly influenced by the child poverty she witnessed while traveling the world for a year. Upon her return to the United States, she took action by obtaining her Masters Degree in Education from the SOAR Program at the University of North Florida. This program specializes in closing the achievement gap for underprivileged students by reaching out to stakeholders. While interning at a high school in Belize, she saw first-hand how many students had to drop out of school because they could not afford the $150 tuition. After working to close the achievement and income gap at a school in San Francisco, Zara is thrilled to return to her international roots with the School Fund. Zara will draw upon her teaching, outreach, and international experience to encourage US schools and students to fund underprivileged students abroad.

Roxana is a student who truly believes in the power of education. Through research, experience and trial-and-error, Roxana is working to develop the best strategy for the School Fund to most efficiently and effectively help students gain access to quality education. Roxana is a Founding Member of The School Fund.

Roxana attended Palo Alto High School ('07) in Palo Alto, CA and the University of Pennsylvania ('11) in Philadelphia, PA.

Sandra believes increasing education is the first step to positive community development. She hopes to help The School Fund work to the best of its ability, so that economics may no longer be a barrier to any student who desires to learn. Sandra traveled to Tanzania (and Africa) for the first time in 2010 with plans to photograph The School Fund's activities and students, but quickly became involved in so much more. She was heartened by the enthusiasm of the students and educators to learn and to teach as well as their families' hospitality despite economic short-comings. She fell in love with the people she encountered as well as their warm demeanor (and smiles!).

Sandra attended The Ellis School ('08) in Pittsburgh, PA and is now at Boston University ('12) in Boston, MA.

Tim began work on The School Fund in the fall of 2010 as a student at Brown. Although a chemistry major who conducts disease-related scientific research, he has a desire to overcome the barriers to education in the developing world. He believes that the goal of sending all students to school in the far corners of the world can only be achieved through collaboration, and for this reason is mainly involved in the development and growth of partnerships between The School Fund and schools or non-profit organizations.

Tim attended Hopkins School ('07) in New Haven, CT and Brown University ('11) in Providence, RI.

Joseph has over 15 years of experience in the hospitality business. From 2006-2009, Joseph was Assistant Manager at the Highview Hotel, where Matt and Andrew first stayed in 2007 and met John Medo. As Assistant Manager, Joseph often took clients around Karatu touring various philanthropic projects. Joseph has since left the Highview and is working for The School Fund, checking up on students, schools, partner organizations and overseeing TSF's operations in Tanzania. He cares deeply about education, and believes in the power of education to change lives.

Ally is a graphic design student and was initially drawn to The School Fund by its beautiful website and important cause. She believes that every person should have the opportunity to learn no matter their financial situation. Through The School Fund she hopes to address this important need for all students around the world.

Ally attended Mahtomedi High School ('08) in Mahtomedi, MN and is now at Boston University ('12) in Boston, MA.

Gerianne joined The School Fund at the beginning of her freshman year at Brown University. She was excited to join TSF because she has been very lucky to receive an excellent education and hopes that TSF’s mission of making education accessible to all children worldwide will be realized one day soon. Through engaging and involving high school students, she hopes to help The School Fund grow. Gerianne attended Darien High School (’11) in Darien, CT and is now attending Brown University (’15) in Providence, RI.

JP joined The School Fund in May 2012 as a student at University of San Francisco. Learning about TSF at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative University conference, he knew that he wanted to help out any way that he could. He believes that everyone has the right to education regardless of their financial situation.

JP attended River Valley High School ('08) in Yuba City, CA and University of San Francisco ('13) in San Francisco, CA

Michael joined The School Fund in his sophomore year at Brown University. He believes strongly in the need for education and believes that The School Fund is an innovative way to achieve this goal. As an operations officer, he hopes to facilitate partnerships efficiently while contributing to the overall organization.

Michael attended Trumbull High School in Trumbull, CT and is now a student at Brown University ('14) in Providence, RI.

Saeed joined The School Fund team in his first year at Brown University. His interests in international development and firm belief that education is a fundamental right sparked his involvement in The School Fund’s mission. Through working on the operational aspects of the organization, and corresponding with partners, he hopes The School Fund will continue to help students experience the invaluable gains of education.

Saeed attended Osbourn Park High School (’10) in Manassas, VA and is now at Brown University (’14) in Providence, RI.

Hunter joined The School Fund team in the latter part of his freshman year at Brown University. Through his work with TSF Hunter has developed a passion for the further enrichment and development of international education. He believes it is through this spreading of educational opportunities that TSF addresses that children around the world are further able to pursue their own goals in life.

Hunter attended Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, SC and is now at Brown University (’14) in Providence, RI.

Kristen believes in a world where receiving an education isn’t a game of chance, but a place where all kids, regardless of their location or income, have the opportunity to learn, grow, and attend school. Her passion for traveling has taken her to Ireland, Slovenia, Canada, Puerto Rico, and all over the United States. She also volunteered internationally in Croatia and twice in Mexico, determined to leave a positive impact on the world through the belief that we are all one. Because of this, and her belief in education for all, Kristen was super excited to become a part of The School Fund in Summer 2011. She is currently managing The School Fund's social media presence.

Kristen attended Prairie Ridge High School ('07) in Crystal Lake, IL and graduated from Northern Illinois University ('11) in DeKalb, IL.