Janelle Funtanilla

Age: 28

Home Town: Honolulu, Hawaii

Education: Master of Social Work, B.A. Psychology, B.A. Philippine Language and Literature-Concentration in Ilokano

Specific Field Interests: Youth Development, Gender Empowerment

Placement: Foundation for Social Transformation Enabling North East India, Guwahati, Assam

Area of Focus: Livelihoods

Highlights: Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Janelle is a licensed social worker with a specialty of developing children and families. After receiving her Masters in Social Work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, she joined the United States Peace Corps as a Youth in Development Volunteer, and was placed in the rural Phayao province of Thailand. Her proudest accomplishment during her service, was running a girls empowerment program that included participants from all over the Northern region of Thailand. Previous work experience include working for the Hawaii State Legislature as a Legislative Aide, Special Activities Coordinator for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), and a Education Paraprofessional in Hawaii public schools. Janelle has a breadth of experiences abroad, including a semester in London, England, and completing an intensive practicum in Baguio, Philippines. She has a strong interest in empowering the youth and hopes the to apply her skills to help the youth of India.