35825 GA Alum 44-63:Layout 1
3/23/10
A l u m n i
3:19 PM
Page 11
N e w s
1990s
Lancer Spotlight
L
ittle did Ann Averbach ’97 know when she was compet mpeting ing on Gilm Gilmour our A Academ cademy’s y’s Sp Speech eech and Debaate Team Deb Team that her exp experi erience ence in public speaki speaking ng wou wo uld ffo ortify her entr entrepr epreneu eneuri rial al wo worrk iin n Gu Guatemala. atemala. Averbaach has owned a smal Averb smalll fai fair-t r-trad radee business called ca lled the Mayan Conn Connect ectio ion n for tthe he last five years and an d wo works rks with indi indigeno genous us wo women men to g gui uide de them in their efforts to earn earn a li livel velih ihood ood tto o support support th thei eirr famili fa milies. es. “We currently have have a wom women’s en’s col collecti lective ve of 12 singl sin glee mothers mothers who who wor work k at hom homee making making jewelry jewelry forr us,” Averbac fo verbach h says. says. Sh Shee also also wo work rkss wit with h two famili fa milies es – one makes makes bags bags,, th thee other other makes makes skirts. Thro Th rou ugh her efforts efforts on th their eir b behal ehalf, f, th thee Guatemalan women wo men are paid fair fair ttrad radee wages wages and their products products are so sold ld in the Unit United ed States iin n bo boutiques, utiques, art museu mu seum m stores and at events events.. Aver Averbach bach says that that thee bu th bussiness involves involves 15 empl employees oyees in Guatemala and an d fo fou ur in the Unit United ed States States.. It ssupp upports orts schools schools and an d lo loca call environment environmental al project projectss near Lake Atitlán Atitlán where wh ere sh shee lives. lives. She She has has anot another her b business usiness called called Divin Di vinity ity Withi ithin n Design Designs, s, m maki aking ng clo clothes thes for for yoga. “Com “Co mpet peting ing wi with th th thee Speech and Debat Debatee Team gave ga ve me the confiden confidence ce to com commun municat icatee with with anyo an yon ne anywhere,” anywhere,” A Averb verbach ach says says.. “I also learned learned to writ write, e, think indepen independ dentl entlyy and and work as a team. My ex experienc periencee helped helped to fform orm me as a person and thee sk th skills ills have been in invalu valuabl ablee in in the real world.” Averbaach ccredits Averb redits Gay and Ed JJan anis is ffor or thi this. s. Gay Janis is speec speech h and debate debate coach at Gil Gilmo mour. ur. Ed Janis, Janis, who wh od died ied in September, September, w was as a sp speech and debate instru ins trucctor or.. “Mr. and Mrs. JJani aniss real reallly buil builtt a fami family ly forr us,” Averbac fo verbach h says, says, ““and and I wi will ll b bee perpetually perpetually
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Ann Averbach ’97
grat ratef eful ul fo forr all of tth he tim imee th they devo devotted to o ou ur bett etterm ermen ent, t, no nott o on nly as d deb ebat ater erss, bu but as peo eop ple. le.”” At Gilm Gilmo our ur,, Averb Averbach ach als also ow was as in tthe he Dr Dram amaa Cl Club and an d co comp mpet eted ed in M Mock ock T Trrial al.. In 2001, Averb Averbach gr grad adu uated ffro rom m Nor Nortthw hwester estern n Univer Un iverssity wit with h a do doubl blee majo majorr iin n an antthrop ropol olog ogyy and and Eas astern tern rreli eligio gion n. Af After co coll lleg ege, e, sh shee travell avelled ed aro arou und Latin Lat in A Amer merica ica wit with hh her er b best est ffrrien iend, d, Andr Andrea ea Vazqu Vazquez ez ’97, wh who is n no ow st studyi dying ng p prree-Co Colu lum mbian art at Colu lumb mbia ia Un Uniiver verssit ity. y. In In 2003, Aver Averb bach earn earned ed a mas aster ter’s ’s d degr egree ee in in edu educat catio ion n fro rom m JJohn ohn Carro Carroll ll Univer Un iverssity. Sh Shee taug taught Span Spanis ish h at Ol Old d Broo Brookl klyn yn Mon onttes esso sorri, is a yoga yoga teach teacher er,, and and lead leadss retr retreats eats and an d wo worrksh sho ops aro aroun und d tth he wor world ld.. When A Aver verb bach is ssttates atesid ide, e, sh shee st stop opss in in to Gilmo Gilm our to ssee ee ho how th thee Speech Speech an and d Deb Debate ate Team is ffar ariing. She vis visits its w wit ith h Vazq Vazqu uez and and arch rchit itect ect Mark M Matu atusska ’97 when when ssh he is iin n New Yor York k Cit City. y. “My ph philo ilossophy on llife ife and business is is that that you yo um mu ust d do o what yo you u lo love, ve, help help o otthe hers, rs, fol ollo low w you yo ur dream eamss an and d kn kno ow th that at an anyth ythin ing g is po possib ssible,” le,” Averb Aver bach ssays ays.. ““II real eally ly believe believe th that as lo long ng as yo you u aree tru ar truly ly do doin ing g sso omet eth hin ing g th that at is m meani eaning ngfful an and d will bet bettter tth he lives o off o oth ther erss, everyt everythi hing ng w wil illl ffall all intto pl in place ace for for yo you u in li life.” fe.”