We are so excited to announce the addition of two new staff members to the Sister Schools team. Jaime Dubrulle will be our new Executive Director, and Caitlin Sakuma will join as our Development Manager. Jaime began work two weeks ago and Caitlin started with us this past week. Jaime (right) has more than ten years of experience in education and holds a masters in International Education from Harvard University. A certified teacher, she began her career in the classroom, teaching briefly in the US before working in elementary and middle schools in Egypt and China. She then transitioned to training teachers, and worked for a non-profit in Djibouti to instruct local educators on best practices. She also taught at the country’s only university. During her time at Harvard she focused her research on bi-literacy and mother-tongue education in Africa, and after graduation she went on to serve as the Director of Education in the non-profit, WorldTeach. There, she managed curriculum and design for 300 teachers working in 16 countries. She finished her tenure at WorldTeach as Deputy Director, where she helped to develop partnerships with Ministries of Education and NGOs and provided organizational leadership. “I am excited to join the team at Sister Schools and use my experience in education nonprofits to serve the students of Uganda and the greater Seattle area,” she shares. She and her husband, Julien, have three boys, and live in Mill Creek. Caitlin (left) graduated from Seattle Pacific University, and has spent over a decade building her career around nonprofits serving kids in need. For her, development work is more than a job – it is also her passion. “I did a volunteer trip to Nepal while I was in college,” she explains, “and I was supposed to be teaching English as a way to help children in need. I was woefully unqualified, and was almost certainly taking a job away from someone who needed it far more than I. After that experience, I knew I needed to find a better way to change the world than voluntourism… I found it in a career in fundraising.” Throughout her career, she has developed many skills that will help launch Sister Schools’ next chapter of success, from event management, to grant writing, to content creation. Most recently, she served as Donor Relations Manager for a child sponsorship organization in Bellingham, WA where she honed her writing skills, and learned how to best serve and inspire donors. She is most excited about the opportunity to help our supporters (you!) connect with the impact you’re making through your support. “I’ve had the privilege of visiting Uganda twice,” she says, “and it is a place near and dear to my heart. I am so excited to join this community in creating change for students there. I can’t wait to hear each supporter’s story of why they’re invested in Sister Schools, and to help inspire them by sharing about the difference they are making through their generosity.” Caitlin lives in Bellingham, WA with her husband Nic and daughter Maisie. She’ll be working remotely, but commuting to the Seattle area for events as often as possible. We can’t wait for you to meet her! Thanks for your support, Becky Jones Board President Sister Schools
