Meet Our Staff: Leander Vergara

What is one fun or surprising fact about you?

I’m actually somebody who enjoys meal prepping. I just meal prepped for the week yesterday, and it was super relaxing.

Why did you decide to work for United To Beat Malaria?

It probably sounds cliché, but I really wanted to work somewhere that makes a positive impact. My previous jobs left me feeling unfulfilled in that respect. That’s what initially attracted me to the international development sphere and led me to discover United to Beat Malaria. However, it’s the strong community of staff, partners, and Champions that sold me.

What is one of your top bucket-list goals?

Recently, I’ve been really wanting to plan a trip to the Philippines. My dad hasn’t had the chance to visit since he moved a long time ago, and I’d love to see where one side of my family comes from. Plus, who wouldn’t want a tropical vacation?

What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the global health industry and your position specifically?

My recommendation for anybody interested in breaking into the global health industry is to volunteer as much as possible. Whether that be signing petitions, posting on social media, or attending conferences/events, exposing yourself to many different campaigns and organizations is a great way to not only get your name out there, but also help narrow down where you where you want to fit in the global health industry.

What are you most excited about right now?

I’m still riding the wave from Summit I think. Feeling how strong the energy was at Summit and how excited and ready our Champion’s were to help just makes me more excited for future events.

I’m United to Beat Malaria because…

I’m United to Beat Malaria because I think it’s unacceptable that a child dies nearly every minute from this disease, and I believe that we can be the generation to end malaria for good.