Shalom Haileselassie earned her BA in Anthropology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and will receive her Masters in Applied Anthropology from the University of North Texas where her thesis focuses on youth and their experiences engaging in the public arts through nonprofits. 

In her home city of Pittsburgh, Shalom worked with The Alliance for Refugee Youth Support and Education (ARYSE) in various capacities. Her most recent role was as Co-Director of their summer camp, PRYSE Academy. While there, Shalom collaborated to build a successful virtual summer camp in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, established enrichment partnerships, and supported lead counselors, counselors in training, and over 100 campers. 

Continuing her work with resettled populations in Pittsburgh, Shalom worked as a Community Engagement Coordinator with Hello Neighbor. Advocating for and designing a 1:1 tutoring program based on youth’s expressed needs was one of her most important roles in the organization. Shalom also served in the Peace Corps Morocco where she planned and facilitated youth-informed life skills curricula; co-created and facilitated women-centered activities; and served as a Coordinating Officer for the Gender and Development Committee (GAD). While in Morocco, Shalom was able to nurture her love for languages by gaining proficiency in both Darija (Moroccan Arabic) and Tashlheet.