Patrick Cook-Deegan, a 2008 graduate of Brown University who raised funds to build schools in Laos by bicycling through Southeast Asia, will give a presentation about his experiences on Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. in the Fillius Events Barn. The lecture is sponsored by STAND, the student coalition against genocide, and is free and open to the public.
Cook-Deegan was a sophomore at Brown University when he decided to travel through New Zealand, Australia, through Southeast Asia and the Middle East, eventually arriving in Istanbul where he spent his junior fall semester at the University of the Bosporus. His time spent traveling inspired him to create a fundraising trip called "Cycling for Schools" which he used to raise money for building schools in Laos through the charity, Room to Read. By biking approximately 2,700 miles through Southeast Asia, Cook-Deegan managed to raise $22,500 to build a school in Laos as well as provide two K-12 scholarships for girls in Cambodia.
Following his trip, Cook-Deegan began working for an organization called the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group that promotes freedom, democracy and human rights in the country. He went on to volunteer as the Northeast regional director for the U.S. Campaign for Burma. In his time there, he has raised more than $75,000 for the organization and published a host of articles on the subject of Burmese human rights violations. In 2007 Cook-Deegan created an organization called Transform Abroad, which sends low-income college students abroad to volunteer in underdeveloped countries during the summer.
In addition to managing his roles in these organizations, Cook-Deegan also travels around the U.S. speaking to students about his experience and encouraging others to become impassioned by global issues that interest them.
-- by Danielle Raulli '10
Cook-Deegan was a sophomore at Brown University when he decided to travel through New Zealand, Australia, through Southeast Asia and the Middle East, eventually arriving in Istanbul where he spent his junior fall semester at the University of the Bosporus. His time spent traveling inspired him to create a fundraising trip called "Cycling for Schools" which he used to raise money for building schools in Laos through the charity, Room to Read. By biking approximately 2,700 miles through Southeast Asia, Cook-Deegan managed to raise $22,500 to build a school in Laos as well as provide two K-12 scholarships for girls in Cambodia.
Following his trip, Cook-Deegan began working for an organization called the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group that promotes freedom, democracy and human rights in the country. He went on to volunteer as the Northeast regional director for the U.S. Campaign for Burma. In his time there, he has raised more than $75,000 for the organization and published a host of articles on the subject of Burmese human rights violations. In 2007 Cook-Deegan created an organization called Transform Abroad, which sends low-income college students abroad to volunteer in underdeveloped countries during the summer.
In addition to managing his roles in these organizations, Cook-Deegan also travels around the U.S. speaking to students about his experience and encouraging others to become impassioned by global issues that interest them.
-- by Danielle Raulli '10
