Serving with Love

Dear Friends,

Over our 12+ years, Daylight has had the most amazing, caring and giving board members. Some serve for a few years, and others have been on the board since Daylight School started. We are so grateful for all of them and know that Daylight would not be the wonderful school it is without their time, dedication and love of our students. Here we highlight a few more of our current board members.

We would also like to thank our past board members for all their hard work and ongoing support:

Curt Squires, Gary May, Tom Gillaspy, Gina Schulz, Lauren Vetsch, Tyler LeClear Vachta, Laurie Vandendriessche, Dr. Lenny Snellman, Matt Horn, Cecka Parks, Steve Spark, Jessi LeClear Vachta, Brianna Menning, Andrew Ulasich, Joyce Schwartz, Ben Krupnick, William Obaga, David Maus, Johnson Yopo, Angelina Kuo, Ben Domongole, Fridah Kamoi, James Chilakol, John Bosco, Karen Cheptoo, Sharon Cheru and all the others that have provided help and support over the years.

Rachel Arneson, Board Member

Rachel Arneson is a fifth-generation crop farmer in Minnesota. She holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology, and wrote her thesis about the Pokot people of northwestern Kenya. Rachel served on the first established U.S. Board for Daylight in 2010, and eventually as Daylight’s first U.S. Director of Operations prior to returning to her family’s farm. Her love for Daylight has never faded, and she is happy to be serving Daylight on the board once again.

Why I am involved with Daylight School:

Before Daylight, I had no idea that children in some parts of the world had to pay to attend public school. Growing up, I had the privilege of receiving an education, experiencing other cultures, being exposed to other ideas. I understood that the cycle of warfare in rural Kenya could be stifled if a new generation of leaders from those communities had a chance for their world to be broadened by education. Daylight was co-founded by a boy from rural Kenya, who received an education and who wanted to give that same opportunity to more children. It was an easy decision to support and serve Daylight from the very beginning..

Rachel visiting Daylight School in its early years (note the uniforms have changed to green now)

Travis Collins, Board Member

Travis lives in Minneapolis, MN where he has worked in Special Education for 13 years. He studied English Literature and Theology in Dublin, Ireland. He has a passion for teaching and giving back to those who are so often left behind in our institutions. As a young man, he spent a summer living in Tanzania working alongside doctors and nurses, helping them build a new clinic in a remote area of the country. He was introduced to Daylight through the former US Director Nathan Roberts. 

Why I am involved with Daylight School:

My experiences in East Africa and my passion for education drew me to being apart of Daylight. My work with students in Minneapolis also has taught me to continually self-reflect on my own racial biases and to work for racial equity. My hope is that I can continue this work at Daylight by focusing on empowering our Kenyan leaders. 

Travis and his mother on one of his visits to Daylight School

Rebecca Erickson, Board Member

Rebecca Erickson has been a member of the Daylight US Board since 2016. She has worked at various fun and creative jobs, with her last one being in conference planning. Since retiring, she has taken on many volunteer opportunities, one of the most meaningful being in group and in-home respite for people with dementia. As a member of First Presbyterian Church in Stillwater, Minnesota, she occasionally plays piano for worship, plays the bass bells in the handbell ensemble, and sometimes sings in the vocal choir. She has helped plan many retreats for the women’s group. She lives in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Why I am involved with Daylight School:

This school is special. It’s a boarding school for about half of the students who attend Daylight. The boarders have been orphaned due to tribal violence, but it is so much more than a boarding school. The children are educated and fed and have a safe place to sleep, but they also experience the love of family from the incredible teachers and staff. The teachers aren’t just teaching academics. They are giving the children the family they’ve lost. The school’s amazing test results are a testament to the wonderful experience the children have. It’s an amazing combination. The teachers and all of the financial supporters of

Daylight School is helping the students achieve their dreams of being engineers, teachers, doctors, musicians and shopkeepers. I’m proud of the work I’ve done while being on the Daylight US Board.

Rebecca teaching music to some of our Daylight students.

Thanks to all our supporters for making the dream of an education a reality for so many amazing students and future leaders! Please continue to keep the students and staff in your thoughts and prayers. 

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