Student Veteran Founds NGO to Help Syrian Refugees

While he was studying abroad in Istanbul, Turkey, Chafetz visited Suruç and was struck by the number of children without homes. Many of the refugees came to these two towns from Kobane, across the border in Syria, with the largest percentage of them being Kurdish children.

One Refugee One Goal raised money to provide aid to families and children and delivered school supplies to a Syrian refugee primary school.

"Thanks to the generous contributions, we were able to have a positive impact and reduce some of the suffering for 4,000 refugees," Chafetz said.

This September, Chafetz was a presenter at a World Leaders Forum: Student Engagement at the Columbia Global Centers.

Chafetz came to GS after four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and is majoring in political science. 

For more information, read Chafetz's opinion piece in the Orlando Sentinel: Kurds are closer than ever to reaching their Kurdistan dream.