Hi everyone, my name is Allison Kornstein and I am so excited to be participating in Bike and Build! Affordable housing is a great cause that I am proud to represent and I can't wait to have the best summer of my life biking across the country. I am thrilled to have the support of my wonderful family and friends as I approach this journey; I could not have made it this far without them!
I was born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey and moved to Boston in 2004 to go to school at Tufts University. At Tufts, I studied psychology and community health, and was also highly involved in LIFT (formerly National Student Partnerships), a student-run non-profit, where I volunteered to help connect homeless and low-income community members with jobs, affordable housing options, public benefits, and more. LIFT also raised my awareness of homelessness problems in Massachusetts, and through the organization I was able to educate my peers and those in the community about the gravity of homelessness issues and the need for affordable housing. I was also fortunate to meet and become inspired by some truly extraordinary and dedicated people, volunteers, clients, and community partners alike. My participation in LIFT, as well as my coursework in community health, led me to a greater awareness of the world around me and an interest in pursuing a career in public health.
I am currently 23 years old and working at a health care research company in Boston, and counting down the days until Bike and Build. Besides that, I have a wide variety of hobbies. You can find me at the rock climbing gym, biking along the Esplanade, or at home baking pies. I also love food, and have an interest in organic and natural cooking and its benefits for our bodies and our environment. I enjoy all sorts of arts and crafts, including drawing, jewelry making, and collaging. I love to travel and spent a semester studying abroad in Australia, where I had the opportunity to conduct my own independent study project in diabetes outreach, and also have adventures in remote and extremely beautiful areas of Australia and New Zealand.
Although I have traveled internationally, I have not had the opportunity to see much of my own country. Traveling across America will be an amazing experience, and I can think of no better way to do it than powered by my own two legs, with a group of awesome people, and for a cause that I care about. I am also looking forward to the challenges of the experience, both physical and mental, and the opportunity for personal growth.
