Athena Carolan’s first exposure to life in Quito, Ecuador came when she was a sophomore in college.

While volunteering at an orphanage, the Austin native came to the conclusion that her aspirations to work in the non-profit International setting were possible.

Today, she’s proving that dream.

Carolan serves as the project director for Orphanage Support Services Organization in Quito, Ecuador, helping to oversee the operations of 10 orphanages.

“It’s an opportunity to see people’s needs and feel like you’re in a job that’s making a difference,” Carolan said this week during a visit to Austin.

Working with the same organization she volunteered with 10 years ago, Carolan feels like she is giving back to the place that helped shape who she has become.

After her volunteer work 10 years ago, she went on to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in International Development, with an emphasis on Latin American studies. She later went on to get her graduate degree in public health, with a global focus.

Carolan said if she would have been asked during college what her ideal job would be, it would pretty much line up with what she’s doing now.

Her current job focuses on dealing with volunteers and budgets on a regular basis. She has also become somewhat of an expert on what it takes to run an orphanage. Because of that, she’s come to realize how much volunteer and contributor support means to the existence of places like the orphanages in Quito.

Carolan said she’s always encouraging others to get involved, whether it be through volunteer work or child sponsorship, which is organized through Orphanage Support Services Organization. Ultimately, she said donating money is the best way to help out, as the costs associated with shipping products and materials often eat into the organization’s budget. The organization is also able to purchase what they need in Quito — products their children are already used to.

Carolan has been in her current position for the past 10 months and has a visa that will keep her going for another 10 months. After that, she’s hoping to do some travel work and decide at that point what path she’ll go down. Either way, she’ll continue her work in the public health setting, providing services — mainly prevention — for some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

To learn more about Orphanage Support Services Organization and its child sponsorship program, check out the website at www.orphanagesupport.org or call 208-359-1767