Samantha Fien-Helfman

Samantha Fien-Helfman
  • Class of 2009
  • Hometown: Washington, DC
  • Major(s): Marketing & Psychology
  • Archived Blogger

About Samantha Fien-Helfman

I graduated from William & Mary in December of 2009, and was far from ready for the stereotypical, dreaded office job that characterizes post-graduation. A fellow student had told me about Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos, an international nonprofit that provides food, housing, and an education to over 3300 abandoned or children in nine homes throughout Central, South America, and the Caribbean. I was accepted into the Guatemala home and arrived in January 2010 to begin immediate work as an English teacher for 5 classes – ranging in age and level from preschool to 8th grade.

I spent the following 13 months at NPH: a transformational experience both professionally and personally and fell in love with the home and Guatemala. After completing my 13 months at NPH, I decided to embark on a new journey with fellow alumni, Jed Talvacchia (WM ’08) before returning to the States.

Posts by Samantha Fien-Helfman

A Rooftop Picnic with W&M Alums

When I think back to my time at William and Mary, I often think about the individuals that made the place so wonderful. It

Photo Entry of the Week

In Guatemala, the main form of transportation is on “chicken buses” or camionetas, old US school buses transformed into brightly colored buses carrying crowds

A Belated Thank You

I haven’t been so great on writing a blog, and for that, I apologize. I wanted my entries to relate to William and Mary

An American Adventure

Over-sized backpacks, long bus rides, late night conversations in crowded hostels, and some of the craziest adventures and most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

A Spook-tacular Halloween

I love William and Mary but I find myself returning to DC for Halloween. Since I was little, my family has always taken the

Alumni Invasion, Part II

This past weekend was William and Mary's homecoming. The way I felt last year around this time mirrors how I still feel about the

Green and Gold Affair

Ah Green and Gold Affair. Around this time four years ago, William and Mary hosted its first Green and Gold Affair, a campus-wide formal

A Heartwarming Weekend

Founded in the late 17th century, the College has created and preserved strong traditions, many of which fall around or near commencement weekend. One of my

A “Youth”ful Summer

It all started off as a requirement for one of my psychology courses: a small asterisks on the syllabus denoting that we would have to