There are some people whose presence fills the greatest voids; turns the bland to savory; brings fun to the mundane. Such human beings spread glitter on all the paths they walk, leaving beauty on the trails behind and luring those yet traversed ahead.

Merrin Jenkins is one of those great people - a beautiful soul. She so gracefully shapes and moves the mountains that appear along her life journey. To know her is to have loved her in one of her many capacities, to have benefitted from her big heart, savvy, and groundedness, as a friend, a colleague, a fellow Board member or just a contemporary. Merrin offers every drop of herself in service to — or advancement of — the communities around her, as well as her friends and family.

Like so many of the people whose lives she has touched, I have a story to tell about some of the glittery roads we traversed together. Since her time as an intern in Rwanda and Tampa in 2010/2011, Merrin’s passion for the Akilah Institute’s (now Davis College) mission drove her incredible focus and intensity to support the institution. In 2013, after gaining experience with the development team at NYU, she joined the Akilah team again ready to raise funds and expand the college. She wanted more than anything to share her own talents and gifts with the incredibly deserving and talented youth she met during her trips to Rwanda -- and she wanted the opportunity to be open to many without privilege, not just a few.

Merrin is someone you can rely on to roll up her sleeves (and she loves a good button-down). With scarce resources and a huge mission to impact the lives of thousands of deserving and talented young women in Rwanda, together, we laughed and we cried (from exhaustion) as we raised funds to support enrolling hundreds of talented young women at Akilah. Merrin kept our team focused on the strategy and encouraged us to think big and be unapologetic in our approach to supporters.

It’s rare to be both strategic and glamourous – but Merrin marries both! Making things around her beautiful is something that just comes naturally. The evenings shared with supporters, the tense moments before as we prepared for a big event, and even the hours afterwards as we tallied an event’s impact… all of these were always full of Merrin’s special touches. She has infinite amounts of beauty to share with the world, and for the past decade, our institution of higher learning in Rwanda has grown amidst her radiant light. You’ll see firsthand what I mean if you go visit Willa’s in Tampa, her new gourmet neighborhood restaurant, or if you head to Kigali and experience the Akilah Alumnae erupting with joy when they hear her name.

Merrin has a special way of letting you know that you are important to her; that she chooses to be right here and right now. She is a soul on her own path, without the boundaries of time or society — she lives the truth and finds a way. Guided by her inner light, Merrin touched the lives of so many Akilah students, who regularly witnessed her special energy. Whether ensuring our Rwandan students were comfortable and happy in their hosts’ home during time spent visiting supporters in the USA, or cheering-on graduates as they walked across the stage in Kigali to receive their diplomas, Merrin dedicated her entire self to each moment. She recalls, “I’ll never forget attending Marie Aimee’s graduation party at her home. Family and friends were everywhere; she had just lost her father. The room was so proud of her and her accomplishments in moving into the IT space in Kigali.”

This unwavering dedication of her heart, time, energy and resources has truly uplifted our institution’s work in East Africa.

It is an honor to have worked alongside Merrin, and to continue to witness her deep impact on the lives of so many talented youth in East Africa. Our institution holds deep gratitude to and love for Merrin for her years of dedication and service. As a friend, a former staffer, a Board member as well as a generous supporter, Merrin, you have built a solid foundation of love for our entire community.

Thank you for the infinite gifts. “You are greater than you know”, dear Merrin, to borrow the words of Mother Theresa.

An Ode to Merrin Jenkins