Skip to main content

Rizpah Bellard (2015)

Rizpah BellardEducation Highlights:

M.A. in International Studies with a concentration in Human Trafficking & Forced Labor, Certificate in Global Health from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

Professional Highlights:

Fulbright Fellow with the U.S. Department of State's Fulbright Student Program, English Teaching Assistant at the University Level in Colombia (start date pushed to January 2021).

Covid-19 Updates:

I moved back to Northern California where I have gotten back into my ranching roots. On the weekends, I'm a Black Cowgirl in my hometown of Guinda, CA and during the week, I'm a Bilingual Spanish Preschool Teacher at a nature preschool in Oakland, CA.

Outside of my ranching life and teaching life, I'm becoming fluent in my third language (Portuguese) and have just begun to learn a fourth (German)! I joined a Brazilian nondenominational church (that regularly practices social distancing for its outside service) in order to immerse myself in the culture, and to better perfect my Portuguese (since I can't country hop to Brazil from Colombia right now, as was my original plan). I'm now looking for a German community in Northern California to join where I can safely do the same thing.

My career passion is in anti sex-trafficking, but I'm not quite sure how I want to re-enter the workforce in that field so this global pause is actually pretty beneficial for me. Unfortunately, I'm also in limbo because my original "job" is on hold, but I'm making the best of it, taking any and every opportunity that comes my way. Oddly enough, COVID-19 is helping me become an even more well-rounded human being.