As a student at the University of Mary Washington, Shin Fujiyama spent his early college years as an avid soccer player and world traveler—at one point, spending nearly an entire year in Brazil. Meanwhile, at the College of William & Mary, his younger sister, Cosmo, spent many of her college breaks volunteering in Latin America—fighting for women's rights and teaching English in Peru and Nicaragua. On one occasion during the summer of 2005, they both happened to find themselves in Honduras at the same time.

Walking throughout the small city of El Progreso, the two witnessed hundreds of children without adequate housing, health care, or access to education. Despite their seemingly different paths to date, both individuals came to the same conclusion. Upon returning to their campuses, Shin and Cosmo began to advocate for change in the community of El Progreso—in particular, to benefit the children of the overcrowded Copprome Orphanage and the families of the area's largest squatter community, Siete de Abril.

What began as small change collections for pens and pencils soon grew to a larger Christmas Card fundraiser to provide school uniforms and tuition. As more individuals emerged to help Shin and Cosmo meet their goals, a powerful movement of impassioned students and young professionals emerged. In February 2006, Students Helping Honduras (SHH) became a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization. Three months later, students from UMW and W&M came together to raise $148,000 to build an education center and begin sustainability projects in Copprome. By the same time the following year, students from five different universities raised $285,000 to help build homes for the 72 families in Siete de Abril. That same year, SHH built a temporary structure to serve as a school in Siete de Abril.

When the brother-sister duo both graduated from college in May of 2007, they decided to dedicate themselves to the children of Honduras. Shin postponed his dream of becoming a pediatrician, and Cosmo deferred a well-paying job that came with a masters degree. The Sunshine Lady Foundation awarded them a grant to make this possible.

Today, SHH has grown to encompass thousands of committed students from various chapters at college campuses. Under a growing body of leadership—which now includes students, college graduates, and accomplished professionals—SHH has brought hundreds of volunteers to Honduras since its inception. SHH will continue to work with the poorest communities in Honduras to show that students CAN make a difference. (read less)

As a student at the University of Mary Washington, Shin Fujiyama spent his early college years as an avid soccer player and world traveler—at one point, spending nearly an entire year in Brazil. Meanwhile, at the College of William & Mary, his younger sister, Cosmo, spent many of her college breaks volunteering in Latin America—fighting for women's rights and teaching English in Peru and Nicaragua. On one occasion during the summer of 2005, they both happened to find themselves in Honduras a... (read more)