Important Notes as of 3/27/2026:

Miraculously, this has been fully funded and then some in less than 1 day. If you would like to see what this research is all about, reading through this campaign page is the best place for information at the moment. Any funding received at this point (and the excess funding already received) will be put into an account and used for education expenses and future research projects. Because of meeting this goal, I will divert any grant funding to my classmates to help fund their participation as well. I am at a loss for words at the generosity. I cannot begin to thank you and express my gratitude enough.

Donations are not expected at this point as the goal has been exceeded, but if you feel so compelled, I will make sure that additional funds are used appropriately only for continuing education expenses and, hopefully, to fund our continued research and future research projects to come. If you have a specific thing you would like to see an additional donation used for, please contact me directly. Thank you and much love to all of you.

A Quick Note Before You Begin:

I appreciate anything you can contribute to this campaign, including your time and thoughtful consideration. If you are unable to donate right now, the most helpful thing you can do, by far, is to share this page. An endorsement from you to your social circles is invaluable in reaching those who may want to support this campaign. Thank you so much for being here.

Why I'm Reaching Out:

I am requesting funding in support of a research study outlined below and the associated travel expenses to Kenya in June 2026. The time in Kenya will be spent presenting our accepted abstract, "Global Insights, Local Impact: A Collaborative Cultural Adaptation of Youth Wellbeing Assessments" at the Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development (SWSD 2026) conference in Nairobi. We will also be collecting pilot data for the instruments we are culturally adapting for use in Kenya.

Who I Am:

My name is Mitchell Rothstein. In 2021, I entered inpatient treatment for a substance use disorder. This experience changed my life. I learned what it meant to receive support without judgement, and I promised to help others as others had helped me. I am proud to have followed through on this and have since discovered that I am meant to be a social worker.

Since 2022, I have worked in substance use treatment and, for the last two and a half years, at Main Line Health System. I am a Certified Recovery Specialist, seeing patients with substance use disorders who are in the hospital, offering connection, support, and resources.

In 2025, I saw 577 patients at Riddle Hospital. Each encounter is an opportunity to engage meaningfully with individuals who often have nowhere else to turn. I love this role and was promoted last year to supervise all of the Certified Recovery Specialists across the system. Main Line Health is where I discovered my love for social work.

Due to my addiction, I had to leave school in 2019 without completing my degree. In recovery, I was scared to go back to school. I convinced myself that I was incapable of doing it successfully. Challenging my fear, I returned to college and enrolled at the School of Social Work at Millersville University in 2025. I could not be more glad that I took this leap of faith. Since enrolling, I have sought opportunities which reflect the social work mission, leading me to this research.

About the Research:

Tharaka University, located in Kenya, had identified a rise in teenage pregnancy, substance use, and mental illness among the student population. Seeking guidance, they reached out to Dr. Ogongi at Millersville University.

Having grown up in Kenya, Dr. Ogongi recognized that this was an opportunity for impactful, culturally grounded research. She developed a research team composed of students from both Millersville University and Tharaka University. We are examining mental and reproductive health among college students in Kenya along with other factors that negatively impact wellness.

The first step is to collect quality data in a way that is culturally competent, sensitive, and appropriate. To do so, we are:

• Identifying areas which negatively impact student wellbeing
• Reviewing validated assessment tools currently used in other contexts
• Collaboratively adapting these tools with our co-researchers at Tharaka University
• Conducting focus groups, revisions, and pilot studies to validate the adapted instruments

The presentation at SWSD 2026 and the data collection in Kenya will be focused on the points above. We expect the process of collaborative adaptation of validated instruments to be replicable in other research contexts and cultures. We also plan to use this data to inform further research by our team and others.

Other important goals guiding our research are:

• Identifying intervention and prevention strategies at the macro level
• Considering environmental factors such as culture, education, and relationships
• Emphasizing the importance of cross-cultural collaboration
• Reducing stigma associated with reproductive and mental health

Why This Matters:

This research will have meaningful and lasting positive impact locally and globally. There are very few culturally appropriate wellbeing assessment tools validated for use among the Kenyan student population. There is no way to appropriately propose effective prevention and intervention strategies without accurate, meaningful data.

Your donation makes this work possible. It supports:

• The collaborative, cross-cultural adaptation of validated wellbeing assessment tools for use in Kenya
• On-the-ground data collection led jointly by U.S. and Kenyan researchers
• Ethical, culturally sensitive research practices that value local knowledge and inclusion
• The presentation of our findings at an international social work conference

While your donation funds my participation and travel, its impact extends far beyond myself. By contributing, you are investing in global collaboration and research, reducing stigma, and advancing a healthier, more just world.

My Role in the Research:

I was asked to be a part of this team because of my relevant personal and professional experience with the assessment and treatment of substance use disorders in the United States. I joined following a conversation with Dr. Ogongi, during which it became clear that my experience would be an asset. I am in a sub-group focused specifically on substance use in collaboration with co-researchers from Tharaka University.

It is an honor to be a part of this project. I approach this research with cultural humility and a deep respect for my Kenyan colleagues, who best understand their community. All of us have relevant individual expertise. I am not prescribing solutions; we are intentionally collaborating to build culturally relevant tools grounded in local knowledge.

How Funds Will Be Used:

The trip to Kenya will be from June 16, 2026 to July 1, 2026 and will include the research at Tharaka University, attendance and presentation at SWSD 2026 in Nairobi, and time learning about Kenyan culture in rural Kenya.

Total funds requested (rounded): $4,100.00

• SWSD 2026 Conference Registration: $100
• Round-Trip Flight: $1,364.63
• In-Country Costs (lodging, most meals, local travel): $2,600

(Line items total $4,064.63, rounded to $4,100 to accommodate fees or minor unexpected costs. Any funds raised beyond requested amount will support unincluded trip expenses or necessary at-home costs while I am away. )

I understand that requesting financial support is a big ask; I do not do so lightly. I have applied for the grant funding available, much of which is restricted to graduate students, and it will not fully offset the costs. Any amount of grant funding awarded while this campaign is still active will be disclosed publicly and the requested donation amount will be adjusted to reflect this.

Transparency & Accountability:

As I said, I take this request seriously and as such have created a structure for transparency and accountability in tracking your donated funds.

This is a Google Drive folder entitled "Kenya Research GoFundMe Documentation". Within this folder you will find:

• Expense Spreadsheet: Itemized costs and status of payment
• Receipts for Expenses: Folder with receipts matching expense spreadsheet
• Supplemental Documentation: Folder containing the SWSD 2026 presentation acceptance letter, letter of support from Dr. Ogongi, and any future relevant material (you will be notified of added material via GoFundMe update)

What You Can Expect:

While I cannot guarantee any specific result or outcome of our research, here is what you can expect from me (updates will be sent by me via the GoFundMe platform):

• Campaign updates on fundraising progress leading up to the trip
• Immediate notification of any changes to expenses or campaign goal
• A detailed post-trip update about the presentation and research activities
• Continuing updates about next steps in our research and emerging insights as a result of our trip
• Links to publications once available, as we plan to publish our findings

A Final Thought From Me:

Returning to school has been a lot of work, but it has been profoundly rewarding. I was surprised to discover how much I love social work and how much support I've received from Millersville University.

I have been told that this level of engagement in this kind of research is unusual for an undergraduate student; I am not satisfied with "good enough." There was never a question of whether I would fully commit to this research when Dr. Ogongi asked me to join the team. I have learned more than I thought possible already, with more to come.

Working with my colleagues in Kenya has reinforced my commitment to collaboration, listening, and learning. It has pushed me to think beyond the scope of my everyday life.

My life -- from addiction and isolation to recovery and collaboration -- has proven to me that hope is not an abstract concept, it is an earned outcome. Our research honors this idea. We recognize that the pathway to hope is created by access to resources, investment in one another, and support without stipulations.

Thank you for believing in the power of collaboration, knowledge, and shared humanity.