Abigail Scarlett is planning to make the most of her year-long internship with the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), focusing on key justice issues.

Scarlett, from the United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, brings a degree in environmental biology and a passion for women’s empowerment to the WCRC.

“I have always liked the idea of linking environmental sustainability to economic growth,” she says, noting ways in which smart building design enhances energy savings.

“Apart from the environment my other great passion is women’s empowerment,” she says. “Since the WCRC embodies that notion along with many other beliefs, I thought it great to work along with them, to learn as much as I could from them—so that I would be able to develop skills in that area.”

While she’ll get a taste of the depth and breadth of the WCRC’s work, most of Scarlett’s time will be spent working on projects with Philip Vinod Peacock, executive secretary for justice and witness.

“We had many highly qualified candidates for this position,” says Peacock, “and I’m thrilled someone with Abigail’s education, experience and excitement on both ecological and gender justice is able to join us for this next year.”

“I am very grateful to have gotten this opportunity,” says Scarlett. “I am so excited for the new experience that I will have and the new people that I will meet this year.”

Besides her passion for justice, Scarlett has been actively involved as president of her church’s youth fellowship, as a praise and worship leader and as a Sunday school teacher for seven- to nine-year-olds.

She began her time at the WCRC’s offices in Hannover at the beginning of September, and is also looking forward to “the exotic culture in Germany, especially the food” and learning sufficient German to communicate.

The WCRC’s internship programme is made possible through contributions by the Evangelisches Missionswerk, Reformierte Kirchen Bern-Jura-Solothurn and member churches.