About Us

Mark Stanley began his career in volunteer work in the mid-1990s, where he volunteered in Northern Virginia.  During his time in Virginia, he worked with a primarily Hispanic population, and there learned to speak Spanish.  As he learned more about the stories of different immigrants, he became inspired to travel to Latin America and explore the different cultures for himself.

He attended university at the University of Louisville, where he graduated with a degree in Anthropology in 2004.  He later continued his volunteering experience in Cusco, Peru.  While in Peru he worked with farmers and small business owners to develop markets for selling their goods; he was also involved with building some school houses.  It was in Peru that he met his wife, Becky.  After their volunteer program, Mark and Becky backpacked together through South and Central America.  When they returned to the United States, they founded Volunteers Around the World in 2006.

Mark is the CEO and Director of Volunteers Around the World.  He enjoys working with the team leaders, doctors and in-country staff to bring much needed services to different communities around the world.  In 2006, Mark began working for Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company.  In 2012, he founded Elite Administration, a company that deals with administering Colonial Insurance products for sales managers all around the Northeast United States.  He is also on the Board of Directors for VAW.  In his free time, Mark enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.

Becky grew up in central New Jersey. She graduated from Kean University with a BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice.  After graduating, she decided to volunteer abroad in Cusco, Peru where she worked with abused and battered women.

It was on this trip that she met her husband, Mark.  After their volunteer program, Mark and Becky backpacked together through South and Central America.  When they returned to the United States, they founded Volunteers Around the World.  Becky is the CFO and Director of Volunteers Around the World.  She helps plan, direct and coordinate operational activities.  She also devises strategies and policies to ensure VAW meets its goals.  Becky is also on the Board of Directors for VAW.  In her free time, Becky enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

To say I am a child of the South is an understatement.  I was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama;  lived in East Tennessee for 23 years, where we raised our son;  and, moved to South Carolina in 2015 with a new opportunity for my husband.

I went to Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama with a major in Music Education.  I did not graduate, however, had some wonderful experiences, including studying under Bob Burrows, who, at that time, was a writer/publisher of Christian Church music.

I have worked in the accounting/administrative field for most of my career.  I worked for the Alabama Department of Revenue for eight years as a Department Secretary under the Director of all the Revenue Field Offices in Alabama;  and then, the Alabama Department of Agriculture as a Procurement Officer for eight years.  I left the Alabama Department of Agriculture to move our family to East Tennessee.

I worked for Cherokee Textiles as the Secretary for all Administrative Staff except for the President of the company;  worked in the University of Tennessee Financial Aid Office, Co-owned a business with my husband, and worked as the Office Manager/Business Manager for KJ Development for eleven years.  After I left KJ Development, I worked as the Accounting Assistant for the CFO of BrakeQuip, LLC based in Alcoa, Tennessee.  I left BrakeQuip to follow my husband with his job opportunities.  I went to work for Genesis Healthcare as a Regional ROC (Rehab Office Coordinator) which included creating/maintaining spreadsheets, weekly auditing of reports and other duties for 93 facilities within our Region.  During this time, I spent nine weeks in Clemson, South Carolina as an Interim Director of Rehab while the Director was on maternity leave.  I traveled a good bit during my career with Genesis Healthcare but was laid off in January 2016 when Genesis had company-wide layoffs.

I was blessed to be hired by VAW in February 2016 as the Office Manager and was asked to take on the HR duties in March.  My policy has always been that my door is always open and I will do whatever I can to help our people out.  If I don’t know an answer, I will make sure I get the answer for them.

Veronica was born and raised in the province of Bocas del Toro in Panama. She had the opportunity to go to high school in the US in 2004 where she also began a hotel management & culinary arts course after graduation. In 2008, she returned to Bocas del Toro where she currently lives with her three kids. She was given the opportunity to be part of VAW Global in 2014 as an Outreach Assistant, working hand in hand with the interns to provide aid to vulnerable communities. Through this experience she has been able to grow personally and also within the company.

When she is not working for VAW Global, she works managing her hostel & restaurant on Bastimentos Island. In her free time she enjoys being with her kids, fishing and relaxing on the beach with friends. Her goal is to continue to grow in knowledge and to one day be able to provide sustainability within the communities where we currently work.

Chelsea is originally from Orlando, FL, graduating from the University of Central Florida in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychology. She was a Team Leader for the Medical Outreach at the University of Central Florida. She has been with VAW Global for more than 5 years – originally starting off as an intern, becoming a Team Leader and then Team Development Coordinator, and now the Director of Operations! She will soon pursue an M.S. in Anatomy degree at the University of South Florida where she plans to apply to medical school to become a surgeon. She knew she wanted to go into the medical field from a young age, but she finds curiosity and opportunities in all places in which she strives to gain more knowledge and skills globally. VAW has exemplified how important global health is and opened her eyes up to how different things can be in other areas of the world, and why she has a passion to help others in need. Besides her work with VAW Global, she is also an insurance professional. Some of her hobbies are going to the beaches, traveling, and powerlifting.

Nicole Arguedas is our Vice President of Operations. She works as an Independent Consultant from Perú. She has been involved with VAW since 2014, collaborating with the development of our site in Peru from its very beginning and supporting VAW’s operations and new projects throughout the years.  She graduated with a degree in Social Communications from the Universidad de Lima in Peru and a MS in Public & Social Policies in IDEC-Pompeu Fabra in Catalunya. She also works as a Consultant in company communication, strategic planning and corporate social responsibility.

What she loves most about VAW is the dynamic work alongside different countries and cultures. Being able to learn from, collaborate with and work side by side with amazing, talented and caring people, partners, collaborators, community leaders and students from all over the world. It feels like a huge family caring about making this world a better place!