Class XI (2013-2014)

Sponsor Club: Atlantic City Rotary Club, USA. District 7640

Host Club: Mt Gravatt Rotary Club, District 9630

Originally from Atlantic City, New Jersey, Bremen de Haan spent most of his summers with family in the Caribbean as well as The Netherlands. This undoubtedly sparked his interest in international studies and relations. While at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bremen had the opportunity to attend a semester in Costa Rica studying Latin American politics; there he formed a youth group for students going off to University after high school. Bremen later graduated with a degree in international studies concentrating on international economics and development. The interest in international development that he gained from his time overseas and at university lead him to reconsider his opportunity to run semi-professional athletics/ track in the U.S. and Europe and purse a completely different path.

After working in the financial district in Manhattan and coaching a season of high school track and field, Bremen left for Panama with the US Peace Corps to work on urban and youth development in marginalized urban communities. Bremen did his Applied Field Experience with the international NGO Save the Children in Beijing, China working with in the grant/award management and communication team. Throughout the internship he maintained contact with the six sub offices that the grant/award management team supports around China: Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan, XinJiang, Tibet and Sichuan and had constant communication with international embassies located in Beijing.