DREF Welcomes Charitable Engagement Associates Eden Parker and Kayla White
Eden Parker was a former intern for the U.S. House of Representatives for Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Eden Parker, Charitable Engagement Associate
She also most recently interned at the Government Accountability Office, where she worked on the Military Moves project, helping with the strategic planning and funding for the travel of military families. Eden worked two summers, 2023 and 2026, as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the GW Civic
Changemakers Program, where she worked with DC Public Schools students to develop advocacy projects addressing issues in their communities. She has a background in administrative affairs and nonprofit management.
She holds a B.A. in International Affairs and Africana Studies, with a minor in Spanish from The George Washington University. Her undergraduate achievements at GW included graduating with departmental honors in Africana Studies, enrollment in the Women in Leadership, International Politics Cohort, receiving the Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship, research in Dakar, Senegal, studying at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Chile, and serving on the executive committee for several student organizations. Eden is currently a Masters Candidate at the GW Elliott School in the International Development Studies Program with a concentration in Cultures and Societies.
Driven by a passion for people, purposeful storytelling, and the power of service, Kayla C. White has built a career centered on creating meaningful connections and making a lasting impact.
Kayla White, Charitable Engagement Associate
A native of Northern Virginia, Kayla is a dynamic communications and engagement professional whose experiences span business development, hospitality, organizational leadership, and community engagement.
A proud graduate of The University of Alabama, Kayla earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and African American Studies. During her undergraduate years, she served as President of the University’s National Pan-Hellenic Council, where she helped champion a historic milestone: the groundbreaking of Greek Assembly Hall, the University’s first dedicated space and plots honoring its Divine Nine organizations. Most recently, Kayla was appointed to the University of Alabama Division of Partnerships Board of Advisors in 2026.
Kayla’s professional journey includes working with Walt Disney World Resorts and leadership in business development at HES Facilities Management, where she cultivated relationship management, strategic planning, and organizational growth. Her journey in the nonprofit sector began with Food for Our Journey, where she developed and executed a public relations strategy that elevated the organization’s mission, amplified the stories of underserved communities, and contributed to statewide recognition of its impact.
A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Kayla embraces the principles of scholarship, sisterhood, service, and social action as both a personal commitment and a professional calling. She is thrilled to join the Delta Research and Educational Foundation’s Charitable Engagement team, where she looks forward to contributing her creativity, collaborative spirit, and dedication to strengthening relationships that advance the Foundation’s mission and enduring legacy of service.
