Abbey Kochert (right) drives to another location as a road warrior.

For most of us, the closest we’ve come to being a road warrior is watching a Mad Max movie. Interior Designer Abbey Kochert served four months as an actual road warrior, educating and activating students nationwide about the global water crisis. Abbey completed a four-month stint in 2016 as a Thirst Project intern with her official title being road warrior. She gave her creative energy to educating middle school-, high school-, and college-age students, while also empowering them to raise funds for building water wells in developing countries. Abbey spent one month in Los Angeles learning a 45-minute presentation that she and her teammates would deliver to young people during their cross-country school tour which took them from LA to North Carolina and back. Abbey and her road warrior partner, Shelbie, utilized their Honda Pilot as their office, driving and visiting 30+ schools delivering this message. Abbey calls the experience life changing and will carry it with her always.

Here are five things to know about Abbey’s Thirst Project experience.

1. Abbey’s training ground included such LA landmarks as the Hollywood sign and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Road warriors went there to practice their elevator speeches and to devise ways to capture people’s attention asking “Did you know 663 million people do not have access to safe, clean drinking water?”
2. Abbey’s 5-gallon jerrycan became her most used visual aid. She took it everywhere to communicate her message. People carry these cans an average of 3.75 miles one way to fetch water. And when full, the cans weigh 44 pounds!
3. “We got in front of so many people, making signs, making videos, connecting with people, and helping them feel part of the change to make a difference, “ Abbey says.
4. Abbey and her team’s fund-raising efforts raised enough money to build one well in Swaziland during their cross-country tour.
5. How the experience changed Abbey: “This has made me much more globally aware. Also, caring for people and being kind to people is easy. Even if your contribution is not monetary, it is the giving of your time that is so powerful.”