JustWorld Gala Will Honor Angela Covert For Her Lifechanging Work
When Angela Covert first heard about JustWorld International in 2003, she was a young professional rider, balancing teaching, training and competing. Like many equestrians, she felt the pull to give back but couldn’t find the time. JustWorld offered a unique opportunity.
“I loved the idea of being able to do what I was already doing — traveling, competing, coaching — and, at the same time, give something meaningful to kids who needed it most,” Covert recalled. “[Founder] Jessica [Newman]’s vision from the start was different. She brought the equestrian community together in a way no one else had, giving us the chance to use our sport and our connections to make a real impact.”
Covert has been part of the JustWorld family ever since, working to help fracture the cycle of poverty. She was selected as one of this year’s Gala Honorees and will be recognized at the event on Jan. 22 at Belle Herbe Farm in Wellington. Other honorees include Wellington residents Kevin Babington, Laura Kraut and Juan Andres Rodriguez, as well as Herve Godignon, Eric Navet and Francie Steinwedell-Carvin.
JustWorld funds schools in Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, and a literacy project in Belle Glade, Florida. Covert’s first trip to Honduras with JustWorld, more than 20 years ago, was life changing.
She recalled seeing children scavenging scrap metal at a garbage dump to support their families instead of going to school. “It was overwhelming to see the reality these children lived in and to realize how far our support could go,” she said.
In Guatemala, she helped launch JustWorld’s first medical clinic. “Simple things like antibiotics or dressings could literally save lives,” Covert said. “We take those for granted.”
These experiences cemented her commitment.
“Until that first trip, I felt good about donating and being involved. But seeing it firsthand — seeing how our dollars translated into real change — was completely different. It opened my eyes,” Covert said. “What I’ve always told people is: If you ever wonder where the money is going, just go on a trip. It’s one thing to know you’re helping; it’s another to stand there, meet the kids, and see the impact with your own eyes. That experience changes you.”
Covert, who lives in Wellington with her husband, international course designer Guilherme Jorge, and their nine-year-old son Lucas, said that 22 years of work with JustWorld has given her a new perspective.
“As a 20-something, I was obsessed with my riding career and stuck in the bubble of the equestrian world,” she said. “JustWorld pulled me out of that bubble. It reminded me there’s a whole other world out there and that we can use our privilege to make it better.”
She’s excited and honored to be recognized at this year’s gala.
“I’m proud of everything that JustWorld has accomplished and proud to have been part of it since the beginning,” Covert said. “This recognition feels like the icing on the cake.”
To join JustWorld International at the Jan. 22 gala in Wellington, visit www.justworldinternational.org/gala.
