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Alumna Jennifer Trubenbach Scores Unique Twitter Prize for Her Nonprofit Organization

On April 15 Actor Hugh Jackman recently issued a unique, philanthropic challenge via Twitter: "I will donate 100k to one individual's favorite nonprofit organization. Of course, you must convince me why by using 140 characters or less."

Thousands of tweets followed the announcement, but two in particular caught Jackman's attention: Charity: Water, a nonprofit initiative based in New York City focused on bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations; and Operation of Hope, an all-volunteer medical nonprofit that performs facial surgeries on poor children around the world. The two organizations split Jackman's big prize.

At the helm of Operation of Hope is Pepperdine alumna Jennifer Trubenbach, who graduated from the Graduate School of Education and Psychology in 2004 with a master's degree in educational technology. Just hours before catching a flight to Africa for Operation of Hope's latest mission trip, Trubenbach took a few moments to share her Twitter feat and update us on her ongoing journey.

Congratulations on winning Jackman's Twitter contest. What was this process like for you?

Before that day I had never used Twitter in my life. The contest deadline was a Friday and I learned about it at 3:30 p.m. I called everyone I know, and finally reached the friend of my college-aged daughter. She had never used Twitter either, so she gathered other people and soon everyone was teaching me. By the time I was done I had no idea that it even went through. The next morning they announced on the radio that Jackman was so inundated with responses that he chose two nonprofits instead of one. And one was Operation of Hope.

What did you tweet to convince him?

I had met Hugh Jackman at CNN's All Star Hero Tribute because I had been named one of People magazine's "Heroes Among Us," along with Beloved, a young man from Zimbabwe who has been helped by Operation of Hope and really become part of my family (read Beloved's story). At only 10 years old he suffered a disfiguring facial injury when a landmine exploded in his face. We brought him to the States and paid for his surgeries. My husband and I took out a second mortgage to help him.

So I tweeted, and I'm paraphrasing here, "If you recall meeting Beloved at CNN, Operation of Hope is still trying to raise money to pay off the second mortgage on my house." Then I included the link to our Web site.

It's been an uphill battle to raise money recently because of the economy, but we've been fortunate, especially with Jackman's help. We've raised funds for 350 more surgeries.

And today you're headed back to Beloved's home in Harirae, Zimbabwe.

Yes. We do approximately two missions a year, and this is our sixth year. We have a surgical team of 13 and we perform 86 free facial reconstructive surgeries over a period of about three and a half weeks. I travel before the doctors so I can do some PR. That way moms can hear about the service and travel to us. I'll see Beloved's family and give them the letters and pictures he's sent to them.

Beloved is Operation of Hope's best-known patient. How's he doing now?

He is doing wonderfully. After his injury, he was in the hospital for years and didn't go to school, but now he has progressed to the fourth grade. I just saw him last night and went to a parent/teacher conference. He's reading and writing, and getting the resources he'll need when he returns to Africa. The school system has been completely shut down in his community since last August. When that happened I flew 41 hours to pick him up and 41 hours to bring him back to the States. He's worth it. This week he was asked to the senior prom at a local high school. His own school has circled him and become his village. It's amazing to see the difference between now and just a few years ago.