Francie Steinwedell-Carvin: JustWorld’s Biggest Cheerleader
When you spot someone at JustWorld’s Annual Gala who’s gone all out on the theme—fully committed in costume as the wicked witch or Carnival queen—you’ve likely found Francie Steinwedell-Carvin.
“I try to make my support fun,” Steinwedell-Carvin says. “I come to the gala with blue nails [in JustWorld’s colors] and go overboard with the themes of the gala. I’m going to put on a costume and have fun.”
Francie Steinwedell-Carvin as the wicked witch at the JustWorld gala in 2022.
As a professional show jumper, she showed the same sartorial support while competing, becoming known on the West Coast for her bright blue JustWorld coat, inviting questions (at a time when coats were conservatively colored), and offering the chance to talk about JustWorld. One of the original JustWorld ambassadors, Steinwedell-Carvin, who’s based in California with her husband, Dick Carvin, has been named one of the 2026 honorees.
Francie Steinwedell-Carvin competing in her JustWorld International coat.
A Role to Play
Throughout her time with JustWorld, Steinwedell-Carvin, a top grand prix rider, learned to value her unique contributions and appreciate the way a group of individuals can come together with a range of skills to create something larger.
“I remember being in a meeting and listening to all these people who do a lot of different things for JustWorld, and I turned to [founder] Jessica [Newman] and said, ‘I can’t believe what and how they’re doing all these things.’ And she said, ‘That’s why they do it; you have other skills. You’re the cheerleader. You share what you believe, which is why we need everybody here because they each have a little or big part, everybody in this circle of people, that’s how it works. If we didn’t have you, that part wouldn’t get done.’”
Francie Steinwedell-Carvin finds creative ways of being JustWorld’s biggest cheerleader.
Steinwedell-Carvin realized it wasn’t about comparing herself. Instead, she embraced her role as a great cheerleader, which she enjoys. “A lot of times I have to hear that from someone I trust, who knows me, and hearing Jessica say that, that was enough,” Steinwedell-Carvin says. “The way I am, my core temperament, how I live my life, I’m not CEO material, I know that, but what I got from her is that my contributions are no less important. It would be really nice for people to grow up hearing that–that you don’t have to be a doctor or lawyer to be successful. I’m very sensitive, but I have a huge heart and am strong.”
The Impact of Project Visits
Recalling her trips to the projects, Steinwedell-Carvin was overcome with emotion. During one of her visits to Cambodia, where a half wall with bars separated the school from the street, she could see the children outside watching those inside the school.
“The difference in their height, the color in their eyes, their skin color—it gives me goosebumps even now, the comparison between these kids who’ve been in school and had nutrition and fresh water and are happy to be there and the ones looking in. It was this contrast of what JustWorld was doing for that village. The kids who don’t have the opportunity [to attend the school], it’s night and day, seeing the emaciated versus the healthy, and that really hit my heart. That just really got me,” she says.
Francie Steinwedell-Carvin on a JustWorld trip to PIO in Cambodia.
Steinwedell-Carvin said she was the first JustWorld professional ambassador to attend all three overseas projects, in Cambodia, Honduras and Guatemala. “It’s a little bit of a balance in that I’d rather give what it costs to go there to JustWorld sometimes, but it’s been a while, so I would love to go back again soon,” she says.
She also attended a visit to one of the Florida schools JustWorld supports with literacy kits in 2024. “That was really cool because we got to interact with the kids, sit and read a book with them,” she says.
Francie Steinwedell-Carvin visiting JustWorld’s Florida project in Belle Glade.
She enjoyed seeing the children meet a real horse during that visit, and it reminded her of the therapeutic benefits horses provide. “The older I get the more I respect horses and the therapy that they give for PTSD, autism, all these things,” she says. “They’re such wonderful animals. To see that relationship and curiosity, [the kids] were in awe, and I was in awe of them for being able to do that and being excited to have those books. They treat those books like treasures, and that was cool to experience.”
She said the opportunity created a place of gratitude “for my life and all the things I can do to help others and how lucky I am,” she says. “We all have our own struggles, but that’s a huge struggle around the world when children are caught without education.”
Steinwedell-Carvin describes her years with JustWorld as “one of the most special things I have done. The impact it’s had on my life—which is nothing like the impact it has on the children—has been great for me. It’s an amazing organization, and I’ve never been a part of something else like that.”
Francie Steinwedell-Carvin never fails to bring fun, elegance, and a generous spirit to her work with JustWorld.
She’s honored to be recognized for her contributions, and discussing it brought up strong emotions, showing the extent of meaning it holds for her.
“It means a lot because I know myself very well, and when I get [emotional], it’s hard for me to talk about it,” she says. “I don’t have words for it.”
If you’re a friend or fan of Francie Steinwedell-Carvin and want to join her in supporting JustWorld’s mission to break the cycle of poverty, create a custom congratulatory ad or join us at the gala, January 22, 2026 in Wellington, Florida.
# # #
JustWorld International
Established in 2003, JustWorld International was created to connect equestrians with a direct way to help fracture the cycle of poverty through education, healthcare, and nutrition programs for children around the world. Ambassadors from more than forty countries have since committed to “Ride for the Cause” and transform the lives of children through equestrian sport. Envisioning a more just world, the nonprofit organization cultivates strategic, project partnerships in a collaborative approach to impact the lives of nearly 10,000 children around the globe on a daily basis.
To donate, become an Ambassador, or learn more about JustWorld, please visitwww.justworldinternational.org or @justworldinternational on Facebook and Instagram.
JustWorld International is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States and tax-deductible donations are accepted in the United States. JustWorld International has no political or religious affiliation.
