ISAB Members

Rina is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, planning on majoring in neuroscience and minoring in design. She was born and raised in Japan, and was enrolled in an international school in Aichi Prefecture. Outside of school, she swims on UPenn's varsity team, sings with Keynotes A Cappella, and loves to be on stage and perform music.

During her time at Penn so far, she had opportunities to talk to students during New Student Orientation, Forerunner Global, and the Admissions Panel which opened her up to so many different perspectives on international student life. She is part of ISAB because she enjoys working to nurture a welcoming environment and would like to continue doing so by leading ISAB. She is looking forward to working with ISAB to encourage a positive setting where everyone can reach their full potential, personally and professionally.

David is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences at Penn from Rwanda. David is intending to major in Political Science and also on the PreMed Track, but aside from that, he is interested in other forms of Academia ranging from Neuroscience, and international relations to philosophy and ethics and loves engaging in or listening to conversations centered around these knowledge domains. David enjoys volunteering and staying engaged in the community. When relaxing, David likes spending time with friends and listening to music.

Aishwarya is a 5th-year Ph.D. candidate studying Cancer Biology in the Cell and Molecular Biology program at the Perelman School of Medicine. She was born in India and was brought up in multiple cities across the country. She joined Penn for a Masters at the School of Engineering and Applied Science after going to college in Pune, India.

She joined ISAB to represent and amplify the voices of international students regarding their experience at Penn. As an ISAB member, she wants to help international students build a vibrant community and a second home at Penn. In her free time (a rarity) Aishwarya likes (loves) to read, solve puzzles, and dream about being a writer.

Yuwan is a fourth-year PhD student at Penn bioengineering department. She was born and raised in China and came to Philadelphia when she was 16 years old for high school. Following high school, she completed her undergraduate study in chemical engineering at University of California, Los Angeles. She enjoys travelling, outdoor adventures, exploring great restaurants in Philly, and watching films outside of school. She was an active advocate for international students during her undergraduate study and as an ISAB member, she would like to continue supporting international students in their transition and integration to the U.S. academically and professionally. She is particularly interested in enhancing new international student experience, bridging the gap between domestic and international students, and making sure that international students have easy access to various resources on campus.

Tim is both French and Italian, grew up in between both countries and studied Mechanical Engineering in the UK. He now is in his Bioengineering master’s final year whilst being involved with research and a fellow at Penn Health-Tech. Tim joined ISAB to help build a strong community of international students that support and challenge each other. He hopes to better the international student experience by creating an environment where individuals are given the tools they need to thrive personally, academically and professionally. In addition, he is an avid reader, in particular of History, a very keen tennis player and passionate about cooking.

Alexandar is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and is considering majoring in Mathematical Economics. He grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria but he attended an international school in the UK for three years. There he encountered many of the difficulties and challenges international students face – from traveling and logistics to integration and culture shock. Alexandar is passionate about bringing internationals closer together and has been on the organizational teams of many cultural events at his school aimed at highlighting the uniqueness of different cultures. He joined ISAB because he believes that the best way to aid international students in their academic and cultural journey at UPenn and beyond is through advising and working with institutions to make lasting change. Apart from academics Alexandar is an avid “Star Wars” fan, likes to hike and loves listening to classical music and rap.

Carl is a first-time international student from the Philippines. Having initially worked in the academe, he shifted to managing educational development projects for international organizations like UNICEF, USAID, and World Vision. His diverse experiences in international development led him to Penn GSE’s International Educational Development Program as a UNESCO Fellow. Outside of school, Carl regularly practices yoga and he is also certified to teach it. Currently, he serves as a teaching assistant for Prof. Dan Wagner and project coordinator at Penn GSE’s Education Entrepreneurship Program.

Yuka is a Brazilian junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a Robotics concentration. She was born in Komaki, Japan, where she lived for 10 years before moving to Santo André, Brazil. Yuka is very passionate about education and foreign cultures, and some of her hobbies are learning foreign languages, playing video games, and getting involved in community service.

At Penn, she wants to participate in robotics research to learn how technology can improve education quality and promote equality of opportunities in her home country. So far, she has been involved in Penn’s community as a peer mentor in the PennCAP Prefreshman Program, a student leader in the Intercultural Leadership Program, and a board member in iFGLI (international first-generation and low-income student program). Being a FGLI student herself, Yuka joined ISAB’s ISSS Services and Website subcommittee to help all international students thrive in university regardless of their backgrounds.

Giulia is a sophomore in the Wharton School of Business. Although she is undecided on her concentration, she is interested in management and Business Economics, and Public Policy. She was born in Itu, a small town in São Paulo, Brazil. Outside of school, Giulia enjoys outdoor activities such as running and hiking. She also loves to read and spend time with her family and her dogs. She joined ISAB to advocate for international student wellness in the Penn Community. As a new ISAB member, she hopes to bring some new perspectives on issues surrounding mental health and community building.

"I am a graduate student in the Graduate School of Education, majoring in intercultural communication. I was born in Beijing, China. Before studying at Penn GSE, I studied Architecture for six years and graduated from Penn Weitzman School of design with a master’s degree. For me, Both Architecture and Language are media of expression and communication. As an international student, I am so happy to embrace the different cultures and people with various backgrounds. I like traveling, painting, swimming, and cooking which help me meet friends and enrich my life. As a member of ISAB, this platform provides me with more chances to help international student groups. Offering advice, listening to others’ difficulties, and standing in others’ positions to solve problems is my mission here. I join the ISAB since I want to help more international students feel warm like home in the new city."

Terhi is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences exploring the intersections of natural and social sciences. She grew up in rural Finland, and spent two gap years on an island in Sweden - a perfect location during the pandemic.

Terhi joined ISAB to make the Penn experience the most wholesome international student experience in the Ivy League, and is currently working on the transition period to college life. She is very much into post-its, and will probably ask you to write your best integration tip on one. Other times you can find her drinking too much bubble tea as it does not exist in Finland :( or buying books she doesn't have time to read (maaaybe during the winter break?).

Dawn Adrian is a second-year graduate student in the International Education Development Program at Penn GSE. She was born in Sarawak, Malaysia and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand. She graduated in 2019 from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom with a Bachelors in English Literature. On top of classes, she is also the GAPSA representative for the GSE student government.

Outside of school, Dawn enjoys watching horror movies, singing, and spontaneous travel. During her time in high school, she was leading the international student body there overlooking their academic and home life. She hopes to continue her work by helping in the international student adjustment to the American college life and she aims to create strategies to ease that transition and settling!

Orubah is currently a Master of Laws student and Human Rights Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Prior to this, she completed a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School and has experience clerking at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, litigating on behalf of death row inmates, and teaching undergraduate law students in Pakistan. Her research interests include criminal law, international and comparative law, feminist legal theory, and human rights law.

 She has experience in mentoring and teaching students and is excited to engage in collaborative work that enhances the social and educational experiences of international students. In her free time, Orubah enjoys competitive sudoku, watching whodunnits, and finding new beaches to explore.

Jimmie C. Odhiambo(he/him/his) from Kenya, is a first-year graduate student in the International Educational Development program at Penn GSE. In addition to being a student, he serves as the Resident Advisor at Ware House College. He is an educator and development practitioner whose work is built on innovation, equity, and the liberation of underserved communities. Jimmie advocates for asset-based development in education and poverty. He is focused on child development and improving the learning outcomes of children in underserved regions around the world. He does all this through (and not limited to) the nonprofit he started in Kenya, Afribuk Society. In his spare time, Jimmie enjoys reading, playing tennis, networking, webinars, seminars, traveling, nature, innovation, watching soccer, and anything food and music.

Yamin is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, intending to major in Mathematical Economics with a minor in Consumer Psychology and Statistics. She was born and raised in Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar. At Penn, she is involved in the Daily Pennsylvanian and the Association for Women in Mathematics. Outside school, she loves watching mukbang videos, learning languages, cooking, and solving puzzles.

Yamin joined ISAB to help international students transition and acclimate to life at Penn. She hopes to bring her experiences and suggestions on integration-related issues.

Fizza is a first-year student at the Wharton MBA program intending to major in Business Energy, Environment & Sustainability, and Business Economics & Public Policy. She was born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan. She moved to Doha at 18 to pursue her undergraduate degree at Carnegie Mellon University’s Qatar campus. After graduating, she spent  around 4 years working across the Middle East as a management consultant at Bain & Company, focusing primarily on the public and non-profit sectors.

Fizza joined ISAB to support international students as they settle into Penn and to help make their transition an easy and comfortable one.

Daniel (He/Him/His) is a junior from Prague, Czech Republic studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics in the College and minoring in Real Estate and Development and Consumer Psychology with Wharton. On Campus, he is involved with the Wharton Undergraduate Real Estate Club, Wharton Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Club, Wharton Alliance, the Penn International Affairs Association, Penn Product Group, the assembly of international students, and has assisted PHD research in the OIDD department. Daniel has previously worked in Real Estate as well as as a Technology Consultant; he has also consulted for non-profits, charities, and Wharton MBA minority-owned startups.

Daniel wants to join ISAB because he himself struggled as an international student through the hardships of transitioning to college. He aims to be the advocate he never had, helping provide support to other international students through this crucial part of their life.

In his free time, Daniel enjoys hiking, reading philosophy, and learning new languages. He is always happy to meet new people, so if you ever see him, definitely don’t feel shy, and go and say hi!

Akanksha is a first-year master’s student studying Computer Science at Penn. She has lived in Vietnam, India, and the United States. She studied Statistics and Economic History at Columbia University, and has been part of international student life since her undergraduate days. Akanksha joined ISAB to continue to improve international student experiences and build a community of care on (and off!) campus.

Having worked in tech before, Akanksha is particularly interested in improving user experiences, NLP, and questions of AI ethics. In her free time, Akanksha enjoys reading non-fiction, doing crosswords, and pretending to be a gourmet chef.

Andrés is a Junior in the College majoring in Economics and minoring in Data Science and Statistics. He was, fortunately, able to transfer to Penn in 2021 after two years at his previous university, where he also was part of ISAB. Andrés also works as a Research Assistant where he tackles data science challenges for the Marketing Department.

He grew up in Lima, Peru, and attended the same British-Peruvian school for 16 years. Due to this, he experienced the difficulties of transitioning from his safe space back home to the unknown world of U.S. college life. Ever since he started college, it has been his duty to become an active advocate for mental health in the international community and leave a legacy behind where no international student feels helpless or alone.

Outside of academics, Andrés enjoys visiting new restaurants, reading about Ancient Greece, and discovering new music. He is currently working towards starting his own Instagram food page.

Naseebullah Andar, born and raised in Afghanistan, is a sophomore at the College of Arts and Sciences, considering majoring in economics and biology. A Penn World Scholar, he is involved, among others, in the Penn Debate Society, TEDx Penn, and Afghan Student Association and plays for Penn’s Cricket Team. He is also a peer advisor and a student leader for the Intercultural Leadership Program.

His hobbies include playing chess, watching movies, learning new languages, and memorizing random numbers. He likes reading different genres, from philosophical writings to historical narratives and science fiction, and he likes to write and do poetry in different languages.

Believing that a united world makes a better world, he also strives to make long-lasting connections and voice the sounds of the silent masses. He cherishes being part of ISAB to advocate for youth empowerment, social justice, and collective progress.