Mia Lucia Barashenkov (South Africa)

Biography

Mia-Lucia is currently a first year PhD student at the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, she also partially grew up between Canberra, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. Aside from ISAB, she is involved in campus organizations such as the Southern African Students Association, and Penn’s Society for African Internationals. In her free time, she enjoys playing the violin, tennis, hiking, as well as finding the best jazz venues across Philly.

As part of ISAB, Mia-Lucia believes that international students bring an incredible breadth of experience to Penn, and are a population that deserves continued support. Having previously navigated the US educational system during her undergraduate years, she intends to advocate on behalf of those encountering professional challenges, which so often become an invisible, seemingly impenetrable barrier to success. She is further eager to work with ISSS and other administrative offices to connect students with career resources, ease financial burdens, and ensure that every international scholar has the tools they need to thrive academically.

She is interested in mathematical modeling and understanding how humans make decisions, from neural level to behavioral patterns. Terhi is particularly interested in the experience of international FGLI students, as well as how neurodivergent students find community and belonging. Outside of ISAB, she is the co-president for Advocates for Neurodiversity and works on a research project documenting spaces neurodivergent students find joy in.

She is also very much into bubble tea and buying books she doesn’t have time to read (maaaybe during winter break?).