The GCI Summit is the launchpad for the 10-month GCI Fellowship. Each year, the 28 Fellows are welcomed to the GCI Community by 7 Teaching Assistants (TAs). This year, all 7 TAs were once themselves GCI Fellows!Â
TAs are proactive leaders who are enthusiastic for other cultures. They put their communication, leadership and problem-solving skills to the test each day at the Summit through mentoring and direct teaching responsibilities. They each work with their group of 4 Fellows as the Fellows begin to develop their Glocal Service Project (GSP) - tackling a global issue in their local community.
We would like to thank all of our TAs who make it possible for GCI to engage, educate and empower and for our Fellows to begin their hard work on their GSPs.
Jessica
GCI 2015, AAC
Citizenship: United Kingdom
Secondary School: Wellington College
University: University of Cambridge
Graduate University: BPP Law School
Jessica recently completed her time as a Politics and Social Anthropology student at the University of Cambridge. She hopes to complete a law conversion as BPP Law School where she is currently pursuing a law degree and work in a legal firm where she will additionally be able to engage with pro bono work. Currently, she is largely involved with the homeless population in Cambridge, volunteering with three separate charities, and being on the leadership team of an additional charity. Jessica is hugely interested in health and fitness, and enjoys running, going to the gym, yoga, and anything vegan.
Kristen
GCI 2014
Citizenship: United States
Secondary School: Phillips Exeter Academy
University: Clark University
Employment: President, Honoring Our Mother Earth, Inc.
Krissy is a GCI Ambassador from the Class of 2014 returning as a Teaching Assistant to the Class of 2019. She is a recent graduate and social entrepreneur building a portfolio working with Massachusetts homeowners and property managers to assess, compare, and rank their best paths to a renewable energy future. She holds a bachelor’s degree majoring in Global Environmental Studies (e.g. Business Sustainability) and a minor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Clark University. She brings nine years of Japanese study experience, passion for sustainability and entrepreneurship, and diverse global experiences as a New England native having now studied solar from the Bahamas to Sierra Leone.
Marisa
GCI 2014
Citizenship: United States, Japan
Secondary School: Hackley School
University: Cornell University
Marisa studies Animal Science at Cornell University. She was born in Bronxville, New York, but has lived in a suburban city in Illinois, as well as a Dutch Caribbean island known as Saba. She loves volunteering with animals, watching Japanese documentaries with her parents, and weight lifting! She is passionate about different cultures’ cuisines; one can always find her watching all cooking shows. While she’s unsure about what she’d like to do as a career, she hopes that she will be helping people. Maybe she’ll end up as a doctor, aiming to see her patients smile cheerfully as they start feeling better! Maybe she’ll become a researcher, hopeful to improve the international public health system. Whatever she ends up deciding, she hopes that she can make a change – big or small – with the help of the wonderful and inspiring support system around her.
Michelle
GCI 2016
Citizenship: United States, Mongolia
Secondary School: The Hobby School
University: The New School
Michelle is a rising junior in the BFA for Dramatic Arts program at The New School in New York. In her interdisciplinary program, she is pursuing a concentration in Directing and Creative Technologies. Additionally, she has experience in acting, play-writing, screenwriting, stage management, dance, dramaturgy, and theater design. With extensive background in debate and student government, Michelle hopes to combine her artistic skills with politics and education to create more space for tolerance and compassion in her community. She’s been working to improve creative education and cultural innovation in her home country of Mongolia.
Onyinyechi
GCI 2014
Citizenship: Nigeria
Secondary School: African Leadership Academy
University: Tufts University
Employment: Research Technician, The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard
Coming from a humble background, Ukay is thankful to have been exposed to a wealth of experiences that makes him demonstrate servant leadership. He acknowledges that despite his hard-work and pursuit, his personal journey would have not been possible without help from many teachers, tutors and friends. He brings energy to a team, as he is a fun conversationalist, facilitator and pace-setter. He is also a football (soccer) and dance enthusiast. He has a 30-minute daily routine of stepping out of his comfort zone to learn something new.
Sari
GCI 2016
Citizenship: Syria, Canada
Secondary School: King's Academy
University: Georgetown University
Sari is a 23-year-old rising junior at Georgetown University. He was born in Canada to a Syrian family, and later moved back to Syria and spent his days there until late 2013. After finishing ninth grade in Syria, he stopped school for three years, during which, he worked in several fields, practiced photography, and became an activist during the Syrian revolution. After leaving Syria, he moved to Jordan where he worked with the entrepreneurial community, finished his high school diploma, and started an education based NGO for urban refugees. He also does public speaking events about his experience in Syria, and has spoken at over 45 places around the world. One can often catch him trying to put a smile on someone’s face, contemplating life, or pushing others to think outside the box.
Shinnosuke
GCI 2015
Citizenship: Japan
Secondary School: Thacher School
University: Harvey Mudd College, CA
Shinnosuke Taniya is an undergraduate computer science student at Harvey Mudd College, California. He has experience working as a software engineer for CYBEX and LongHash, Chinese companies that work on blockchain technology. Additionally, he was a full stack programmer for Indian companies such as WorkIndia and Cube. His interest lies in an interdisciplinary approach between STEM and the humanities. He is an activist that worked for Human Rights Watch Tokyo and was the leader of his high schools’ Human Rights Coalition. He is incredibly excited to return to the GCI Summit to assist the participants as a Teaching Assistant. He cannot wait to share some of his insights and passions to help educate the next generation of global leaders.
Thank you for your continued support. We are so excited to share the journeys of these GCI Ambassadors as they start their new chapter as GCI TAs!
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