iREPs
Pronouns: he/him/his
Home City/Country: Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
Languages Spoken/Learning: English, Spanish
Major: Economics and Film (double major)
Minor: Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation (CAST)
Class Year: 2023
Hi, everyone!! I'm really excited to meet all of you!! My name is Erick and I am from Mexico. I am studying economics and film along with a minor in creativity, the arts, and social transformation (CAST). Brandeis is a really special place that has a relatively large community of international students where I am sure you can find a home here. I am excited to see all of you soon!!
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City/Country: Somerville, MA
Languages Spoken/Learning: English and Spanish, learning Korean
Major: Sociology and Communication and Media (double major)
Class Year: 2024
Hi :) My name is Floriesha Bastien and I am a rising junior double majoring in sociology and communication and media. I am a first-generation college student. I was born and raised in Somerville, Massachusetts. On Brandeis campus, I am a member of SSSP (Student Support Services Program), I work as an office assistant at Academic Services, and I am BASO’s (Brandeis African Student Organization) vice president. I love to journal, listen to music, and spend time exploring Boston. I am thrilled to meet you all and I am excited about your beginnings here at Brandeis University! Can't wait to meet you all!
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City and Country: Rochester, New York, USA
Languages Spoken/Learning: English, Spanish, Italian
Major: Biology and HSSP (double major)
Minor: Hispanic Studies
Class Year: 2024
Hi, guys! My name is Catie Lee and I am so excited to meet and welcome you all to Brandeis! Being an international orientation leader was a BLAST last year, so I'm beyond excited to be back. I'm first-generation Italian and second-generation Cantonese, and my dad is the first ever in our family to attend college and receive his associate’s degree, which has inspired me to be the first to pursue my master’s or medical degree! Outside of academics, I do diabetes research, am a president for the Brandeis Asian American Students Association, and work as an advisor at Hiatt Career Center. Never hesitate to reach out if you need anything! I am always available for advice, questions, help with assignments, or just to grab a coffee at Einstein’s Bagels :)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City and Country: New York City, U.S.A.
Languages Spoken/Learning: Mandarin Chinese and English
Major: IIM in Media, Culture, and Communication and Sociology
Class Year: 2023
Hi everyone, welcome to Brandeis! My name is Bonnie and I am a senior studying media, culture, and communication and sociology. My interest lies in education reform, community organizing, cultural and media studies, and ethnic studies. I hope to utilize the intersection between social justice, storytelling, and creative arts to uplift the voices of historically marginalized communities and create positive change in the world. You can catch me having hotpot with friends, binge watching shows, and traveling when I can. Please reach out if you ever need advice or have questions about academics and/or career-related interests.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City and Country: Fuzhou, China
Languages Spoken/Learning: Mandarin Chinese, English, Cantonese
Major: Anthropology and Linguistics
Minor: International and Global Studies (IGS)
Class Year: 2023
Hi, Class of 2026, welcome to Brandeis! My name is Ji and I’m a rising senior majoring in anthropology and linguistics and minoring in international and global studies (IGS). Outside of the classroom, I work as a student ambassador at the ISSO, an undergraduate departmental representative (UDR) for the Anthropology department, and an interview fellow for Undergraduate Admissions. In my free time, I love exploring different cultures through learning new languages, traveling, visiting museums, and of course, eating food from all over the world!
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City and Country: Izmir, Turkey
Languages Spoken/Learning: English, German, Turkish
Major: Computer Science and Linguistics (double major)
Class Year: 2025
Hello everyone, I’m really excited to meet you!! My name is Defne and currently I’m a rising sophomore pursuing a double major in computer science and linguistics. I grew up in the western part of Turkey and left my hometown last year for college. I love reading, playing video games, watching movies, swimming, and all kinds of outdoorsy activities. I believe that Brandeis has a very warm and welcoming international community, which I hope you’ll soon get to feel for yourselves. Meanwhile, feel free to dm me with any questions or just to chat on Instagram!
Pronouns: he/him/his
Home City/Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Languages Spoken/Learning: English, Arabic
Major: Health: Science, Society, & Policy (HSSP)
Minor: Arabic Language, Literature, and Culture
Class Year: 2023
Hey, y'all!! I’m MJ, and I’m a senior here at Brandeis majoring in HSSP (Health: Science, Society, and Policy) and minoring in Arabic. To keep where I’m from long story short: I’m a dual citizen of Iraq and Russia, born in Libya, raised in Malaysia, and moved to Orlando, Florida a couple years ago! In my free time, I love spending time with by friends, watching horror movies, self care (cardamom tea + a face mask = peace), and eating the spiciest food I can find! I'm so excited to meet you all!! Don't be a stranger and come talk to me about your favourite reality TV show!
Pronouns: he/him/his
Home City/Country: Shenzhen, China
Languages Spoken/Learning: English, Chinese
Major: Economics and Applied Math
Class Year: 2025
Hi, Class of 2026! You can call me Aaron and I'm so excited to see you. 2021 was my first year in the U.S. and before that I grew up in China. Brandeis has amazing campus, faculty, and students. I can't wait to show you everything here and provide you the most exciting and smooth transition to college. Ask me anything you are interested or concerned as international students. I am also a coordinator at Brandeis Buddies, one of the voluntary programs of Waltham Group. Hope to see you all and listen to your stories!
Pronouns: he/him/his
Home City/Country: Beijing, China
Languages Spoken/Learning: Chinese, English, Spanish
Major: Business and Economics (double major)
Class Year: 2023
Hi, guys! I am Peter, currently a rising senior double majoring in business and economics. I grew up in Beijing and went to high school in New York. At Brandeis, I am one of the members of the Brandeis Investment Club, so please let me know if you want to learn more about it. In addition, I am also a DJ, mixing music for social events and creating playlists. In terms of sports, I like running and playing golf. I am currently preparing for a half-marathon and used to be on my high school's varsity team for golf. Feel free to contact me through email or Instagram, if you have any questions.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City/Country: Dehradun, India
Languages Spoken/Learning: Hindi, English
Major: Physics and Mathematics
Class Year: 2023
Hello everyone! I am Srishti and I am excited to welcome you to Brandeis. I am an advisory board member of the Gen One Network, an organization to support first generation and low income students on campus. I am also the President of Brandeis Debate Society. As a physics major, I am currently doing research work with Professor Brian Swingle in quantum mechanics. Outside academics, I am mostly found screaming at strangers in a debate room or napping in the great lawns. I would be happy to help you find your home at Brandeis.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City/Country: Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Languages Spoken/Learning: Chinese and English
Major: Psychology and Neuroscience (double major)
Class Year: 2025
Hey guys! I'm super excited to be one of your iREPs!! My name is Annie and I plan to double major in Psychology and Neuroscience. I'm a rising sophomore but I joined Brandeis on January 2022 as a midyear student. I love food, drawing, frisbee, sleeping, spending time with people, and traveling (it's my ultimate dream to fill my passport with the stamps ). Can't wait to see you all! Don't hesitate to contact me through email or Instagram! I'm more than willing to answer your questions or just chat and hang out!
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City/Country: Kingisepp, Russia (Leningrad region)
Languages Spoken/Learning: Russian, English, Spanish, Portuguese; learning French, Quechua, Armenian
Major: Linguistics
Minor: Latin American Studies
Class Year: 2023
Hello everyone! I am so happy that you are joining the Brandeis community and I am excited to be one of the first people you meet on campus. I am an international transfer student from Russia, and before Brandeis, I studied at two other universities both at home and abroad. Even though I have some background in International Relations, now I am a Linguistics major. As I am very passionate about how languages are structured and what meaning they carry in different cultures, I work in two research projects devoted to language. I will also be a UDR for the Latin American studies department next year. In my free time, I love to sing, play the guitar and the piano, learn languages, and travel. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you have about adjusting to campus life, Brandeis, and Boston (or if you just want to chat about your summer and cultural traditions...)!
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City/Country: Hangzhou/Shanghai, China
Languages Spoken/Learning: Chinese, English
Major: Environmental Studies
Class Year: 2025
Hi, y’all! I am Sherry Tao (she/her), I am a rising sophomore (midyear) at Brandeis majoring in environmental studies. I spent my childhood in Hangzhou, China and went to Shanghai for high school. Here at Brandeis, I am the midyear senator in Brandeis Student Union, as well as a member of the Brandeis women's ultimate Frisbee team. College is my first time studying in a foreign country like many of you, so I feel all of your struggles and concerns. Feel free to ask me anything Brandeis or college related, I am always here to help!
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Home City/Country: Shanghai, China / Kobe, Japan
Languages Spoken/Learning: Japanese, Chinese, English
Major: Undeclared
Class Year: 2025
Hi, guys! Welcome to the Brandeis community! My name is Mami Watanabe, and I am a rising sophomore. I haven't declared my major yet, but I plan on double majoring in anthropology and HSSP. I am a member of the Japanese Student Association (JSA) in Brandeis, and we are going to hold a lot of interesting cultural events in the fall, so please come and take a look! In my spare time, I love to listen to music and read novels. I am so excited to be an iREP this year, can't wait to meet you in August!