Current Scholar Profiles
Country: Pakistan
Class: 2028
Major: Undeclared
My name is Ali Arshad, studying Economics and Business. I’m from Chakwal, a rural city on the Potohar plateau in Pakistan, known for being home to the world’s second-largest salt mine and the sacred Hindu temple, Katas Raj. Chakwal is also known as a 'Marshal area,' with a large portion of its population serving in the military. Back home, I volunteered as a teacher, working with the marginalized beggar community. As a peace activist, I contributed to Rotary's peace mission, fostering dialogue between India and Pakistan at the Kartarpur Corridor. I have a deep love for nature and adventure, having grown up near the Salt Range where I often hiked. I enjoy phone photography, write occasionally on Medium, and am fluent in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, and English
Country: Russia
Class: 2026
Major: Music
Stacey grew up in Russia but later moved to Germany. During her time in high school, she found her passion for theater, music, and social justice. Before attending Brandeis University, Stacey spent her gap year teaching acting and theater history to Russian-speaking children in Germany. She taught herself how to produce music and composed soundtracks for local theater productions. She also created content for different Youtube channels. As the Co-Founder of “Aurora International Journal,” Stacey researched the problem of the underrepresentation of female producers in the music industry. This inspired more young female producers to join the Journal. She would like to study film and music at Brandeis and produce her own music and movies in the future.
Country: Rwanda
Majors: Economics & Business
Minor: Artificial Intelligence & Education
Denis (Pacifique) Ishimwe was born and raised in Rwanda. His journey began at ASYV, a school established after the 1994 genocide, with a focus on promoting the values of healing the world and healing the heart. These principles have inspired Pacifique throughout his life and led him to initiate projects that uplift his community.
One of his most significant contributions is the Together We Inspire Initiative, which teaches English to local schools in his home village. In high school, he studied a variety of subjects, including history, geography, literature, entrepreneurship, English, Kinyarwanda, and general studies and communication skills (GSCS). He was also very active outside of classes, participating in debate, student government, literary journalism, piano, 3D printing, and many other activities.
Denis (Pacifique) demonstrated his leadership skills as Minister of Education in the student government and as president of the Writers Club for two consecutive years. He is passionate about youth development, reducing poverty, and ending hunger. He often wonders why some parts of the world are poorer than others and dreams of a future where no one is left behind.
Over the summers, Denis (Pacifique) volunteered with various organizations, including the Giants of Africa Festival in 2023, Rwanda Book Mobile, and Bridge2Rwanda. His desire to work with others and create positive change is evident in everything he does.
As a natural entrepreneur, Pacifique established The Generation We Want Initiative in his junior year. This club teaches its peers about financial literacy, sex education, and life skills. When he discusses this initiative, his eyes light up with excitement and a passion for making a difference in his community.
In his free time, you can find him reading books, exploring conspiracy theories, or enjoying a good ride. Denis (Pacifique) quote believes that people appreciate results more than the processes that create them, driving him to make a meaningful impact in the world around him.
Country: Bangladesh
Class: 2027
Major: Undeclared
Ekin was born and grew up in Rangamati, a small city in southeast Bangladesh. Growing up in a friendly neighborhood amidst an indigenous community he never realized how it feels when someone lives outside the comfort zone. The transition from 7th to 12th grade when he attended Sylhet Cadet College made him more passionate about working for minority people who can’t raise their voices for not having equal opportunities. He is blessed to have friends who support his passion for ameliorating the hardships of low-income people and providing a pathway for free education to unprivileged street children. Apart from that, he volunteered with the NGOs focusing on indigenous communities teaching STEM subjects, creating environmental awareness, and working with projects addressing societal and development challenges during vacations. Outside of these, he likes to play football and table tennis and learn new topics that spark his interest. He wants to pursue his career by majoring in computer science at Brandeis to work with big data.
Country: Kenya/Rwanda
Class Year: 2024
Majors: International and Global Studies
Emmanuel (Kwizo) Kwigenga attended Baricho High School in Kenya. As a mentor in his community and champion for social justice, Kwizo co-founded an organization called “Gifting Hands,” where he organized visits to children’s homes and coordinated team-building activities for local youth. Using photography as a medium for storytelling, Kwizo recorded interviews, covered events and shared stories of refugees through social media.
Country: Philippines
Class Year: 2028
Majors: Undeclared
Gianna Crisha Saludo was born and raised in Antipolo City, Philippines. She went to school briefly in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and then moved to Butuan City, where she finished her junior high school at Timber City Academy.
In junior high school, she was a staunch advocate of youth participation in democracy and legislation. She worked with YouthLed Philippines and was involved in environmental science, debate competitions, and local community organizing. In 2022 she came to Xavier Ateneo Senior High School as a St. Ignatius de Loyola Scholar. She was awarded the St. Francis Xavier Service Award for Outstanding Student Leader when she graduated in 2023. During her senior high school she focused on student leadership, community engagement, and policymaking while interning at NYU Sadler Edepli Lab.
She took a gap year after senior high school, moved out, experimented with startups, took on jobs in the design and tech industry, and continued her community engagement with DASIG XU. She also worked with Greenpeace Philippines and CAUSE Philippines!
She loves art, entrepreneurship, fashion, front-end dev, reading, writing, mermaids, cats, beaches, and basically everything under the sun. Feel free to reach out to her! She’s so funny and probably the coolest, funniest, most demure, and most cutesy Wien Scholar <3
Country: Ghana
Class: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Gregory grew up in Kumasi, a city in the central part of Ghana. He attended the Opoku Ware School, where he discovered his passion for research, technology, and community engagement. After high school, Gregory took a gap year to pursue his passions and explore new ones. It was during this time that he discovered Brandeis University.
Gregory is currently pursuing a major in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and hopes to explore the field of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
Country: South Korea
Class: 2028
Major: Undeclared (interested in Business, Computer Science, Economics, and Applied Mathematics)
Isaac has a unique background. He was made in China by a Korean company, developed in the US and was shipped to Israel. Growing up in Israel for twelve years Isaac was in between Israelis and Palestinian friends. However, with the outbreak of the sudden war on October 7th, Isaac witnessed the escalating tension between the two groups. Therefore, he collaborated with a group of friends to alleviate the tensions by establishing a youth movement named “Mateach” (which means “key” in Hebrew). Amidst the conflict, Isaac found passion to resolve the conflict back in his homeland, unifying the Korean peninsula.
During his high school years, he served as the president of the environmental club, captained the soccer team, and participated in LEAD, a program aimed at cultivating the next generation of leaders in Israel. Outside of school, he co-founded a Christian worship team named “Dor David” in Jerusalem. During his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, working out, and hanging out with friends.
Country: Morocco
Class Year: 2028
Majors: Undeclared
Malake was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco where she grew up most of her life. She attended a Spanish school until her last two years of high school where she went to Eastern Mediterranean International School to continue her studies receiving the IB diploma. She can speak 4 languages which are English, Arabic, Spanish and French, and she is currently learning German. Throughout her time in high school she led Feminist clubs where she initiated dialogues on women’s rights in the MENA region. She was always passionate about International Politics specifically in the Middle East. Right now, her passion lies in Economics, Business and Finance.
Country: Ecuador
Class Year: 2028
Majors: Undeclared
Nayeli is from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and is an advocate for education and opportunities abroad for Latinos. She started as a scholar at the Tomas de Berlanga School, where she learned English and started to learn more about international education. She received a scholarship to participate in the Latin American Leadership Academy (LALA), where she learned about leadership and social innovation. After her time as a student, she returned to work as a Bootcamp coach and mentor for the Opportunities Funds Programs, helping other international students to cost their tuition to join LALA.
Similarly, she helped as a National Ambassador in the Amigos de las Americas and got to be a participant in the Social Impact Accelerator Program, where she created her organization ECUabroad, an initiative that helps Ecuadorian students to know more about international education opportunities. In 2022, she started her education as a Davis Scholar at the United World College of Southeast Asia (UWCSEA) in Singapore to complete her International Baccalaureate Program. At UWC, she participated in the Tampines House Social Committee, CultuRama as a dancing leader, and as a volunteer for the Anglican Care Center. Currently, she is part of the UWC National Committee of Ecuador, where she serves as her social media director and part of the admissions committee. She is interested in Sciences and Humanities; in her time at Brandeis, she aims to major in Computer Science and Economics.
Country: Ireland
Class: 2026
Major: English and Studio Art
Minor: Journalism
Niámh grew up in Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Before joining Brandeis University, Niamh was a Prefect at St. Catherine's College. Because she has always had a passion for travel and experiencing new cultures, Niámh applied to the Sutton Trust U.S. Programme. She had no prior knowledge of the U.S. higher education system, but she soon learned about studying in the United States and decided that its flexibility would be a much better fit for her. She is interested in writing, and plans to study English and Journalism at Brandeis.
Country: Ukraine
Class: 2029
Majors: Film, Television & Interactive Media and Business
Minors: Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST)
Born and raised in Storozhynets, a small town in western Ukraine, Sasha Lintovska is an artist, author, and activist. Deeply rooted in the arts, she graduated from an art school with honors, played guitar in a band, and performed her own poetry. Today, her creative focus lies in filmmaking, creative writing, and theater. She has worked on top Ukrainian film sets, interned in the marketing department of an international film streaming service, and is currently developing a short film and performing in departmental productions at Brandeis University.
Another defining part of Sasha’s life is activism and advocacy for Ukraine. She has documented war crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine, going to frontline regions to collect evidence of deliberate attacks on schools and other educational institutions—making her one of the youngest war crimes documentarians in the country. She has also collaborated with the NGO STAN and the Educational Center Space of Tolerance on human-rights initiatives and developed journalistic materials for BoMedia and the Human Rights House Network.
Country: Ireland
Class: 2029
Major: Undeclared
Hi I'm Oliwia, and I’m an aspiring Business Major from Ireland. I’m Polish by blood, so I’ve had the ambition and self-initiative to make my dreams a reality drilled into me - hence why I’m here in Massachusetts! Growing up, I’ve always enjoyed trying new things, and consequently developed passions for writing, community engagement, and public speaking. I attended Our Lady’s Grammar School in Newry, where I represented the school in the NI Schools Debating Competition, and founded a magazine, whilst also writing for the local paper. I want to open my own coffee shop eventually, as well as work in beauty PR, so I can have unlimited coffee and free samples for life! Outside of work and academics, I enjoy travel, concerts, and everything glam; feel free to reach out!
Country: Russian Federation
Class: 2029
Major: Film, Television & Interactive Media
Nice to meet you! My name is Lumi, and I grew up in the very small town of Nurlat located in the south of the Republic of Tatarstan (625 miles from Moscow). My life drastically changed at the age of 14 when I got a full-time job as a media producer at one of the largest Russian YouTube entertainment channels MrLololoshka. That surprisingly coincided with the admission to the World’s #1 IB School — Letovo Boarding School in Moscow — where I spent the next 4 years of my life working on various community projects and figuring out who I am and who I want to become.
Volunteering at school events and shooting photos for my beloved friends I met there, I first discovered my passion for professional photography and videography. This, I believe, shaped me as a media/tech kind of person I am right now :)
Country: Indonesia
Class: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Sherren is from a small island in Indonesia called Tarakan. Growing up in an isolated area, she has always been curious about many things, especially: "How is the world outside?" That single question was the main reason she lived in 3 different cities in Malaysia on her own. Sherren has lived in Malaysia since she was 12 years old. Tawau, Penang and Kuala Lumpur were also memorable cities for her. She loves to meet new people in her free time, especially when volunteering. Sherren thinks that every place and everyone has a meaningful story. She is exploring places for that story!
Sherren cares about education inequality in Indonesia. In Kalimantan, where she is from, she experienced an underdeveloped education system. Sherren tutored students who needed help, especially during the pandemic. She loves science and wants her friends back home to feel its beauty too. Sherren hopes to contribute to improving access to education in rural areas of Indonesia in the future, especially in the field of Science. With her interest in Science, she also wants to contribute to improving the healthcare system in Indonesia. She is planning to major in Biochemistry at Brandeis.
Country: Pakistan
Class Year: 2027
Majors: Economics
Aamna is a Junior at Brandeis University double majoring in Computer Science and Economics.
Country: Kenya
Class: 2027
Major: Undeclared
Vincent was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. He attended Kanga High School in Kenya and graduated in April 2022. He is passionate about community development and is keen to address some of the challenges in his community. Before college, Vincent interned at Education For All Children in Nairobi, where he had the opportunity to mentor young EFAC scholars on study habits and general life skills. During the internship, he gained valuable information in finance and technology, sparking his interest in these fields. As a KenSAP scholar, he worked with three other scholars from his class to co-found Kataa, a project aimed at addressing drug abuse in slum areas. They raised awareness of drug abuse in these areas, conducted outreach programs, and enrolled addicts in the KenSAP partner rehabilitation centers.
Country: Myanmar/Burma
Class: 2026
Major: Studio Art
Country: Paraguay
Class: 2027
Major: Undeclared
Zahira was born and raised in Paraguay. She was a part of the “Youth Ambassadors” Program, sponsored by the US Department of State. This was her first exposure to opportunities to study abroad for international students in the United States. As a young and active changemaker with experience in international platforms and close connection with educational activists, Zahira started to involve herself in regional and international spaces where she learned about different perspectives and cultural backgrounds. Her involvement with a diverse group of young people facing their own realities and overcoming their adversities through concrete actions, inspired her to implement key solutions to local living issues in Paraguay regarding inequality in access to education and gender disparities.
This inspired her to start her own initiative, Arandu Jere—Circle of Wisdom, a space for children and teenagers to socially engage through cultural and civic sensitive approaches. At Arandu Jere, Zahira and volunteers provided a safe space for the discovery and development of interests, and artistic and linguistic skills, without considering socio-economic limitations. Specifically, she focused on working with vulnerable communities located in the surroundings of Asunción, Paraguay’s capital city. The projects’ main goal was to implement a more holistic approach to the national curriculum while allowing their students to think independently. Furthermore, Zahira has been chosen to participate in the first cohort of the Undergraduate International Relations and Foreign Policy Initiative Program implemented by Harvard University. Zahira was selected as one of the first Paraguayans in the program and she got to be named as one of the ambassadors of it and also to promote it among her peers in her community. She learned from top Global and US political leaders.
Besides that, she got to teach English in the first community institution implemented in her hometown, Capiata. This institution was established by her and her mother with the goal of making English language classes more accessible for low-income students.
At Brandeis, she hopes to further explore her interests in the Economics major field. She aspires to use the tools acquired there as a getaway to continue providing opportunities to end education disparities in her surroundings.