The 2020-2021 board meeting in a casual setting during the autumn break to plan for the cohort! (Not pictured: Vivek Gandhi)
Meet the 2020-2021 GLI Executive Board
Kendra Asiedu
VP of Membership Development
Major: International Studies; Women’s Gender and Sexualities Studies
Minors: History; Public Health
Hometown: Hopkins, Minnesota
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I speak 3 languages and can wiggle only my right ear.
Why is being globally-minded important to you?
It’s important to be global-minded to be a better person. The small contributions that one makes to their community can set off a reaction of change throughout the world (at least that’s what I believe). If we aim to understand each other better on a global scale with empathy and kindness, I think the world would be a significantly better place :).
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI allows me to work with a diverse background of leaders in a collaborative setting, and to be a global leader, teamwork and understanding are the biggest benefits to efficient collaboration and success, so GLI allows me to sharpen these skills.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Growing my knowledge on the international food scene in Columbus and other Ohio cities, the GLI cohort ALWAYS knows the best places to go, and being allowed to apply the areas I am studying in a social and professional setting.
Vivek Gandhi
VP of Internal Communications
Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Beach Park, Illinois
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I am passionate about music! I love to dissect songs and jam out to anything with a good beat. In my free time, I like to be active, read a good book, or explore different nature areas.
Why is being globally-minded important to you?
Its important to be globally-minded in order to accept various perspectives and engage with people who come from different backgrounds. There is so much to be learned from the people around us, and being globally-minded allows us to communicate with people with unique backgrounds and views.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
It will allow me to learn more about different cultures, strengthen my leadership abilities and give me the resources to be involved in more globally tailored tasks.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI? I was most excited to get the know the people in GLI. Everyone was so wonderful and I learned a lot from my cohort. Each person contributed unique qualities to the group and it was a lot of fun getting to know each other.
Arshi Khan
VP of Marketing
Dariah Ansari
VP of Project Development
Hometown: Mason, Ohio
Major: Finance
Minor: Data Analytics
Interest & Hobbies: I love trying new things, especially food and sports! I think the best coffee is instant coffee. I couldn’t tie my shoes until the fourth grade.
With the current state of the world (the COVID-19 pandemic, political challenges, and more) how are you caring for others as a global leader?
While this is not directly caring for someone, I often like to take 30 minutes (or however much time is available) to sit down with one or a couple of my roommates and have a serious discussion about what’s happening in the world. It used to feel strange at the beginning; when we are together we are usually anything but serious. However, as the world continues to see more and more strife, we have learned to talk with one-another about these issues and I often learn something new from their perspectives. From politics, to the BLM movement, to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, we have discussed many of the most pressing topics and I hope that these discussions have bettered ourselves as well as made us more knowledgeable to be able to better others as well.
What song/movie best represents your background and why?
The movie Argo, but not for being a quality film. I feel like it epitomizes the misunderstanding of Iran commonly found in western culture. Overly aggressive shopkeepers, and policeman aren’t found on every street corner. In fact, on my 3 visits to Iran I have yet to see one of those. Instead, shopkeepers are offering to taxi us around their city for free, and policemen are trying to teach me Farsi. The movie, in my opinion, did even more unnecessary damage to Iranian culture and grossly misrepresents Iran.
Alejandra Valencia
VP of External Communications
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Major: International Business and Finance
Minor: Political Science
Interests & Fun Facts: I love exploring new cultures, foods, and countries as much as I love my own Colombian ones. I was born and raised in Cincinnati but have traveled almost every summer to a new place. I speak Spanish, French, and am learning Korean, and my dream job is to be an United Nations ambassador. Fun fact #1: I sneeze in threes. Fun fact #2: I danced to Colombian folkloric songs at the Colombian ambassador to the U.S.’s banquet. Fun fact #3: I created my own blog to write about my gap year and post pictures.
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Also, be sure to meet our Program Advisor!
Megan Lawther is the program manager for Global Engagement at The Ohio State University and received a B.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in African Studies and Political Science before receiving her M.A. from OSU in African-American and African Studies.