Meet the 2016-2017 GLI Cohort Members
Imnet Arega
Year: Sophomore
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Metu, Ethiopia
Project Group: Immigration/Refugees
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I speak 3 languages and enjoy exploring new things.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I believe it is crucial to be aware of the differences in the world and also the similarities because everyone is different and shaped by his/her experiences but when put under one umbrella, we are all the same.
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?
Learning new cultures and increasing my global awareness.
Aydina Azureen Azuddin
Year: First Year
Major: Business
Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Project Group: Environment
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I enjoy crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku. I am also desperately trying to grow 1cm taller.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded means that you not only respect other cultures, you also appreciate them. When people appreciate and respect each other, we would have more peace regardless of different opinions and beliefs.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I’m already learning a lot from my cohort members and I know that my experience throughout GLI will teach me to become a leader that communicates well and is always ready.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am very excited to make lifelong friendships and learn just about everything that GLI has to offer. I want to make the most out of my time here at OSU.
Dongjo Ban
Year: Senior
Major: Computer and Information Science
Minor: Statistics
Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Project Group: Education
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Music & Art
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I believe that global mindset plays an important role in many areas including professional and academic settings. It makes us aware of the differences and the changes that the world is going through. Having developed such awareness will ultimately guide us to become competent leaders and impactful contributors to the global community.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI will prepare me by pushing me out of my comfort zone, which I find sometimes to be the hardest part of anything I do. Furthermore, the weekly workshops will help me develop necessary leadership skills that I could utilize within or outside of the initiative.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am looking forward to building new friendships as well as making my last year at The Ohio State University memorable through the weekly meetings and monthly dinners.
Gabrielle Benton
Year: Third Year
Majors: Strategic Communication; Romance Studies: French, Portuguese, and Italian language
Hometown: Ashland, Ohio
Project Group: Immigration/Refugees
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love to sing and am a member of the University Chorus.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
With the current speed of globalization and abilities of technology, it is imperative to be able to work with and engage other cultures.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI provides the forum for education on other cultures, which makes me more comfortable in the future meeting people with different backgrounds.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Making new friends who can share their stories and working together on the big project for the community.
Yijia Chen
Year: Senior
Major: Accounting
Minor: Mathematics
Hometown: Suzhou, China
Project Group: Human Trafficking
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love pop music.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Having global mindset would improve my cultural intelligence in leading a culturally diverse team, as well as set me to a broader perspective to view social issues.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI would offer me great opportunities to work with peers with different cultural backgrounds on real world projects. In addition, GLI builds a big platform for me and other participants to share great culture ideas. This would help me generate creative ideas from different cultural perspectives to lead and design projects.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I wish to to be a facilitator to integrate international students like me into American culture and share distinctive foreign culture with American students.
Edrienne Co
Year: Senior
Major: Computer Science and Engineering
Minor: Linguistics
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Project Group: Technology
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love listening to live music, i.e. concerts, orchestras, and *especially* musicals. I just can’t afford it most of the time. I also love karaoke but am an awful singer.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Exposure to other cultures challenges your values and reframes your worldview, making you open to other perspectives. This is especially important in today’s globalized world where we have increasing interdependence among countries. It is important that we can understand issues from different cultural perspectives so that we can resolve these issues thoughtfully.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
Working with students from different backgrounds and learning about other cultures will give me experience working with diverse communities.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I hope to further develop my leadership skills and build strong relationships with the other GLI cohort members!
James Gaitan
Year: Senior
Major: Civil Engineering with Global Option
Minors: Music; City and Regional Planning
Hometown: West Chester, Ohio
Project Group: Human Trafficking
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love traveling; in a few months I will have been to 6 continents. My name is on the spire of One World Trade Center. I enjoy music; I am in my 9th year of playing the bassoon in band.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is important to succeed in the workplace by being tolerant of others with different backgrounds. Additionally, it is beneficial to learn about new cultures and perspectives.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
Most companies and cities in the world in some way have international ties. In order to succeed it is important to understand different traditions in different cultures and learn to treat people fairly without making generalizations based on their background. GLI develops a useful skillset through fostering a community of diverse individuals while providing resources and experience to work with equality driven organizations to improve the livelihood of those less fortunate.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am looking forward to developing applicable skills while helping people, as well as becoming more a part of the GLI family.
Hyeji Kim
Year: Fourth Year
Majors: Economics; Political Science
Minor: French
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
(born in Seoul, South Korea)
Project Group: Environment
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Learning new languages (currently studying Chinese); Reading; Playing the piano
Why is being globally minded important to you?
As the world becomes more interconnected, I think it is important to realize that I am merely one person out of 7 billion people that resides on this earth. By being globally minded, I tell myself to keep an open mindset to viewpoints, cultures, and ideas that may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable. I think it is humbling to know that there will always be new things to learn about this world, and by being globally minded, I strengthen my ability to listen and understand.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I think the greatest benefit of GLI is the exposure its participants get to different people and perspectives. The safe space provided by GLI for discussion is what will make that exposure last to create change within all individuals.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am most excited about the personal and collective growth. Whether it is running the topic-specific group projects, getting exposed to social justice, or learning more about our strengths, I think GLI provides opportunities for its cohort to step out of their comfort zones and expand their boundaries.
Alec Koppes
Year: Second Year
Majors: Political Science; Finance
Hometown: Plain City, Ohio
Project Group: Social Equality
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I enjoy campaign work and exploring my surroundings with friends and family. I also played piano for 11 years, and my favorite show is “House of Cards.” Outside of GLI, I am on the Business Scholars Leadership Council and am a page for the Ohio House of Representatives.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is crucial to understand the world we live in. We live in an inter-connected world where borders are increasingly becoming irrelevant. Thus understanding is necessary to be a true global citizen. Moreover, I have found more meaning in my life as I broaden my perspectives and horizons beyond my small world.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I believe that it is the GLI cohort itself that will truly prepare me to be a future leader in the global community. The cohort is so diverse and unique, and I look forward to developing lasting relationships with all of the members. Of course, the project and the workshops are fantastic, but it’s the personal relationships with such a diverse group of people that makes GLI so special.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
The personal relationships that I will develop is what I truly look forward to. I’m also excited about the opportunity to develop a project around a theme of social equality that has become so special and so personal to me through my time at Ohio State. Putting this passion into action and change is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
Eunice Kwak
Year: Third Year
Major: Health Sciences
Minor: Biology
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Project Group: Education
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Traveling, eating, camping, and spending time with my friends and family and my dogs. My favorite color is orange, and I prefer tea over coffee. Fun fact: I have lived in three different countries (Korea, Japan, US).
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I think with the influence of (social) media, the world is becoming more globalized. As globalization becomes more prevalent in our society, it is important to learn ways to work with people who are different than you are. I believe that this idea applies to Ohio State as well, as our campus continues to become more diverse, it is important that we learn to work together to make significant impacts on the community (big or small).
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I think GLI will help me learn about/from people who come from different backgrounds, and working with these people will help me grow as I go outside of my comfort zone. Through the development of the projects, GLI will help me become a better (global) leader. I am also looking forward to hearing from different speakers that are invited to our meetings and hoping to gain from them.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I’m really excited to meet fellow GLI members and the members of the eboard! And definitely looking forward to the food at the one and only faculty club!
Tong “Chris” Li
Year: Senior
Major: Accounting
Hometown: Jinan, China
Project Group: Social Equality
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love singing, I love movies, and I am a big fan of comics.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
With globalization being the big trend today, it is actually important for everyone to cultivate global mind. For me, an international student, being globally minded is more meaningful. I realize that culture differences and misunderstanding sometimes create barriers for effective communication and, will further become a huge obstacle for a diversifying but involved environment and for personal development. I believe being globally minded will help people not only better fit in, but also create greater harmony that everyone can fully develop themselves.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI provides a great environment which involves students from all around the world. I can feel safe and comfortable to communicate with people here and display who I am, what culture background I represent and fully understand the others and the diversity they reflect. GLI encourages me to think from a more wildly, globally perspective and further cultivate my leadership in the larger scope.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I hope in this year long program I could build friendships with my cohort, and build connections with the guest speakers and other OSU staff. I also hope I could enhance my global mind and leadership from doing the project and hopefully really have fun!
Yingxiao “Claire” Li
Year: Second Year
Majors: Finance
Hometown: Hefei, China
Project Group: Education
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I’m a big fan of horror movies.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Because I find multicultural environment very interesting.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI is a multicultural team and we work together frequently. We’re required to do a project step by step through a year which would improve our social skills including leadership.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I look forward to learning from all the GLI members and doing our projects well. Also, I wish our projects to benefit people in need around Columbus.
Yinong Li
Year: Senior
Major: Accounting
Hometown: Beijing, China
Project Group: Technology
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love trying out things that I have never done before, art, walking with music, and I write journal every night
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Because the world is getting closer and we are inevitably going to interact with different culture more often on a daily basis. Being globally minded allows me to understand more of others background, so that we can be a better friends with each other, or a better teammate at work.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
Through the workshops, GLI gives us the chance to learn more about ourselves and leadership skills in global context. And through the project, we are able to practice what we learn in real life.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Friendships and develop my personal skill through these workshops and projects.
Cindy Lu
Year: Junior
Major: Accounting
Minor: Mathematics
Hometown: Xi’An, China
Project Group: Social Equality
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Learning/Dancing/Love smiling
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded will cultivate me look at things from a global perspective. Additionally, I can have the ability to feel comfortable welcoming diverse individuals into my life.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI teaches me that I have responsibility for my projects. In order to accomplish those tasks, I need to try my best to work with my teammates step by step till we get the final answer.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I hope that I can really get involved with diverse cultures, make more amazing friends, and have more confidence about project planning.
Melanie March
Year: Senior
Major: Marketing
Minor: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Hometown: Jefferson, Ohio
Project Group: Human Trafficking
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love scuba diving and running – I ran my first marathon last year and I have two half-marathons this year!
Why is being globally minded important to you?
The world is becoming more integrated every day and I think it’s important to view the world from a global mindset and not be narrow-minded.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I believe I will learn a lot while working with people who are globally-minded as well and who have different backgrounds than myself. I think by working along others who may have different point of views will really help expand my knowledge and grow as a person.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am looking forward to the friendships I have made and will continue to make as well as working with a Columbus organization and having a positive impact in the community.
Junesang Park
Year: Senior
Major: Accounting
Hometown: Busan, South Korea
Project Group: Environment
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: One of my hobbies is reading poems. I especially like the poems of Wislawa Szymborska. I also like solving logical puzzles to get smarter. One fun fact is that my sister looks exactly like me. Fortunately, she got married in this May at NYC.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
We can reach out to all of the world both physically and technologically. It is obvious that we would better experience different perspectives and cultural thoughts to jump in the world anytime.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
First of all, GLI has various programs for a year. Those programs would flourish our future as a leader. In addition, GLI itself consists of 12 international students (from all around the world) and 12 domestic students. This structure makes us to become more closer global leaders.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Absolutely our one big project which is supposed to be executed in the Spring 2017 semester!
Cheyenne Roller
Year: Second Year
Major: Business Undecided
Minor: Chinese
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Project Group: Social Equality
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I have two pet rats!
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is immensely important for our generation. Especially at OSU, it is very easy to meet a wide range of diverse students. Coming from a small town in Ohio, these peoples’ experiences are unique and entirely different from my own, allowing me to learn more about myself and the world by gaining these new perspectives.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI is giving me the opportunity to work with people and groups that I would have never been able to interact with on my own. These opportunities are exciting and will push me to grow as a leader and global citizen.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I’m excited for my group’s service project next semester and getting to know everyone!
Ali Samat
Year: Junior
Major: Chemical Engineering
Minor: Psychology
Hometown: Kedah, Malaysia
Project Group: Immigration/Refugees
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Bowling and Baking, Smelling the scent of money helps me calm down.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
We are living in a diverse community and it is important to think globally, and learn from other cultures and races, and to actually know that world doesn’t revolve around us.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
Provide a platform for me to challenge myself and to learn about other cultures, working directly with the hands on activities and students.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
The annual project and monthly dinners because that’s the time where I can dress up.
Ishrat Sanjida
Year: Third Year
Major: International Studies
Minor: Human Rights
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Project Group: Immigration/Refugees
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love Latin dance, poetry, trying different kinds of food, traveling, photography, experiencing new cultures, hiking/anything nature related, and reading online articles.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is important to me because we are not only a citizen of our country but also a citizen of the world. As our world continues to become more and more interconnected, it is crucial that we adjust and keep ourselves up to date. Being globally minded helps one to be enriched with the diversity that exists in our world today and leads us to have more respect towards other cultures and people. Being globally minded keeps us aware of global events and also builds us to become more competitive in our career fields. And lastly, it encourages us to have an openness and curiosity towards the world, its complexities, opportunities and the relationships we have with one another.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI would prepare me to become a future leader in our global community by helping me sharpen my leadership skills. GLI encourages it’s members to step out of their comfort zone, be exposed to different things and grow from new experiences. It is important for each and every one of us to have those “out of the comfort zone” experiences because it helps us to become better skilled leaders so that we are able to easily adjust to adversity and difficult situations. GLI prepares it’s members to become global leaders by placing each member in a international and domestic cohort which consists of people from many countries, cultures, ideas, and beliefs.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am looking forward to developing my leadership skills and networking with professionals from different fields. I am excited for the opportunity to be able to work in a group which I hope will be able to give back to the Columbus community through our Refugee and Immigration Project. I am also looking forward to creating meaningful relationships with the members of my wonderful cohort. It’s an honor being a member of such a wonderful program which prioritizes the same value that I have and that is promoting cultural exchange!
Shangquan “Sherry” Shi
Year: Junior
Major: Journalism
Minor: Media Production and Analysis
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Project Group: Human Trafficking
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I have a mania for traveling and taking photos of strangers (and turning them into my friends). Besides that, I’m a tea person and a huge fan of Korean/Japanese movies.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I always believe many hands make light work. We are super lucky to have all these companions with various backgrounds. Only when we are inclusive and open to everyone’s thoughts, can we feel comfortable to express ourselves and be able to develop more mature ideas.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI enables me to be close to other cultures even without taking a trip. How we make goals that can be achieved in steps, and how we inspire each other for the next step, would help us grow not only as leaders but also as people. I’m not interested in becoming leaders who like manipulating people, but I want to be one of those who enjoy exploring the sparks of people.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Getting to know our fabulous GLI family more! And working with everyone’s strengths!
Jackie Tung
Year: Fourth Year
Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Minors: Chinese; Business
Hometown: Manhattan, New York
Project Group: Technology
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I like to play card games, board games, video games, any kind of game… Challenge me, I dare you. I like watching sports and anime. Fun fact: My front tooth is fake
Why is being globally minded important to you?
It is important to me because the world is too big to focus solely on domestic issues. Understanding issues from different perspectives will make me more open minded when speaking to others and help me grow as a person.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI would prepare me to become a future leader by providing me with an environment to interact with students from all around the world. I get to learn and share experiences with people that have completely different backgrounds than I do.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Meeting new people and building lasting friendships. The monthly dinner is a plus!
Huan Wang
Year: Third Year
Major: Finance
Hometown: Zhejiang, China
Project Group: Technology
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Love Harry Potter and Friends, Trying to learn guitar, Boxing to be tougher
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded will help me to gain more knowledge about different cultures and know how people from different background think and react. Nowadays with the development of technology, people all around the world are connected much stronger and closer. So I think being globally minded has become a requirement if you want to take a close look about the whole society.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
The opportunity given by GLI to hold a project is really valuable for me to grow my leadership experience. Also thanks to GLI, I am able to meet many great people and make many friends from different fields. By communicating and interacting with them, I am sure I can learn a lot about how to be leader and how I can make a difference.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I wish I could collaborate well with me teammates and make a great and interesting project. I also wish I could make friends with everyone in GLI and have an unforgettable and fantastic year.
Max Weidenborner
Year: Junior
Major: Marketing
Minor: Music, Media, and Enterprise
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Project Group: Education
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Ohio State Football, Pizza, and Game of Thrones!
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is important because it allows me the chance to effectively communicate and engage with the international community.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI is a great opportunity to network with students of different backgrounds than my own.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I’m looking forward to working with my group on our upcoming project, getting to know each GLI member individually, and the formal dinners of course!