Meet the 2017-2018 GLI Cohort Members
Amin Khalili Bin Ahmad Tarmizi
Year: Junior
Major: Electrical Engineering
Hometown: Malaysia
Project Group: Cultural Immersion
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love traveling and Oreos.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded will help us to understand each other. Different people have different ideas and perspectives and it is important for us to learn these ideas and perspectives and share our perspectives to have a better and wider worldview.
How did GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI prepares me to be more sensitive towards others and see an issue in different angles. This program is a good platform to experience working with people from different backgrounds and to contribute to the local community through a group project. The best thing about GLI is we have the chance to network with leaders and cohort members from all over the world.
What was your favorite memory of GLI?
I had a project meeting with my group and there was a student approached us and complimented how diverse we are as a group.
Gitanjalli “Gitu” Ajay Prasad
Year: Second Year
Majors: Finance; International Business
Minor: Japanese
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Project Group: Cultural Immersion
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love to draw, paint, listen to music, try (and cook) different foods. I enjoy traveling and have been to Europe, Japan, Australia and India. I’m also a black belt in Taekwondo.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I think it’s interesting to learn about different cultures and compare them with your own. Furthermore, it helps look at a problem or situation from a different point of view. Being globally minded helps me bridge the gap between the myriads of different cultures here at OSU.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI would push me to step out of my comfort zone and interact with not only cultural leaders on campus but also off campus. It will also help build up my leadership and communication skills, which will help me communicate with people who are from different backgrounds.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I’m really excited to execute our group event and put on something that would benefit the greater community of Columbus. I’m also looking forward to bonding with all the GLI members.
Amir Ali Amir Ebrahimi
Year: Senior
Major: International Relations and Diplomacy
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Project Group: Feminism/Women’s Rights
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I enjoy food. Fun Fact: I’m actually not a model
Why is being globally minded important to you?
It is important to me because it gives you a more accurate picture of the world. Additionally it helps you learn so you can replicate things that others do in order to improve everyones lives, and avoid others mistakes so you can not repeat them. In a more and more interconnect society one would do a great disservice to him or herself by not learning from others.
How did GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI’s wonderful guest speakers instilled a confidence of sorts into me and gave us knowledge to better our chances in the world in the future.
What was your favorite memory of GLI?
There are many but my pick is the Etiquette dinner!
Kusha Ansari
Year: Third Year
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minor: Business
Hometown: Mason, Ohio
Project Group: Immigration/Refugees
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I enjoy playing soccer and swimming, I love traveling, I play the French-horn (currently trying to pick up Santoor). Chances are I’m listening to soundtrack music or Persian pop, and I love partaking in anything cultural – food, festivities, etc.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Coming from a multi-ethnic background, I believe that it is important to acknowledge and appreciate diversity. Studies have shown that diverse groups of people outperform uniform groups in such metrics as creativity and problem-solving, and advancements in technology have made it possible to traverse bodies of water faster and to communicate with people across the globe via video chat. The world is becoming a smaller and more tightly knit community, and it’s our responsibility, now more than ever, to embrace this progress.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
Through the various opportunities GLI provides to its cohort members, from monthly networking dinners to weekly workshops, and the collaborative year-long project, I will have a wealth of connections, experiences, and resources to draw from in my future endeavors. How to work with a diverse team of individuals, how to pull together a successful event, how to communicate/collaborate with an established organization, all will be invaluable learning experiences in my development as a leader.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
GLI to me is a win-win. I truly appreciate that I can simultaneously broaden my horizons by interacting with both domestic and international students from all different walks of life, thereby bettering myself as a human being, while also doing something beneficial for the Columbus community. Also the monthly dinners; It’s not often as a college student you get to dress up nice and eat fancy food.
Che Bian
Year: Junior
Majors: International Studies; Communication
Hometown: Wuhan, China
Project Group: Mental Health
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Photography
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I was raised as a global citizen when since I was in elementary school. Being global minded means I have to be open to the cultures I am unfamiliar with and forget previous stereotypes and judgment I know from the past. I see myself work n an environment with people from different backgrounds in the future. I want to visit every country in the world. So if I want to fulfill my dream, being global minded would be the first goal I need to achieve.
How did GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI offers a lot of opportunities to connect with the real-world global leaders who are inspiring and wiling to help student find out their passion and potential. I have definitely learnt a lot from all of the amazing speakers.
What was your favorite memory of GLI?
My favorite memory is the Potluck. I spent two hours to cook a Chinese dish and I was so glad that everyone liked it! I have also tried some dishes that I have never had before and I like them all.
Ruozhao “Ruo” Chen
Year: Junior
Majors: Operations Management; Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Hometown: Santiago, Chile (born in Qingdao, China)
Project Group: Feminism/Women’s Rights
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: My family has four dogs
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Because there is a whole new world outside of our comfort zone.
How did GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
By providing a truly diverse and safe environment to learn about and from my peers.
What was your favorite memory of GLI?
Fall Retreat
Hadhirah Binti Tahir
Year: Sophomore
Major: Finance
Minor: Business Analytics
Hometown: Selangor, Malaysia
Project Group: Immigration/Refugees
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love zumba dancing, travelling, watching plays and also a big fan of Iron Man! My favourite author is Khaled Hosseini.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Having a global mindset is important to change narrow perceptions that our society have towards other people who do not come from the same background and experiences. this mindset drives me to be more knowledgeable and aware of global issues that affects people and the environment and possibly be a more effective global citizen.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI would help me to develop necessary skills in order to be more prepared in professional settings and be more globally aware by interacting with many interesting people who I would meet throughout the course of the program.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am interested in making new friends and work together on a immigration/refugee project! Also, I am excited about meeting inspiring people who would be our guest speakers or hold our weekly workshops.
Amber Heard
Year: Third Year
Majors: Human Resources; Psychology
Hometown: Fairfield, Ohio
Project Group: Social Justice
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love collecting tassel earrings; shopping; reading; writing; doing hair and makeup; and learning new languages.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
In our increasingly globalized world it is crucial to know how to interact with the various cultures and languages across the globe. In my future profession, I hope to propose diversity and inclusion initiatives for companies across the globe in order to create a better work environment for employees. This is why it’s extremely important that I learn and understand the multiple identities, cultures, languages, and etc. that make the world unique and beautiful.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I know in order to achieve great things, you have to take great risks. You can only do that by continuously challenging yourself and trying new things. I know GLI will help me to develop the mindset that I can push boundaries and achieve the impossible as a future global leader!
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I’m looking forward to the friendships, fun activities, and challenges that GLI will bring in the upcoming year!
Zhuxiao “Jasmine” Huang
Year: Junior
Majors: Journalism; Strategic Communication
Hometown: Beijing, China
Project Group: Cultural Immersion
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Music, Food, Dance
Why is being globally minded important to you?
We live in a world that is more interconnected but separated at the same time than ever. So it has become more and more challenging to across the cultural barriers and engage with people from different backgrounds and traditions. I believe an understanding of different cultures is essential when we try to connect with the rest of the world and take advantages of the privilege of being exposed to the diverse cultures and ideas.
How did GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
Being part of GLI really encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and connected me with people from different backgrounds. At campus as big as Ohio State, it is easy to be intimidated and stay within ones’ own bubbles. GLI has done a great job bringing people from diverse cultures together and create a warm environment for friendship and learning. The opportunities to connect with speakers and guests were extremely valuable experience for me as well.
What was your favorite memory of GLI ?
Monthly diner and seeing our project come into shape.
Xiaomin Huang
Year: Sophomore
Major: Marketing
Minor: Design Thinking
Hometown: Zhejiang, China
Project Group: Cultural Immersion
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love traveling.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
It offers me various perspectives so that I view the world more completely.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
It prepares me to be global minded through meeting a diverse group of people while caring about society.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am very excited to become close friends with the rest of GLI people and to do awesome work for our project.
Gabrielle “Gabby” Lacqua
Year: Junior
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Staten Island, New York
Project Group: Education
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Hobbies include binge watching TED Talks and fitness.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is important to me because I believe it is a crucial factor for personal growth. Understanding that all cultures have more than one story and promoting conversation among diverse groups can further connect people on a more meaningful level.
How did GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI prepared me to become a future leader by exposing me to the various cultures on campus while instilling in me a sense of global awareness. It highlighted the importance of not only placing myself in a diverse environment but gave me tools on how to create an inclusive atmosphere that is far more effective in promoting a global community.
What was your favorite memory of GLI?
My favorite memory of GLI was the end of the year potluck. Having cohort members make dishes native to their culture was an engaging way to learn from one another.
Byungchan “BC” Mun
Year: Junior
Major: Finance
Hometown: Busan, South Korea
Project Group: Mental Health
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Soccer/Best Car2Go driver
Why is being globally minded important to you?
As a business man, to take a broad view is essential.
How did GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI helped to get communication skill for multicultural people.
What was your favorite memory of GLI?
Potluck Party!
Nastaran “Nelly” Navari
Year: Junior
Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Mashhad, Iran
Project Group: Feminism/Women’s Rights
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love cooking and my favorite hubby is watching movies. I also did not know how to tie my shoe laces until 4th grade
Why is being globally minded important to you?
It helps me to communicate better with people and learn how to respect differences in cultures and believes.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
In GLI, we have a group of diverse students and the projects that each team has is really useful to gain leadership skills and gain a broader perspective of the world due to the fact that we have lots of seminars and collaborations about different topics with different organizations around Columbus.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Learn more about the world without traveling and gain lots of useful skills.
Alex Northrop (Alex James)
Year: “Super” Senior
Major: Public Health
Minor: Development Studies
Hometown: Lakewood, Ohio
Project Group: Social Justice
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Running, hiking, climbing, tennis, salsa dancing, ice-cream eating, and speaking Spanish to anyone that will listen to me
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Understanding diverse viewpoints is essential to development and progress of individuals and organizations; being globally minded is a way to connect with others and learn about their experiences.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI is a unique cohort that facilitates cultural understandings and promotes positive change in the Columbus community.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I’m looking forward to making friends and working on our project this year!
Robert Palkovitz
Year: Junior
Major: Accounting
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Project Group: Mental Health
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I’m a big fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and I enjoy hanging out with my friends in my free time.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is so important to me because I love learning about the incredibly interesting differences between myself and others. In order to become close people from other cultural and geographic backgrounds, one must be able to understand those differences that exist.
How did GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI has given me the opportunity to work and become close with people from all around the world. Over the course of the year, I have learned so much about people from various countries, and I am much more confident in my ability to form strong relationships with anyone.
What was your favorite memory of GLI?
My favorite memory from GLI was our etiquette dinner where we had the chance to learn proper dining etiquette, while also understanding that etiquette varies depending on where you are in the world.
Kiran Phuloria
Year: Sophomore
Major: Health Sciences
Minor: Biology
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Project Group: Mental Health
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I enjoy singing chorale music, playing tennis, watching OSU football, and meeting new people.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is very important to me because it connects humans from different countries. Shaping our values and actions for the benefit for others and ourselves, with all cultures in mind, will make our world a more connected, respectful place.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI will prepare my leadership skills in a global mindset through the project. I aim to learn important leadership techniques through workshops and dinners, and eventually execute these skills in a professional setting.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am very excited to become good friends with everyone from my cohort. I especially look forward to planning an event for our social cause.
Jordan Rennie
Year: Senior
Majors: History; Economics
Minor: Public Policy
Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina
Project Group: Feminism/Women’s Rights
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: When I’m not studying, I play soccer, read, and research the cheapest international flights in order to travel as much as possible.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
A global focus is important to me in this day and age because each culture is unique, and we can learn so much from each other, especially since communication across language and distance barriers is the easiest it has ever been.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I am excited for GLI to help keep me aware and to give me leadership skills that I can use to facilitate cultural exchange.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am looking forward to growing as a group and seeing our projects come to fruition.
Megan Russell
Year: Senior
Majors: Geography; Journalism
Hometown: South Lyon, Michigan
Project Group: Immigration/Refugees
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I have never been able to focus on one interest, always keeping myself busy with one activity to the next. I love to be active by playing soccer and lifting, as well as preforming through dance and tumbling, but I also have creative interests which including singing, playing the ukulele, and painting. The Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none is an extremely appropriate description of me.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Today, our neighbor is no longer just the person who lives two houses down the street, but also the person living two countries over. With our world becoming increasingly more interconnected, it is important to be a global citizen. Being able to consider others, to learn about who they are, and to take part in their lives in some way on a global scale is extremely valuable, if not vital for the world we live in today.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I believe that because GLI provides a group comprised of students from around the world, the exposure to different ideas and cultures within this one club will aid us in become future leaders. A good leader is someone who can consider all angles in a situation and allow others to help create a solution. The GLI cohort is filled with intelligent and capable people that are more than willing, if not, excited to help each other down a path to collective success.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Given the networking opportunities, leadership training, and community engagement that this club has to offer, there is so much to look forward to, but the part I am most looking forward to being part of GLI is the opportunity to develop relationships with all the great people in the cohort. A great club is not made without its fantastic members, and GLI is full of some pretty amazing people!
Sofia Shazlin Salleh
Year: Senior
Majors: Logistic Management; Marketing
Minor: Organizational Communication
Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Project Group: Immigration/Refugees
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Every time I’m going through a stressful situation (exam week for instance) I get a really strong desire to bake. I bake cakes, cupcakes or whatever new recipe I found interesting. Poor my housemates, I feed them with my sweets every final exam.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is crucial in my point of view because it impacts my personal lives and career prospect. In coming years, the growth of academic foreign jobs outpaces the growth of English jobs, so being social proficient and culturally sensitive do make a difference and set you apart from the rest.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI set a platform to bridge me with OSU global community of peers who capitalise on diverse talents, experiences, and networks to achieve more together through project and consistent engagement.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am looking forward to best-friend-forever kind of relationship with all GLI members.
Calvin Spanbauer
Year: Sophomore
Major: Marketing
Minors: Chinese
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Project Group: Education
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I play jazz piano and I have toured France and Italy with an International Jazz Orchestra!
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I am interested in the energy industry and the business case for sustainability. I believe that creating a positive impact on these fields will take a diverse team with varied backgrounds and unique experiences. Being globally minded allows for greater collaboration and a bigger impact.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I believe future leaders in our global community will have to understand the many stories and perspectives of people from around the world. GLI provides me with the opportunity to develop this skill set through collaboration with others from diverse backgrounds.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Creating long lasting friendships and being surrounded by curious, thoughtful and kind individuals!
Zhen “Rose” Wang
Year: Sophomore
Major: Early Childhood Education
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Project Group: Education
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I like traveling, learning different languages and watching scary movies. Music is also an important part of my life and I like playing the piano, guitar and ukulele. I LOVE Taylor Swift!
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded enables me to see things from different perspectives and always have the passion to embrace diversity. Also, my openness allows me to have fewer stereotypes for my future students and establish a more welcoming and collaborative classroom atmosphere.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI will invite professionals in leadership and cultural diversity fields to give us presentation so that we can acquire leadership and diversity awareness better. Also, launching projects and communicating with other members will prepare me to be a better leader as well.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I hope our education-themed project can make a difference in those kids’ life. I am looking forward to learning leadership skills and making friends with all members in this big and warm GLI family!
Yiqing “Ruby” Zhang
Year: Junior
Major: Math; Computer Information Science
Minor: Statistics
Hometown: Shijiazhuang, China
Project Group: Education
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I enjoy traveling and eating lots of foods. I like learning new programming languages, finding data I need, and finally visualizing them on a map; I used to do that to figure out which neighborhood in Columbus has highly rated restaurants and explored the area with my friends. I love kickboxing and swimming. A fun fact about me: I slept in the sauna room for 3 hours.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I am curious about different cultures, and diversity means a lot to me. I want to meet people from various backgrounds, get to know their values, and learn from them. Also, i like sharing my culture with people and increase cultural awareness.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
Working in such a diverse team, I would learn how to listen to others with respect, share my opinions, and gain a broader global view. Being aware of cultural differences and customize our own education project, I would be able to think outside of box and appreciate contributions of others.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
A lot of fun events and listen to everyone’s stories!