The International Student Community Ambassadors (ISCAs) serve the entire GW international student population, including undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars. ISCAs supplement the acculturation, engagement, and professional career services provided by the work of the International Services Office (ISO) and GW Center for Career Services.
The ISCAs are international students who are committed to improving the student life experience of all GW international students by facilitating mentorship, acculturation, engagement, and professional development.
ISCAs provide the following services to ALL GW international students:
Advise students on general immigration and visa related issues as well as any issues they’d like to discuss.
Organize career, social, and cultural events and workshops for all GW international students.
Host workshops for international student organizations and groups on various topics, including resumes and cover letters, interviewing and networking, adapting to the US culture, and many more. These workshops can be customized to meet the specific needs of your organization or group.
MEET THE ISCAs -
YASHAR ALIYEV is a rising junior at the GW School of Business (GWSB), majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business (IBUS) and minor in Political Science. He is originally from Baku, Azerbaijan. Yashar can speak 5 different languages: Azeri, Turkish, Russian, French, and English. As an international student, he finds himself very lucky to be able to speak multiple foreign languages and feels very excited to help the international community at GW. Furthermore, he is a current member of Tamid at GW - a student-run organization that integrates next generation of business professionals through an in-depth education program, pro-bono consulting, and fellowship opportunity in Israel. His hobbies include playing basketball, watching soccer games (which he's very adept at), and traveling to new places. His favorite movie is the Departed and his dream job is to work at Goldman Sachs on Wall Street.
CARLA PANSIRI is
ESTHER PARK is an undergraduate student in the School of Business concentrating in International Business and Marketing and minoring in Korean Language and Literature. She has experience working in a professional international setting through a past marketing internship with a South Korean, government-funded company. Her passion is to help others and she would love for you to come see her during advising hours. Her hobbies include knitting, eating, watching movies, and traveling to new places far and wide. Her favorite quote is “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called present.”- Master Oogway.
STEFAN ZHANG is a graduate student pursuing his Master of Science degree in information Systems Technology at the GW School of Business. He earned his Bachelors degree in Tourism Management with a concentration in Hospitality Management and a minor in German. In addition, Stefan has a lot of work experience in customer service and he enjoys meeting students from all over the world and connecting with people from different fields. He also loves traveling through couchsurfing and sharing his travel experience and stories with people he meets.
LINGYI MENG is from China. When she was a freshman, she had multiple opportunities to assist international students in learning Chinese. She transferred to the University of Toledo in Ohio to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She is a current graduate student at GWU, majoring in Information System Technology. She enjoys challenging herself, making new friends, and learning from others. She trusts in the power of teamwork and the magic of communication. Her friends describe her as a go-getter. Having spent several years learning Chinese calligraphy and traditional instruments, she is good at keeping the balance of inner peace and catching up with her fast-paced lifestyle. She is also a fan of photography and hopes to express the outer beauty of an event in front of a public audience.
MIREN LÓPEZ LASCURAIN is an undergraduate student at GW pursuing two degrees, one in International Affairs and one in Chemistry. After graduation, she would love to go into consulting for a large multinational company either in Europe or the U.S. In her free time, she loves to play the piano, listen to reggaeton music, and take spontaneous hostel-hopping trips with her friends.
MAROUANE HALOUI is a junior studying International Affairs at the Elliott School with a concentration in International Economics. He also hopes to double major in Economics before he graduates. He was born and raised in Marrakech, Morocco and studied in the American School there from Kindergarten until he graduated high school. He traveled to 7 cities in 6 different countries in 11 days. Therefore, it is safe to say that Marouane loves traveling, going out, and exploring new places and cultures. He can speak 3 languages fluently (English, Arabic, French), is currently learning Russian, and desires to learn more languages!
ANKIT RAJ SAXENA is from Mumbai, India, and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from VIT University. After interning at two organizations within the elds of Data Science and Big Data Analysis, he realized the Computer Science program was the most ideal for his career growth. Ankit’s desire to help people around him grow led him to work for Make a Difference (MAD), an NGO in India where he taught English and Math at orphanages. During his free time, he likes to travel, take photos, and explore the food and culture of new places.
RUPA KALAHASTHI is a Doctoral Student at the Department of Professional Psychology, at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. She is currently in her second year. She is from Mumbai, India. She is the head of GW Desis, which is the Indian graduate students' organization. She is also completing a degree in Kathak, an Indian Classical dance form, and is also a member of the GW Table Tennis team.