Mehran Akrami (he/him) is a second-year PhD student from Iran studying Civil and Environmental Engineering. As part of the CLF cohort, Mehran aims to bridge the gap between international and domestic students through his project, "A Day in My Shoe," fostering mutual understanding. In addition to his studies, Mehran enjoys hiking and exploring nature.

Isaac Duah Boateng is a second-year doctoral student from Kumasi, Ghana studying Chemical Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In his fellowship year, Isaac in interested in creating a mentorship program for international students with UVA alum for career and professional development.

David Dong(he/him) is a second-year student from Jiangsu, China, interested in studying Physics and kinesiology. David plans to improve the sense of belonging in the international student community through food-related events. He is excited to learn about the experiences of the other Fellows and have someone try his breakfast recipes. 

Miracle Enwere (he/him) is a third-year student pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Virginia (UVA). His academic journey includes a Bachelor’s degree (B.Sc.) in Biochemistry from Abia State University, Nigeria, a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Bioinformatics from Covenant University, Nigeria, and another M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, where he consistently ranked among the top students.

Miracle is a Citizen Leader Fellow (CLF) at UVA, where he identifies with the international student cohort. He hopes to improve the mental wellbeing of graduate international students by initiating non-research-based travel fellowships. This will boost the article publishing power of graduate students upon their return from visiting their loved ones.

His favorite quote is in the manual for life, and it reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”

Carrie Feng (she/her) is a second-year student from Hong Kong, majoring in Data Science and Global Studies with a minor in Studio Art. Carrie plans to empower international students through mentorship and career support. She is eager to learn from all the other Fellows and to connect with others who share her passion for food!

Aarnav Jalan (he/him) is a third-year student from New Delhi, India studying Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. Aarnav plans to explore ways to enhance the international student experience as part of the fellowship’s international student cohort. Aarnav looks forward to meeting people from different backgrounds and exploring coffee shops around Charlottesville.

Linh Thao Le (she/her) is a second year Ph.D student in the Chemistry department. She is in the international student cohort and is from Vietnam. During the fellowship, Linh’s mission is to channeling self-compassion for students through guided group journalling workshop. This mission is inspired from her long journey being an international student in the US. 

Anshita Singh (she/her) is a third-year PhD student studying social cognition in the Psychology Department at UVA. Anshita is in the international student cohort and plans to address and improve the assimilating experiences of international students with the UVA community. She believes in learning through sharing stories and experiences. Outside of her scholarship, you can find Anshita hanging out with her house plants and cat Billu or sleeping to crime podcasts.

Saket Upadhyay (he/him), from India, is a doctoral student in Computer Science at UVA. His project, in the international student cohort, aims to demystify cybersecurity research by bridging the gap between the research laboratory and the broader community, fostering greater awareness and understanding of the subject. Bringing complex topics 'from lab to the local'!

Samuel Xiong (he/him) is a second-year student from Beijing, China intends to major in sociology and public policy. Samuel plans to establish a mentoring program that matches students majoring in different languages/culture department with international student from such back ground/culture. He is excited to gain valuable experiences and friendship from the other Fellows. Go Hoos!