International Students and Scholars Office

Trang Nguyen is a graduate student who is originally from Hanoi, Vietnam. She finished her high school in Vietnam before moving to Ohio for her bachelor's degree in Finance. Trang is currently pursuing a Master in Business Analytics at the Brandeis International Business School. In her free time, Trang enjoys sightseeing in new cities and trying out different sports. With her experiences volunteering at EducationUSA in high school and almost four years of working for the ESL program in her undergraduate university, she will be able to help other students like herself adjust to their brand new life in the US.

Defne Paker is a sophomore from Istanbul, Turkey. At Brandeis, she is double majoring in Anthropology and International and Global Studies. She hopes to go into human rights work after graduation as she is passionate about social justice. In her free time she likes to dance, cook, and read. Apart from being an ISSO Ambassador, Defne is involved in many on-campus clubs and works as a research assistant at HBI where she researches gender roles in mid-20th century Greece, Turkey, and Cuba. At the ISSO, she is looking forward to meeting and helping other Brandeis students coming from different places and backgrounds.

Christine was born and raised in Hangzhou, China, and came to the U.S. for college, eager to immerse herself in new cultures and perspectives. Now a sophomore at Brandeis, she is majoring in Business and Economics, with a strong passion for environmental studies and entrepreneurship. She is particularly interested in how sustainable business practices can drive both economic growth and environmental responsibility. Beyond academics, Christine loves skiing, traveling, and swimming. She enjoys discovering new places, experiencing different cultures, and staying active through outdoor sports. As a student ambassador, she looks forward to connecting with students, sharing her experiences, and helping others make the most of their journey at Brandeis.

Nayeli is from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and is an advocate for education and opportunities abroad for Latinos. She started as a scholar at the Tomas de Berlanga School, where she learned English and started to learn more about international education. She received a scholarship to participate in the Latin American Leadership Academy (LALA), where she learned about leadership and social innovation. After her time as a student, she returned to work as a Bootcamp coach and mentor for the Opportunities Funds Programs, helping other international students to cost their tuition to join LALA.

Similarly, she helped as a National Ambassador in the Amigos de las Americas and got to be a participant in the Social Impact Accelerator Program, where she created her organization ECUabroad, an initiative that helps Ecuadorian students to know more about international education opportunities. In 2022, she started her education as a Davis Scholar at the United World College of Southeast Asia (UWCSEA) in Singapore to complete her International Baccalaureate Program. At UWC, she participated in the Tampines House Social Committee, CultuRama as a dancing leader, and as a volunteer for the Anglican Care Center. Currently, she is part of the UWC National Committee of Ecuador, where she serves as her social media director and part of the admissions committee. She is interested in Sciences and Humanities; in her time at Brandeis, she aims to major in Computer Science and Economics.