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GPA Alumni

Our interns, co-ops and volunteers build their careers upon a foundation of connectivity to the world. The individuals who come through the Global Philadelphia Association leave their unique legacies and each person who has worked with us has helped GPA improve. We are proud of our Alumni and continue to support their global work.  

 

Daniel Ortiz   

Daniel is a native of Northeast Philadelphia and is a recent communications graduate with a minor in history at Holy Family University. As related to his studies in communications, he focused on working with Social & Emerging Media, utilizing all types of media to get messages across different platforms, especially social media. While interning at Global Philadelphia Association (May 2019 - August 2019), his duties included managing the association's Twitter accounts, social media diffusion, and posting events to the website on behalf of our members. He was also responsible for attending events as a representative of GPA. He would eventually return to the Global Philadelphia Association as the Volunteer Social Media Coordinator in April 2020, and then become the Social Media Specialist in April 2021, where his responsibilities included social media marketing, coordinating all social media activity, creating schedules for social media posts, and managing the output for Global Philadelphia. After graduation, Daniel plans to seek a career in social media marketing/strategy. His dream job is to work at one of the museums in Philadelphia to combine his passion for social media marketing and history. He would eventually step down as the Social Media Specialist to take on his new role of Communications Specialist with The Philadelphia Protestant Home.

Gary Wooten   

Gary Wooten joined GPA as a senior at Temple University with a major in Sociology and a double minor in Asian Studies and Global Studies. He has traveled to both Spain and Morocco on study abroad programs to learn about Spanish and Arab culture. He plans to finish his undergraduate degree in Japan exploring the cultural significance of collectivism in eastern societies. Gary has worked on special events and programs as an intern at Global Philadelphia and contributed various articles for the Emerging Journalism program.

 

 

 

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Hannah Abrams  

Hannah Abrams was a senior at Drexel University studying Political Science and International Area Studies. She interned at Global Philadelphia for three months and then went on to work in Dublin. Hannah loves traveling; she has been to 16 countries and even lived in Belgium for four months, while working with the European Parliament. Hannah is also very passionate about human rights, international relations, and politics. 

Hannah also currently worked for a USAID-funded contract being housed under Dexis Consulting Group. 

 

 

Honami Adachi   

She was an upcoming pre-junior at Drexel University during her time at GPA, studying Marketing and Business Analytics. She has a passionate interest in the intercultural exchange as she is an international student herself from Japan and loves learning about other cultures. She worked as a Marketing intern, utilizing her social media management, event planning, and analyzing skills. In the future, she hopes to work for UNICEF or any organizations that make a better change in third world countries. 

Languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, basic German 

Emilia Allen  

Emilia Allen was a Master of Public Administration candidate at Villanova University (Spring 2015). After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature at Oakland University, she worked as a non-profit development officer in Clarkston, MI. Her work with the Global  Philadelphia Association was as a research fellow for Project World Heritage - Philadelphia’s pursuit of UNESCO World Heritage City distinction. Emilia’s research interests include economic and community development, urban sustainability, and municipal financial management.

Languages: Spanish and English 

Samantha Anthony  

Samantha Anthony graduated from Temple University in December 2019 with majors in Global Economy and German. During her time at Temple, she began a “4+1” program for a Master’s in Public Policy, which she completed in December 2020. Samantha has worked as an intern coordinator with the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at Penn and Temple’s Political Science department as an intern coordinator, respectively. Most recently, she completed an internship with the Foreign Policy Research Institute as Special Events Intern. 

Languages: German; English

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Divy Agnihotri

Divy Agnihotri is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, where he majored in Economics and Political Science. Divy, the son of Indian immigrants, has always been passionate about public and community service. Previously, Divy has served as Junior Councilmen in his hometown of Adamstown, PA, Diversity chair at PSU, and intern under Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Vijay Sampla, in the Indian Parliament. Divy, a resident a Philadelphia, interned with Global Philadelphia to better understand nonprofit work and to help the city gain prominence on the international level. Additionally, Divy is a proud member of the Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Nonviolence, Inc with whom he volunteers. He also worked at the Juanita Kidd Stout Center of Criminal Justice as a judicial intern. 

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Sabra Anderson 

Sabra Anderson was a senior at Temple University, double-majoring in Mandarin Chinese and Africana Studies. When she is not studying or working at her two on-campus jobs, she is serving as Secretary of Temple University's Queer People of Color, where she has been an active member for three years. Additionally, she has worked as an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor for children and university students within China looking to improve their English proficiency. Being at the intersection of multiple identities, Sabra has heightened empathy and understanding towards underserved populations and hopes to find employment through the United Nations or within immigration services as a Mandarin interpreter. 

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Sydney Badman   

Sydney Badman was the Marketing and Business Development Intern at GPA. You could have found her running the GPA Instagram, writing articles, and performing other tasks. She is currently an undergraduate student at Temple University studying Global Studies on the economics track. She also has a minor in International Business and Public Policy. On campus she is an ambassador for Temple's Undergraduate Admissions Office. Giving tours to prospective students is her favorite part of the job! With GPA, Syd loved the opportunity to highlight the city she loves on the global stage. 

 

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Helen Bae  

Helen Bae is a sales and project management professional with 9+ years experience working internationally, including in France and Korea. I joined GPA in 2013 as a volunteer to support event planing and operations. During my experience, I met lots of professional from interesting and various international backgrounds and cultures. Working with GPA was the exceptional and exciting experience for me, and I was very grateful to be part of the team. 

Languages: Korean, French

 

 

Sophia Becker, Friends Select School

Sophia Becker was a student at Friends Select School, where she was also the cofounder of the Student Committee for Extra-Curricular Education (SCECE), which works to spark interest and educate students about important topics that they don't learn about in their courses, particularly about the Philadelphia and international community. She was a marketing and business intern at Global Philadelphia Association, working specifically on writing articles, promoting and representing GPA, and providing website development assistance.

 

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Will Becker, University of St. Andrews

Will Becker is a graduate of University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland, majoring in International Relations. In the past he has interned with organizations such as the Consular Corps Association of Philadelphia and World Policy Journal in New York. He has a passion for International Relations, Politics, Human Rights, and Social Justice. He joined the team to help launch GlobalPhilly 2017. As GlobalPhilly 17 Coordinator, Will worked to ensure that all of the diverse and international activity that occurs in Philadelphia gets his proper recognition.

 

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Scott Blum-Woodland, University of Edinburgh
 
Scott studied history at the University of Edinburgh. As a journalism intern, his work for GPA included writing articles, managing social media accounts, overseeing the writing of the quarterly newsletter, and other miscellaneous tasks. He enjoyed the opportunity to further explore his historic and cultural interests through the writing of articles, and appreciates the valuable experience gained from the opportunity. 
 
 
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MacKenzie Bonner,  

MacKenzie Bonner attended Temple University, studying International Business and Spanish. She worked as a marketing intern for GPA to develop skills in membership development and communications. Just before starting at GPA, MacKenzie returned from a year studying abroad in Europe. She spent the summer in Spain, and the academic year in Rome, where she interned at a refugee center. MacKenzie is passionate about international relations and human rights, and hopes to one day work in international aid and foreign policy.

Languages: Italian, Spanish

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Valeria Bossio 

Valeria Bossio was an international business major, with a minor in management information systems, at the Fox School of Business at Temple University. She interned at the Global Philadelphia Association as a Marketing and Business Development Intern, and at Gauze as an International Research Intern. Her main duties were to manage social media accounts, research, and promoting. Valeria was born in Peru and grew up in Japan.

Languages: Spanish, Japanese, and English.

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Elizabeth Cavan  

Elizabeth Cavan is a junior at Penn State University, studying Advertising and Public Relations, and pursuing a minor in Spanish Language. She spent one summer in Philadelphia interning for Global Philadelphia Association (GPA), where she built her marketing, journalism, and communications skills. In the future, she hopes to have a career that allows her to travel around the world and experience many of the different cultures she has been exposed to through her time at GPA.

 

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Akansha Chauhan

Akansha completed her MBA (focus on Human Resource Management) from India. She came to Philadelphia in July 2018 and began working with Global Philadelphia Association in December 2018. She provides content development support for Global Philadelphia's Heritage Education Resource website, www.learnphillyheritage.org, and also helps to manage the association's Facebook page. She speaks Hindi & English. 

 

 

Jacob Colon   

Jacob Colon grew up on Long Island, New York. He came to Philadelphia in 2010 to attend Temple University and study journalism. Jacob was a photographer with the student-run Temple News as well as a contributing writer and photographer for the Global Philadelphia Association. For him, the Global Philadelphia Association was a great environment that combines his love of journalism and urban culture.

 

Languages: German

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Jackson Cruit   

Jackson Cruit studied Tourism and Hospitality at Temple University. Upon returning from his study abroad program in Rome, Italy he joined the GPA team to help launch GlobalPhilly2013. This experience helped him to develop and strengthen skills in event planning, advertising, and communications. In the future, Jackson hopes to pursue a career in the global tourism industry utilizing the skills and experience gained during his time with the GPA.

Languages: Italian, French

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 Sylta Cubranich   

Sylta Cubranich graduated Temple University in December of 2020 holding a Bachelor's degree in Global Studies, with a concentration in Global Security and minor in German Language and Culture. She was a Business and Marketing Intern at GPA where she worked mostly on the 2020 Globy Awards while also assisting with grant writing and social media. She was involved on her school's campus where she is Study Abroad Ambassador and Camus Recreation Supervisor. Sylta studied abroad in Hamburg, Germany during her junior year and aims to pursue an international career.

Languages: English and German

 


 Alex deBerardinis  

Alex deBerardinis was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in both History and Modern Middle East Studies with a minor in Political Science. His experience prior to joining the Global Philadelphia Association includes work experience at the National Constitution Center as well as various entrepreneurial endeavors. Alex reflected upon his time at The Global Philadelphia Association as an amazing experience that provides valuable knowledge on how a non-profit organization operates and the expertise that goes into it.

Alex is now a Corps Member for Teach For America.

Follow him on Twitter: @alex_debar5

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Stephanie DeMarco  
 
She pursued her Masters in Public Administration at Villanova University and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Susquehanna University. Stephanie worked for GPA as a consultant through her Effective Nonprofit Management Course at Villanova and decided to stay on as a GPA intern throughout the summer. Global Philadelphia Association provided her with valuable knowledge on how an effective and efficient nonprofit operates. Stephanie is passionate about Arts & Culture, International Relations, and Politics. 
 
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Aesha Desai    

From the suburbs of Central Jersey, Aesha came to the Philadelphia to study International Area Studies and International Business at Drexel University. Her work with Global Philadelphia Association ranged from PR and networking, posting events on the web page, creating the 2014 FIFA World Cup page, managing social media, and writing for the Emerging International Journalist Program. Being apart of the GPA team was a a great experience and learning the treasures of Philadelphia was fascinating. By being apart of this organization, I have gathered more perspective on the world and the efforts it takes to make a difference.

Languages: English, Hindi, Spanish
 
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Ritu Dixit

Ritu Dixit is a Journalist/Producer currently working at CCTV America in Washington, DC. Right after relocating from Vancouver (Canada), she got involved with the Global Philadelphia Association in July of 2013. Ritu has lived and worked in multiple countries and has keen interest in cultural diversity and international politics. With her close friends and family in the area, she always looks for a reason to visit Philly and enjoy all the great restaurants and museums that the city has to offer.

Languages:  Hindi

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Thomas Dyer   

Thomas Dyer attended Temple University as a Political Science major and a Public Policy minor. He interned for Global Philadelphia for the Summer of 2021. Thomas has a passionate interest in fighting for social justice and uplifting minority groups politically, economically, and socially in the United States. He also likes to learn about and participate in the traditions of other cultures as well. Thomas worked for GPA’s marketing, social media, grant funding teams to contribute to their mission to promote international activity in Philadelphia. In the future, Thomas hopes to attend Law School to potentially practice criminal and/or civil rights law in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey regions. 


While not working for GPA, Thomas loves to listen to music, workout and stay active, and to go out into the city to check out new places to hangout with friends!

Fun Fact: Thomas is a member of the Temple University Diamond Marching Band. 

Languages: English, Basic Italian, Basic Spanish

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Aggie Ebrahimi Bazzaz   

I came on board as the Media Director of Global Philadelphia Association in the organization’s first year. In my tenure, I had the great privilege of learning from the org’s talented leadership as we lay the foundation for a vital institution in Philadelphia.

GPA was very supportive of my work as an independent filmmaker and encouraged me to host a screening of my documentary, Inheritance, at the Penn Museum. Since that time, Inheritance was named the Best Social Issue Documentary at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (now known as CAAMFest); has been picked up for VOD distribution by the emerging platform Fandor; and is available for educational distribution via the Center for Asian American Media.

I was recently commissioned by the Iran Heritage Foundation to create a short film about the first-ever US tour of the Cyrus Cylinder, an historic artifact housed at the British Museum. That film will be a part of a collection of films made by emerging Iranian American filmmakers reflecting on the Cylinder’s significance to our diasporic community.

I served as the Program and Communications Director at the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, a national, membership-based organization that aims to fortify the independent media sector, a sector that provides alternatives to corporate media and highlights diverse perspectives. A thousand thanks to the entire Global Philadelphia community for setting such a strong example of positive, thinking-leadership.

I am now Assistant Professor of Media & Communication and Film Studies at Muhlenberg College.

Languages: Farsi, Spanish

 

Layla El Tannir   

Layla El Tannirstudied Hospitality Management with a minor in Business Administration, from The Center for Hospitality & Sport Management at Drexel University. Born and raised in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Philadelphia has become her home away from home. This city is rich in art, food, history and music, making it the best place for Layla to explore her interests beyond the curriculum.

At Global Philadelphia Association, Layla worked with the Marketing and Programming Team, a correspondent for the Emerging International Journalists Program, and contributing to the social media growth of the organization. It is a perfect match for her experience and further interests in destination marketing and global tourism.

Languages: Arabic, English, French

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Amanda Finlaw    

Amanda Finlaw studied English Literature & Communications at Chestnut Hill College. During the summer of 2013, Amanda played a crucial role in the development of the first ever GlobalPhilly exposition, lending her writing skills to improving the Global Philadelphia Association website and curating the Association's monthly e-newsletter. From her internship with GPA, she hoped to develop a better sense of understanding of what she wants to pursue in the future, and to learn more about what types of work she enjoys while making connections and building new relationships for the future.

Amanda is currently the Social Media & Communications Specialist at Pottstown School District and Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness (PEAK). She also does freelance social media.

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Grace Gallagher    

Grace Gallagher graduated from Temple University majoring in Political Science with a certificate in Spanish. Growing up as a first generation English-
American, she has always had a passion for other cultures and anything international. While studying in Philadelphia, she has been able to dedicate her time to become actively involved in the UNICEF chapter at Temple University.

Volunteering her time and becoming engaged with members of the community has furthered Grace’s desire to participate in Philadelphia’s involvement with these international organizations. 

 

 

 

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Monica Genuardi   
Monica was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. She pursued a Master of the Arts in World Heritage Studies from Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany. The international program focuses on various aspects of management and conservation centered around UNESCO World Heritage Sites. She completed her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Anthropology and a minor in History. Additionally, she has a focused interest in archaeology and have worked with the Tel Akko Total Archaeology Project in Israel since 2013.

Monica completed my M.A in World Heritage Studies from Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany, this past February. She is now working as an paid intern/researcher through the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE) for the next few months.

 

Barry Josef Graves II    

Barry was an International Area Studies major at Drexel University with a concentration in International Business. A New Jersey native, his goal is to become involved in the international realm and ultimately work with the United Nations or other international entites. Having already studied in Spain, he plans to return Fall 2015. His interests revolve around culture, business, and languages. He worked in the finance department at GPA. 

Languages: Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish

 

Hayley Hanafee   

I used to work for RentinBA which is a real estate agency in Buenos Aires that specializes in luxury short-term temporary apartment rentals. My plan were to stay here 1-2 years and learn the ins and outs of the real estate market as well as meet people from all of the world, and practice my Spanish and Portuguese. My work was around the client relations, guests services and the marketing side so I help tourists and executives find temporary rentals for their stay in Buenos Aires. Our clients range from a variety of global destinations including Brazil, US, UK, Vietnam, Italy, Australia, China, the Netherlands, France and beyond! We worked a lot with the embassies and international corporate relocation housing companies. On a normal day I'll be making calls and confirming accommodations with guests half way across the world, as well as getting to know the vibrant neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. It's been a lot of fun. I worked with a small, close-knit team mixed of local Argentines, Americans, Israelis, and Italians. It reminded me a lot of my experiences with GPA - always busy with ambitious goals.  

I currently work for Key Travel which is a travel management company that specializes in the NGO/non-profit, education sectors.

Languages: French, Spanish, Filipino

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Tasnim Hasan  

Tasnim Hasan worked as an Emerging International Journalism Intern at Global Philadelphia Association. Born in Bangladesh & raised in the United Arab Emirates, she sees herself to be in the right place and time for media production in the United States. Before coming to the United States, she worked in Dubai, U.A.E for 4 years in a procurement & supply chain company. She graduated with a MS degree in Communication for Development & Social Change from Temple University. Her specialization is emerging new media. She looks forward to promoting cultural diversity through her work around the world.

Languages: Bengali, English, Hindi & French

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Conor Heinzen

I am a graduate of Widener university, with my main studies focusing on international relations. My duties with Global Philadelphia included updating the association's Facebook page, conducting the organization of the offices, and collecting data for Microsoft word and xcel.

Languages: English, German, French

 

 

Zimri T. Hinshaw 

Zimri T. Hinshaw studied Economics at Temple University. Because he wanted to pursue opportunities locally in Philadelphia, he secured a business and marketing intern position at GPA. Zimri leverages his background as part of a military family and also as a student who studied at a Japanese high school for a year to contribute to the global perspective of the organization. His internship responsibilities included managing the Facebook social media page, event planning, in-the-field journalism, and representing GPA as an ambassador at high profile events, like the celebration of the inagural flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Zimri is highly motivated to learn, grow, and was a valuable member of the team.

Languages: English, Japanese, Spanish, Basic Mandarin

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Kristen Hopf

Kristen is a graduate of Penn State University where she studied Journalism and English. After a summer trip to Italy and Greece for her high school Latin class opened her eyes to how big the world is, she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life exploring and celebrating all of the world’s cultures. She studied abroad at the University of Westminster in London in 2012, and travels domestically and internationally as often as possible. 

 

Stephanie Huang,  

Stephanie Huang studied International Health at Georgetown University. She was the Project Intern for the biannual exposition, GlobalPhilly 2015, and worked with the team to contact and manage member organizations, organize events and develop media and sponsor partnerships. 

Her interest in Graphic and web design benefitted the association in a number of ways, including the redesign of the GP15 Tool-Kit and the creation of GP15 blog. 
During her time with Global Philadelphia, Stephanie has also been successful in her outreach for development meetings with prospective members. 
Though this internship, Stephanie has learned the invaluable skills of communication, teamwork, advertising and event planning. She knows this will benefit her greatly as she moves forward in her career of International Health.

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Peak Johnson,   

I am a native of North Philadelphia, a graduate of The Community College of Philadelphia, and attended Temple University working towards my Bachelors in journalism. My writing career began in 2002 when myself and others assisted in developing a teen community newspaper known as, The North Philly Metropolis.

My goal within Global Philadelphia was to tell the many diverse stories of those who live in the city of Philadelphia.

I am currently a Knight Foundation Fellow at the news organization Billy Penn.

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 Thomas Kabamalan    

Thomas Kabamalan graduated from Drexel University, studying Computing and Security Technology. As an intern with GPA, he worked with managing the Learn Philly Heritage website and posting events. He is passionate about learning about other cultures and languages and would love to travel all around the world one day.

Languages: Italian and Korean

 

 

Mina Kim  

 

Mina Kimis was exchange student from Korea at Temple University. At Temple, she studied media and psychology major. She was a media intern for three months at GPA. Her role was composing short video clips for GPA, taking photos of all the events, and managing official social media. Working as GPA member was an exciting, unforgettable experience for her.

Language: Korean, Japanese

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Vesko Kostic   

"I was an intern with Global Philadelphia in 2012, and it was a wonderful experience working with some really great and interesting people! It was also my first endeavor into the “international” domain, the first of many stepping stones in my goal to work in the U.N., Red Cross, or U.S. State Department, and maybe one day become a professor. He was a Drexel student in International Area Studies with minors in Russian and Environmental Studies. I also volunteers with other Philly NGO's from time to time and will soon be returning from studying abroad and teaching English in the lovely city of St. Petersburg in Russia. Vesko plans on volunteering with the U.S. Peace Corps and eventually getting a graduate degree. I love to travel and experience cultures of all flavors in the international city of Philadelphia and abroad, especially in Eastern Europe."

Languages: Russian, Czech

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Alice Krainock

Alice is a communications professional with five years of experience in the government and nonprofit sectors. Before moving to the United States, Alice worked for the UK Government and for the German Embassy in London, England. Alice studied German and Russian at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 2013. She worked with GPA as a Communications Consultant and has recently taken a new role as a Communications Coordinator at Perry World House. 

 

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Kait Lavinder   

GPA is a superb organization to be a part of for anyone with an interest in international affairs, the city of Philadelphia, or journalism/marketing/public relations. I started volunteering with GPA as a student writer during my senior year of undergraduate school. Formally, I had studied journalism and television broadcasting for the past four years; informally, I had always been interested in international affairs. At GPA, I received the opportunity to combine those two passions. After graduating from Temple University, I began freelancing as a correspondent for GPA. The highlight of this time was writing the "Global Conversations" pieces, in which I interviewed prominent Philadelphians about their work in the global arena. In July 2013, I was offered and accepted a job at ABC's Washington, DC bureau, where I worked as a morning news producer for NewsChannel 8. GPA gave me the perfect platform to combine my interests in writing and foreign affairs, and to help launch my career in journalism.  

Kaitlin Lavinder is now a National Security Reporter at The Cipher Brief, where she covers Europe, Africa, Latin America, and breaking national security news.

Languages: Spanish and German

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Talia Lev  

Talia Lev received her Master of Arts in World Heritage Studies at Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany. After earning her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, she worked as the project coordinator for a non-profit in Philadelphia fighting food insecurity. She loves to travel and has lived abroad in several countries. Her academic interests include cultural and natural heritage conservation, as well as folklore and topics related to environmental and social change.

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Christian Maines  

Christian Maines graduated from Temple University, Fox School of Business in Summer 2016 with BBA degree in International Business and Finance Minor. Following his graduation, Christian did sales and marketing for three small businesses in PA and NYC. Christian's ultimate career goal is to become a consultant for consulting powerhouses like McKinsey, BCG and Bain and Co. With the experience from GPA, he believes he can achieve that dream one day. Christian is fluent in four languages, which are Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian, making him a Nordic person. Christian has traveled to many countries in Europe, Asia and has visited all the major cities on East and West Coast of USA. Christian wants to become a person who lives off “his suitcase” one day. Christian likes to listen to club music in his free time, travel with friends, attend social events and participate in many sports.
Fun fact: Christian is a certified scuba diver, allowed to dive 25m below sea level.

 

Liliana Matos   

My time with the Global Philadelphia Association helped me grow tremendously as a professional and as a person. Throughout my tenure at Global Philadelphia, I discovered the international community, which is very much alive and thriving in Philadelphia that I had not experienced during my academic years at the University of Pennsylvania. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the Association during a period of growth and development.
I saw the creation of GPA Web 2.0, the unveiling of GlobalPhilly™ 2013, and the launch of our first newsletter. I am certain that what the future holds for Global Philadelphia is very bright.
Working with Global Philadelphia was an invaluable experience. I truly feel my efforts were small strides towards marking Philadelphia as the global city that it is.

Languages: Spanish and French

 

Ellyn Matta     

Ellyn was in Edinburgh, Scotland for an internship at Edinburgh World Heritage. She is also working towards a Master’s Degree in World Heritage Studies at the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg in Germany. She received her Bachelor’s at The Pennsylvania State University with a Major in Media Studies and Minors in Art History, Italian, and International Studies. Ellyn helped GPA with research that will be used for the continuing efforts to designate Philadelphia as the United States’ first UNESCO World Heritage City. Over the years, Ellyn has gained experience abroad through various programs including a semester in Rome, Italy, a summer seminar in Assisi, Italy for Tourism Management in World Heritage Sites and she was also a participant in the Provenance Research Training Program in Germany, which focused on looted art and cultural property from WWII. Ellyn grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and has often visited Philadelphia, developing a love for the city’s diverse culture and history. She successfully used her experiences and knowledge from abroad to help build Philadelphia’s global image.

Ellyn is currently living in Berlin, Germany working as Marketing Communications Coordinator at Zizoo, a travel startup that is working to revolutionize the boat rental industry through making boat holidays easy and accessible for everyone.

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Justin McDonnell  

Justin was a Business Administration student with a focus in marketing and management major at Penn State Abington. Justin was a Marketing and Business Development Intern at GPA. He also worked on the World Heritage Facebook page, while also working on marketing outreach for potential members. He graduated in May of 2021 with plans to work full time while also pursuing a master’s degree part time. 

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Joseph McGee  

Joseph studied English and Communication dual major at La Salle University with a focus in Journalism. He has lived in the Delaware County area all of his life, with easy access to the city of Philadelphia. A passion for the culture in the city led to his decision to go to La Salle University, where he has been able to report on campus and city-wide happenings as Senior Editor for the La Salle Collegian.

Writing positions and internships with online publications like Philadelphia Magazine have allowed Joseph to further grow and share his love for all things Philadelphia. During his time at GPA, he helped spread the word of Philly’s international activity and enhance the regions global profile with his work in the Emerging International Journalists Program.  



Leeannah McNew   

Leeannah McNew is a recent Temple graduate with a Bachelors of Arts in Advertising with an Art Direction concentration. During her time at Temple, she worked as a Peer Advisor for Klein Global Opportunities, Klein College's study abroad office and co-ran a virtual art gallery about the Opioid Crisis. When she's not waiting tables, you can find her helping out with the SDG campaign, creating social media posts, and writing articles about all the cool things that are happening in Philly. 

 

 

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Alisha Mehta  

Alisha Mehta studied at Temple University as a Marketing major. She worked as an intern for Global Philadelphia Association throughout the summer of 2018.

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Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival 2018

 

 

 

Brendan Mills   

Interning for GPA played a crucial role in my development as a young professional. What I have gotten out of this experience is an expanded global perspective as well as a stronger sense of how to connect with others. These are two very important qualities that I ]will allow me to achieve my goal of one day documenting my travels across the world.

After his internship with Global Philadelphia, Brendan Mills went on to co-direct, produce, and edit a documentary about the Philadelphia chapter of the non-profit organization, Back on My Feet. 

Languages: Spanish, French

Phuong Nguyen 

Phuong Nguyen was Fulbright foreign student from Vietnam. She pursued an MA. in Publishing at Rosemont College. At GPA, she was member of Social Media Team and Emerging International Journalists Program.

“I believe that Philly is a global city and deserves to be a World Heritage City, and I believe in the mission of GPA. I am extremely excited to see my contribution, even small, to help GPA grow stronger and achieve its mission. I also feel grateful because GPA has brought into my life many great global-minded people around this wonderful historic city.”

Follow Phuong Nguyen @minhphuong9288

Language: Vietnamese

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Melody Nielsen   

Melody Nielsen was an English major at Drexel University. She served as a co-op for Global Philadelphia during the fall and winter of 2012 and 2013. She is passionate about activism and the arts, with dreams of working professionally as a writer.

Languages: French, Spanish, Hebrew

 

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Oluwaseun ("Seun") Ogunleye, University of the Sciences

Seun was a Psychology major at University of the Sciences. She supported GPA as a social media intern, promoting events and information on behalf of the organizations. She aspires to be the best version of herself and hopes to be a good influence to upcoming generations. 
 
 
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Simon Oh, San Jose State University

 

Languages: Spanish

Articles: Perry World House Coming Soon to UPenn; 200 Years of Latino History in Philadelphia: An Illuminating Profile of a Small Populace in the Delaware Valley 

 
 
 
 
Daniel Ortiz 
 
Daniel is a native of Northeast Philadelphia and is a recent communications graduate with a minor in history at Holy Family University. As related to his studies in communications, he focused on working with Social & Emerging Media, utilizing all types of media to get messages across different platforms, especially social media. While interning at Global Philadelphia Association (May 2019 - August 2019), his duties include managing the association's Twitter accounts, social media diffusion, and posting events to the website on behalf of our members. He was also responsible for attending events as a representative of GPA. He would eventually return to the Global Philadelphia Association as the Volunteer Social Media Coordinator in April 2020, where his responsibilities include social media marketing, coordinating all social media activity, creating schedules for social media posts, and managing the output for Global Philadelphia. Daniel was also the Vice President of Lambda Pi Eta, a Communication Studies honor society, at Holy Family University. After graduation, Daniel plans to seek a career in social media marketing/strategy. His dream job is to work at one of the museums in Philadelphia to combine his passion for social media marketing and history.
 
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Manisha Patel, Convent Of Jesus and Mary, Vadodara India

Manisha Patel is a Global Philadelphian who is heavily engaged in the non-profit world in Philadelphia and the five counties. She considered herself a Global Citizen having lived in India, London, Hong Kong, Malaysia, America. She is on Board of the United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia, she supports Peace Day Philly and also serves in a number of area East Indian associations. Manisha is also an award wining photographer with a fabulous portfolio of global images collected on her travels. Follow her @manishaayut on Twitter and Instagram. Manisha is fluent in Gujuratin, Hindi .

Languages:  Hindi, Gujarati

 

 

Matthew Pertzsch  

Matthew was an MBA student at Villanova University and a CFA Level II candidate. While at GPA, he used my business skills to perform statistical evaluations that have helped raise awareness about GPA total reach as an organization.

Languages: French, Polish

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Eric Petersen   

Eric studied European History and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, Eric was involved with organizing the Ivy League Model United Nations conference and a non-profit consulting club that operates in developing countries. Interested in international affairs and global engagement, Eric interned at the Global Philadelphia Association for a full summer.

Languages: English, Spanish

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Giang Pham   

As an international student at Drexel University, Giang strongly felt the need to reach out to the world, to experience and try to do jobs that would be suitable for her. She joined the Global Philadelphia team in September of 2012. Through GPA, I can say that I was genuinely involved in connecting Philadelphia to the world.

Languages: Vietnamese, Japanese and French

Kyle Purchase   

Kyle Purchase graduated cum laude with a BA in Political Science and International Relations as well as with a minor in Legal Studies and Analysis from Widener University in 2017.  He has participated in student simulations of the European Union, attended AICUP Student Lobby Day in Harrisburg to lobby about reducing student loans as part of a student lobbying group, College Students Concerned for College Costs (CSCubed), and was part of the Widener Political Awareness Club on campus where the club welcomed discussions of current political issues. He has previously interned with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and is seeking a career in a government agency, non-profit organization, research institute, a think tank or possibly for the publication The Economist, as a political or policy analyst.

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Kathleen Quigley   

I came to the Global Philadelphia Association in July of 2012 and it took me very little time to realize that the position I was in was for me an ideal one. Previous experiences working at National Geographic and the Royal Film Commission - Jordan solidified my fascination for internationally produced media, and I had the opportunity to nourish my passions during my tenure at GPA. It was with great pride that I helped the Association in its mission for over a year and a half. Watching the organizing grow and grow and grow was immensely rewarding, and I will continue to promote GPA and Philadelphia, the international city, as I progress in my career.

Follow me onTwitter: @khquig

Languages: Arabic

 


Victoria Ravin

I have always had a passion for all things international, and volunteering with GPA has brought that international connection to me at home in Philadelphia. GPA has given me exposure to the many global organizations and professionals in the area and has allowed me to contribute to raising the city's global profile. I can't imagine a more visionary, passionate, or interesting group of people to collaborate with and look forward to many more events in the future.

Languages: Spanish and Russian

 

Bianca Robinson  

Bianca Robinson was an International Area Studies (IAS) major at Drexel University who worked with the Global Philadelphia Association as part of the Drexel Co-op program. She has a passionate interest in global society and aspired to gain valuable insight about the international scene here in Philadelphia while working at the Global Philadelphia Association (GPA). As a native Philadelphian, with a lot of hometown pride, she wants to help the city become more globally focused in order to help the city to prosper. During the fall 2013 semester, Bianca lived in Costa Rica through Drexel Study Abroad.

Bianca was a Marketing Coordinator for GPA.

Languages: Spanish, French

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Zachary Ruhl  

Zachary was Advertising major at Rowan University with a double minor in strategic communications and art. He was the Marketing and Brand Management Intern with Global Philadelphia Association where he utilizes his social media management and blog writing skills. In the future, Zachary hopes to obtain a communications job in Philadelphia or New York City.

 

 

Victoria Sansone   

Victoria studied Finance and Social Impact at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, Victoria worked with 17 Asset Management in New York City and Permit Capital Advisors in Philadelphia on establishing an investment fund for Philly. Victoria is passionate about using fair finance to engage in impact investing and urban neighborhood revitalization.

 
 
 
 

Alisha Santiago   

Alisha Santiagomajored in anthropology, with a focus in linguistics and women/gender studies at West Chester University.  Santiago's parents can speak Spanish, while she can speak conversationally in Norwegian and has also developed a trait called receptive bilingualism. By interning with Global Philadelphia, Santiago learned more about what it means to work with world heritage and how she can spread such knowledge.

 
 
 
 
Cristina Serban   
 
Cristina is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a breadth of experience in nonprofit marketing and branding, P2P lending/microfinance, and refugee and asylum law. Cristina joined GPA in 2019 to support marketing and communications operations. As a first-generation Romanian immigrant to the Philadelphia region, Cristina brought with her a well-nurtured global perspective and a desire to elevate the position of the City that has come to be her home away from home. She remains very grateful to the Global Philadelphia community for welcoming her as a team member and exhibiting such powerful, forward-thinking leadership in elevating our city.
 
Cristina will be continuing on in Philadelphia as a marketing data analyst and strategy coordinator.
 
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Devika Shah   

"Being a part of the GP13 Team was truly inspirational for me. I learned more than I could have imagined about Philadelphia, GPA & it's members, and most importantly, my self. Going forward I've decided to explore the marketing realm since I worked with it so much in my role with the Expo, and I hope I can find another experience as rewarding as the the one I had here. Also, though I'm technically an "alum" of GPA, I definitely see myself being involved with their projects in the future, so I'll still be around!"

Languages: Gujarati, Hindi, Spanish

 

 

 

Molly Siegel   

Molly Siegel studied at University College Dublin as a history and politics major with a minor in French. After completing her degree, Molly to pursued a master's degree in Denmark. As the former secretary of the Amnesty society at her university, Molly took a great interest in the field of human rights and aims to advocate on behalf of women and refugees in the near future. As a first-generation immigrant and Danish-American, she hopes to bring to light some of the hidden international gems of Philadelphia during her internship this summer.

Languages: English, French, Basic Danish

 

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Jessica Sklar   

Jessica Sklar studied Strategic Communication and Global Studies at Temple University. She interned at Global Philadelphia Association for four months, after returning from a semester abroad in London. Jessica contributed to Global Philadelphia's social media, communications, and research project efforts. Working with Global Philadelphia gave her the opportunity to connect with different world cultures, strengthen communication skills, and gain firsthand non-profit experience.

 

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Mikaila Skaroff  

Mikaila studied International Relations and Anthropology at Lehigh University. She is worked as an intern for GPA throughout the summer developing skills in research and communications. Mikaila studied abroad in Nepal, Jordan, and Chile on a program focused on human rights. Mikaila is passionate about social justice and human rights.

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Tyler Sprague   

Tyler Sprague worked with Global Philadelphia in a Spring/Summer Co-op position. Tyler graudted from Drexel University as a Political Science major. Tyler is passionate about international diplomacy and intercultural exchange. In his free time, Tyler could be seen relaxing in Rittenhouse Park, riding his bicycle on the Schuykill River Trail, or just enjoying the scenery of the Old City neighborhood. Tyler has future plans to study abroad in Hong Kong.

Language: Italian


Samantha Stewart   

Samantha Stewart attended Temple University as a Journalism and Political Science student. On campus, she was an anchor and crew member for Temple Update, Temple's student-run broadcast. She joined GPA in September of 2020, and interned for the Emerging International Journalist Program as a reporter and also ran the World Heritage Food project at GPA. Her work here at GPA allowed her to combine her great love of journalism, as well as being able to better showcase her diverse and growing city. 

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Maryam Teka   

A native of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Maryam has obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics & Business Administration from Bluffton University & a Master of Arts degree in Economics from Cleveland State University. After recently moving to Philadelphia, GPA was the perfect exposure she wanted to experience all the global things that the great city has to offer and to be a part of a network that "enhanced the Region's global profile". While at GPA, Maryam utilized her statistical & analytical skills to analyze data from various social media avenues & managed parts of GPA's social media platforms to increase its audience reach. Maryam is passionate about international politics, economic development and diplomacy.

Languages: Amharic, Spanish

Alessandra Testa   
 
Alessandra graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2017, where she studied Arabic and International Relations with a concentration in diplomacy. Alessandra is the daughter of an Italian immigrant and a second-generation Italian-American, and has been fascinated by international affairs and global cultures from a young age. While at TCNJ, she developed a deep interest in Arabic, the Middle Eastern region, and transnational migration to Europe. She has studied and conducted research in Italy and Oman, taught ESL in Morocco, and worked closely with survivors of politically-motivated torture in Washington, DC, and in Brindisi, Italy, one of the first coastal cities migrants enter after crossing the Mediterranean Sea. 
Alessandra contributed her global perspective to GPA's mission while gaining exposure to nonprofit management, event planning and international journalism. Alessandra has plans to work as a foreign correspondent in the Middle East before pursuing a career at a DC-based think tank affecting foreign policy change.
 
Languages: Italian, Arabic, and French
 
 

Charlotte Thomas   

Charlotte is a graduate from The College of New Jersey, majoring in International Studies. She participatied in Global Philadelphia’s Emerging International Journalist internship and wrote about the events happening for Global Philly 2017. She managed the organization’s social media and assisted with event planning. One of her goals for joining GPA was to gain an understanding of what it takes to effectively and efficiently operate a successful non profit organization.

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 Kate Tocci  

Kate was a French and Government double major in the College of Arts and Sciences at Georgetown University (Class of 2016). She studied abroad at l’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris during her Fall 2014 semester. While growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia provided her with a general knowledge of the area, her internship with the Association has revealed the vast opportunities for global development the region has to offer. 

As a member of the Global Gateways Team, Kate’s work with GPA involved contributing to membership development by contacting and scheduling meetings with organizations and international individuals in the Greater Philadelphia Area in addition to attending GPA and GPA member sponsored events. Kate was also in charge of the GPA Facebook page, posting event details and promotional content every day. She formatted the July newsletter, developed press releases and created quarterly reports on events for which GPA acted as a media partner. A member of the Emerging International Journalists Program, Kate learned much about the journalism process, writing several articles on everything from Philadelphia events to cultural excursions to member profiles.

Kate is currently working at Jet.com.

Languages: English, French 

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Eric Toll, University of St. Andrews

Eric is a graduate from the University of St Andrews where he studied International Relations. His courses at University focused on the use of force abroad. As an intern at Global Philadelphia, his main roles included marketing and data collection. Formerly, Eric has worked abroad as an English Teacher and he is passionate about meeting others and experiencing new places.

Languages: French

 

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Andrea Van Grinsven  

A native of Greater Philadelphia, she studied International Relations and Journalism at Boston University. Within her IR degree, her concentrations were International Systems & World Order and Africa & the Middle East. She advocates for human rights through her writing.
At the Global Philadelphia Association, Andrea was a correspondent for the Emerging International Journalists Program. GPA has been the perfect place for her to experience the passion driving a successful non-profit organization, gain exposure to the different types of international work, and grow as a global citizen.
 
Andrea will be starting as a Public Sector Advisory Associate with Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Washington, D.C. in October.

Languages: English and French

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Tyler Vo  
 
My name is Tyler Vo. I recently graduated from Temple University majoring in Advertising with a concentration in Art Direction. I am originally from Vietnam and am very passionate about mental health and human rights since my culture has not been familiar with these ideas. I love to travel and have been to 20 countries. Seeing and learning from different cultures make me want to go more, see more, and learn more.
 
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Ameila Winger   
 
Amelia Winger studied Journalism and Political Science at Temple University. She spent a summer working as a journalism intern for the Global Philadelphia Association to build on her skills in reporting, communications, and marketing. In particular, she’s passionate about current events, international relations, and social justice issues. In the future, she hopes to work abroad as a political reporter.
 

 

 

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Danielle Woelpper   
 
Danielle worked with Global Philadelphia for her sophomore year Co-op at Drexel. She is a Marketing and International Business Major. She has a passion for international connections and this drives her to be more Global Minded. “I have been blessed to be at the right time at the right place. This time at Global Philadelphia Association has been particularly busy with Global Philly 2015 and Philadelphia’s World Heritage City Designation. It has really kept me in the know about all things Global in Philadelphia and I am very grateful for this experience.”
 
Languages: Spanish and Japanese

Qingqing(Tina) Xing   

Tina is currently the graduate student at the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University. Previously, she worked at Sofitel hotels in China for 4+ years in various capacities. As a graduate student who works in the hospitality industry before, she understands how crucial the destination marketing is to the whole city’s tourism industry and its international profile. The GPA took great efforts in making the Philadelphia the first World Heritage City in the US and come with it are tremendous business opportunities. She is very interested in how Philadelphia leverages its culture tourism to enhance the city's economy and stature. As an international student who now lives in Philly and totally fell in love with this city, she helped GPA to attract more international tourists/companies to see the beauty of Philadelphia and the opportunities it has to offer.

Languages: English and Chinese

Sunita Yadavalli   

Sunita Yadavalli is currently a Specialist for Teacher Leadership Development at Teach For America. She works in Camden, NJ and is a fellow of Data Analysis in Education Pioneers. She graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2012, majoring in Political Science and International Studies. She then graduated from The University of Pennsylvania in 2014 with a Master’s of Science in Urban Education upon the completion of her Corps commitment with Teach For America. She currently lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

Erin Yoder 

Erin Yoder majored in Journalism with a minor in Asian Studies. She interned at Global Philadelphia Association for four months during her final semester at Temple. She enjoys traveling whenever she gets the chance and has lived in both Tokyo and London. While studying in London, she worked for another non-profit organization, which made her fall in love with the work non-profits can achieve. Erin plans to find work at a non-profit organization, focusing on international relations. She is also interested in the opportunity to work on a website or magazine that focuses on sharing other people's cultures.

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Tourism & Hospitality