Wesleyan International Speakers Program (WISP)
The Wesleyan International Speakers Program (WISP) is a year-long volunteer program for current Wesleyan students who are passionate about promoting intercultural awareness, bridging cultural gaps, and fostering global connections within our campus and beyond. The program offers a unique opportunity for students who identify as coming from an international background to serve as Speakers and share short presentations and talks about their home country(ies), culture(s), and/or language(s) with various audiences within the Wesleyan and Middletown communities. Read on to learn about each of the Speakers and the structure of the program. Complete this form to request a WISP Speaker for your class or event.
WISP Speakers – Academic Year 2024-2025
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Vik Georgieva (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Government, Neuroscience & Behavior, and Psychology
Bulgaria
Read MoreLanguages spoken: I’m fluent in Bulgarian, English, and Russian. I’m currently learning French, ASL, and Greek at Wes and self-studying Macedonian and Turkish.
Bio: Hey hey! I’m Vik (she/her) and I’m a sophomore, majoring in Government, Neuroscience and Behavior as well as Psychology. I’m from Haskovo, a small town in Southern Bulgaria. In my free time I read (anything really, but mostly graphic novels) and make comics. I enjoy dancing and fashion. My favorite building on campus is Allbritton but the construction site next to Exley is a close second. On campus I’m mostly involved in public speaking clubs, like Mock Trial and Debate. A fun fact about me is that I know every poem by Hristo Botev, my favorite Bulgarian revolutionary, by heart. I love memorizing stuff, so I happen to know the entire Bee Movie script as well. Through WISP I’m inviting people to get more familiar with Bulgaria but I’m also excited to learn about the countries the other wonderful speakers are from.
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP because most people in the U.S. don’t know much about Bulgaria. I’d like to spread awareness about my culture and its origins. I’m particularly interested in the language, history and traditional dance.
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Adriana Alfaro (she/her)
Class of 2026 - Government and Theater, minor in Global Engagement
Venezuela
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Spanish and English
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Adriana. I am a junior majoring in Government and Theater with a minor in Global Engagement. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but I was raised in San Antonio de Los Altos and lived there for 17 years. On campus, I am involved in the Latin and Ballroom Club and the Book Lab. Outside of school, I love watching TV and hanging out with friends and family. My hobbies are dancing and reading. One interesting fact about me is that I love the beach. I want to be part of the WISP because I want to share facts about my country.
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP because some people do not know where Venezuela is located. In fact, some people do not know that the national language of Venezuela is Spanish. I want to share with people the beauty of my country but also the corruption that has destroyed it.
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Tamiraa Sanjaajav (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Computer Science and Government (International Relations track)
Mongolia
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Mongolian, English, and German (working proficiency)
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Tamiraa Sanjaajav and I use she/her pronouns! I am a sophomore majoring in Computer Science and International Relations. I grew up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. On campus, I am involved with the Sustainability Office and University Communications Center. Outside of school, I love to learn about design and read books. My hobby is learning new things. I am currently learning how to paint using watercolors. One interesting fact about me is that I used to have a giant blood mark on my left arm. I want to be part of the WISP because I love talking about Mongolian history and culture with people.
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP to engage in talks about culture, diversity, and inclusivity. I hope to foster curiosity and positivity in people's hearts with my presentations on Mongolian history and culture. I also want to learn about different countries and ethnicities!
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Tihitina Gebeyehu (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Ethiopia
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Amharic and English
Bio: Hi everyone! I'm Tihitina. I use she/her pronouns. I am a sophomore planning to major in molecular biology and biochemistry. I grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Outside of school I am passionate about healthcare and enjoy spending time with children. In my free time I like writing poems, trying new foods and playing the Kirar (a traditional Ethiopian instrument). On campus you can find me sitting on one of the benches around the chapel or somewhere in Exley. I am also involved in the International Student Advisory Board (ISAB) and the African Students Association (ASA).
Why did you join WISP?
There is so much culture and beauty in Ethiopia that the outside world doesn't know about. I I would like to share Ethiopia's unique alphabet, dressings, cuisine and also the diversity within the country itself. By joining WISP I would be able to share my culture and also learn about other countries.
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Oleksandra Volakova (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Undecided
Ukraine
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Ukrainian, Russian, English, Japanese
Bio: Hello! I am Oleksandra Volakova (she/her), a sophomore at Wesleyan University from Kremenchuk, Ukraine. I am exploring my options for majoring, so I am still undecided. My extracurricular interests range from performing arts (theater, comedy, fire arts) to sports and events organization. I have a devotion to travel from my early childhood -- I was travelling a lot back in Ukraine, and continue this tradition in the US. And, hopefully, when the war is over, I want to continue exploring my own country and encourage other people to see its incredible nature, people, and culture.
Why did you join WISP?
My primary goal is to raise awareness about Ukraine. Today, my country is only associated with war, but I want to show another perspective of it: its merits, traditions, development, cuisine, and people. Moreover, I hope to learn more about home countries of other WISP participants.
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Marc Iradukunda (he/him)
Class of 2028 - Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, minor in Informatics and Modeling
Burundi
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Kirundi, French, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, and English
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Marc and I use he/him pronouns! I'm a freshman and prospective MB&B Major and Informatics and Modeling Minor. I grew up in Burundi in the east of Africa. On campus I am involved in Wesleyan Period Coalition club. In my free time, I'm biking around middletown or playing basketball. One interesting fact about me is that I'm a big fan of soccer. I want to be part of WISP because I want to share my Burundian identity and culture with the Wesleyan and Middletown communities.
Why did you join WISP?
I decided to join WISP after having realized that most people that I meet in the Wesleyan community don't know Burundi. I thought that joining WISP will be a great opportunity for me to share my Burundian identity and culture with those who don't know my country and at the same time learn about others' countries as well.
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Miho Yamashita (she/her)
Class of 2028 - Intended Programs of Study: Government, English, and Human Rights Advocacy
Japan
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Japanese, English, and currently taking elementary Spanish!
Bio: Hello! I'm Miho (she/her). I'm a freshman hoping to major in Government and English and minor in Human Rights Advocacy, but I'm excited to explore more disciplines at Wes. Although I grew up mainly in Tokyo and Chiba, Japan, I briefly lived in London and Hong Kong as a child and developed my love for traveling and tasting different cuisines. On campus, you can find me reading in Olin, scribbling poetry in my Creative Writing Circle, or napping on Foss when the sun is out. I also love all kinds of arts and crafts; right now, I’m practicing painting and crocheting. I am thrilled to connect with diverse cultures (including my own) through WISP!
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP not only to share about Japanese culture but also to provide openings to genuine curiosity and understanding. I hope to give back to Wesleyan's international community (and beyond!) by fostering dialogue and acceptance about each other's backgrounds.
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Holiness Igiraneza (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Burundi
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Kirundi, French, Kinyarwanda, Swahili, and English
Bio: Hi Everyone! My name is Holiness Ange Igiraneza; I use she/her pronouns! I’m a sophomore. I was born and raised in Burundi. On campus, I’m interested in doing research about epigenetics. I love writing and dancing in my free time. I'm also part of the African Students Association (ASA), Wesleyan Refugees Project, and International Student Advisory Board (ISAB).
Why did you join WISP?
Being part of the WISP is a way for me to showcase the culture of Burundi. I hope my presentations inspire people to broaden their horizons. I’m particularly interested in the traditional dances as well as the language and history of my home country. I love being part of the international community on the Wesleyan campus and I’m eager to give back and contribute to our campus culture of acceptance and curiosity.
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Raiza Goel (she/her)
Class of 2028 - Intended Majors: Government and Economics
India
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: English, Hindi, and Punjabi
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Raiza Goel and I use she/her pronouns. I am a freshman, planning to major in Economics and Government. I grew up in the same city for 15 years of my life in Chandigarh, India. On campus, I am involved in Debate, Acardia, The Argus, WIG, Women in Finance and Consulting Pathways Training Program. Outside of School, I love learning about different countries and their cultures and work closely with Feminist Forums specially in the Asia-Pacific. I love drawing and sketching. I want to be a part of WISP to promote my culture and learn in depth about other cultures.
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP because it seemed like the perfect opportunity to foster my interests in just knowing more about different languages and cultures. I am also really proud of where I come from, specially because of how diverse my country is, so I wish to add to the diversity of this amazing program. I look forward to seeing what immersion of cultures looks like!
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Prince Chitima (he/him)
Class of 2028 - Molecular Biology & Biochemistry and Economics
Zimbabwe
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: ChiShona and English
Bio: Hi everyone! I am Prince and I use he/his pronouns! I am a freshman majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Economics. I grew up in small towns, Karoi and Banket in Zimbabwe. On campus I am involved in Spectrum, African Students Association and many more to come. Outside of school I love listening to music, watching movies and talking to people. I want to be part of WIS Program because I believe that our differences makes us stronger hence each difference has to be acknowledged. I would love to invite people to get to know about Zimbabwe.
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP because many people in the world don’t know much about Zimbabwe. I would like to spread awareness about my rich culture and its origins. I am happy to share traditional dances and traditional music.
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Siyu Gao (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Science, Technology & Society, minor in Film
China
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Chinese and English
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Siyu, and I grew up in Beijing, China. My prospective major is Science, Technology, and Society, and my prospective minor is Film. On campus, I am involved with Cardinal Pictures and work as the film projectionist for the film series. You can often find me at Espwesso or in the basement of Fisk doing homework. In my free time, I enjoy cooking with friends, watching movies and traveling. I did a two-month solo trip through Southeast Asia during my gap year. I am very excited to join WISP to learn about the wonderful stories from our awesome speakers!
Why did you join WISP?
It has always been close to my heart to learn about other people's unique stories. I traveled more than 15 countries and this experience has truly fostered my passion for appreciating food and art from different cultures!
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Naomi Ivie (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Economics, Computer Science and Data Analytics
Nigeria
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: English, a bit of French, Korean, and Yoruba
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Naomi and I use she/her pronouns! I am a sophomore majoring in Economics and Computer Science, with a Minor in Data Analytics. I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. On campus I am involved in Wesleyan's African Dance Troupe, SUYA, where I serve as the Financial Manager. I am also a part of the Wesleyan Investments Group and Consulting Pathways. Outside of school I love playing basketball and singing. One interesting fact about me is that I can rap the first 4 songs of Hamilton non-stop. I applied to be in the WISP program because I really wanted to share the richness of my culture with the Wesleyan and greater Middletown community.
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP so that I could share the diversity of my culture, Nigeria, with the Wesleyan and Greater Middletown Community. I look forward to educating people about where I come promoting intercultural inclusion and exchange on Wesleyan's campus!
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Alina Zaidullina (he/him)
Class of 2028 - Intended Major: Psychology
Russia
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Russian and English
Bio: My name is Alina (she/her). I'm thinking of majoring in Psychology. I grew up in a small town Khandyga (Russia), 300 miles away from the coldest city in the world. On campus you can find me studying outside or at Prometheus practice. I love reading and translating diaries, folk dances, learning languages, nature and photography! My favorite things about life are finding similarities in unrelated things and cooking with someone. :)
Why did you join WISP?
I'm excited to be a part of WISP because I've experienced life outside of central Russia, which is not as well-known. I've always been surrounded by different ethnicities of my country and wanted to show the diversity of Russia.
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Dragos-Andrei Geica (he/him)
Class of 2028 - Economics and certificate in Applied Data Science
Romania
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Romanian, English, and French; I can also read Russian and Arabic.
Bio: Hey everyone! My name is Dragos, and I use he/him pronouns. I am a freshman planning to major in Economics with an Applied Data Science certificate. I grew up in Bucharest, Romania – the so called "Little Paris." On campus, I am involved in the Debate Club, the Wesleyan Investment Group, and the Consulting Pathways program. I also work at IMS, so you might sometimes see me come to your class to solve tech-related issues. :) Outside of school I love studying foreign languages and alphabets. Fun fact, I can write your name in 7 alphabets. :)
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP because I want to share more about Romanian culture. As far as my knowledge goes, I am currently the only Romanian student enrolled at Wesleyan. However, I also want to interact with other cultures and immerse myself in a multicultural environment like WISP!
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Afia Fosu (she/her)
Class of 2028 - Computer Science and Mathematics
Ghana
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: English and Twi
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Afia Animah Fosu, and I use she/her pronouns! I am a rising freshman with a prospective major in Computer Science and Mathematics. I grew up in Kumasi. On campus, I am involved in Code_Wes and ASA. Outside school, I love reading random websites and writing. One interesting fact about me is that I like watching movies; any genre but especially romcom and action. I want to be part of WISP because I want to be able to share my culture with others and also learn from others.
Why did you join WISP?
Ghana has a lot of things to share with other countries that is our culture and the way we live, joining WISP will allow me to share with others and also learn from others, too.
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Theo Lockrow (they/them)
Class of 2027 - Art History and College of East Asian Studies (CEAS)
Japan and the U.S.
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Japanese and English
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Theo and I use they/them pronouns! I am a sophmore majoring in Art History and the College of East Asian Studies. While I grew up all over Japan and in the US and Hong Kong, my hometown is a historic port city in East Tokyo and I currently live in Okinawa! On campus I am secretary of the Wesleyan Refugee Project and I am part of the Debate Team and the Japanese Student Association. I also work at the admissions office as a tour guide! When I'm not studying, I read a lot of manga and I like attempting new recipes even though I'm not very good at cooking. One interesting fact about me is that I have moved 11 times! I'm excited to learn more about everyone's background through WISP but I'm also excited to be able to speak about Okinawa and Japan!
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP because Okinawa tends to be misunderstood, either as a battle ground or as a tropical resort when its actually rich with so much culture and history. Tokyo as well! With the exchange rate, Japan became a hot spot for a while but there is so much more to it, good and bad, than just an Instagram reel.
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Gray West (he/him)
Class of 2028 - Government and Economics
U.S., Japan, and Singapore
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: English and some Mandarin
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Gray and I use he/him pronouns! I am a freshman majoring in Economics and Government. love hanging out with friends, going to the gym, and watching a good (or bad) movie! I grew up in Singapore and Tokyo. While technically I am American, I grew up in Asia my whole life. One interesting fact about me is that I have a Bernese Mountain Dog named Emmy and I love her so much! I want to be part of WISP because I think it is super important to have a safe and engaging environment for international students on campus.
Why did you join WISP?
I joined WISP because of the speakers I heard during ISO. They were engaging, passionate, and genuine. Growing up confused on what the term "home" meant, hearing those speakers made me feel heard. I think that the WISP is so important for on-campus engagement of international students. While we are a small group, I love how proud and inviting specifically WISP is.
Goals of WISP
- Empower international students to educate community members about their country(ies), culture(s), and language(s) through their own perspectives and lived experiences
- Contribute to a campus culture that recognizes, embraces, and celebrates international students and their unique identities and stories
- Foster cross-cultural curiosity, intercultural learning, and global awareness within the Wesleyan and Middletown communities
Speaker Responsibilities
- Commit to serving as a speaker for 1 full academic year (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024)
- Give at least one presentation per semester
- Attend program meetings and monthly events, including cohort socials and professional development sessions
- Collaborate with other Speakers in the program to plan and deliver presentations
- Assist with outreach and promotion of WISP events
Eligibility
- Must be a Wesleyan undergraduate or graduate student
- Must identify as coming from an international background or have previous global experience(s)
- Must be passionate about your home country(ies), culture(s), and language(s) and promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding
- Speakers who fulfill their responsibilities and are interested in continuing in the program are eligible to extend for an additional year upon approval by the OISA Director and Assistant Director of International Student Engagement.
Benefits
- Opportunities to engage with Wesleyan and Middletown community members and raise awareness about your country(ies), culture(s), and language(s)
- Monthly socials with other Speakers to build strong connections within Wesleyan's international community
- Support from the Presentation Studio and OISA professional staff to practice and improve your communication, presentation, and public speaking skills
- Professional development, leadership, and networking opportunities
*Program participants will be provided with transportation to community venues, such as local schools, for speaker requests from outside of Wesleyan.
Applying to Join WISP
The WISP application for the third cohort of Speakers (2025-2026 academic year) will be opened and shared with current international students via email and the Wesleyan International Student E-newsletter (WISE) at the start of the Fall 2025 Semester.
Questions?
For questions about WISP, please send an email to oisa@wesleyan.edu with “WISP inquiry” in the subject line.