ADVANCED LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE STUDENT AMBASSADORS

Karina Ascunce González Email: [email protected]

Karina Ascunce González is a junior at Harvard, concentrating in neuroscience with a secondary in global health and health policy. Karina is an avid researcher and is co-president of the Cuban-American Undergraduate Student Association. She also spends her time at the college as an EMT with CrimsonEMS and as an intern at the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Services. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, and running.

Josh Berry Email: [email protected]

Josh Berry is a senior studying government with a secondary in economics and language citation in Chinese. He is passionate about advancing voter rights issues and promoting sustainable urban development. On campus he has been involved in (probably too wide) a range of extracurricular activities, including leading pre- orientation programing with the Harvard First Year Orientation Program, researching with the Sidanaius Lab of Intergroup Relations, and, most recently, being a sports broadcaster and podcast host with Harvard Radio (WHRB). After graduating next year, Josh plans on moving back to his home region of New York where he’ll work as a management consultant and spend an unnecessary amount of time thinking about how the New York Knicks can become a better basketball team.

Alex Chaumette Email: [email protected]

Alex Chaumette is a junior at Harvard studying neuroscience with a secondary in global health and health policy and a language citation in Spanish. Alex conducts research in Dr. Charles Nelson’s lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, and he currently serves as executive director of Refresh Bolivia, a student-run nonprofit dedicated to public health research and service in Cochabamba, Bolivia. With strong passions and experience in global health, education, and mentorship, Alex plans to pursue a career in medicine after college and is excited to join the Advanced Leadership Initiative as a Student Ambassador this semester. ADVANCED LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE STUDENT AMBASSADORS

Joseph Felkers Email: [email protected]

Joseph Felkers is a junior at the college studying English. His first and lasting passion is poetry, words; his work has been recognized by , Princeton University, The Davidson Institute for Talent Development, The Poetry Society of Virginia, and more. His work can be found in Birdfeast, Plainsongs, Midwest Quarterly, and other journals. Professionally, Joseph founded and currently operates a startup branding firm, IDEATE, backed by parent company Harvard Student Agencies. Proudly neurodivergent and proudly gay, Felkers is passionate about disability and LGBT equity, especially in the workplace, as well as language policy. To chat all things poetry, Boston cafes, and psychiatry, he’s just an email away. He can also be found at josephfelkers.com

Braeden Foldenauer Email: [email protected]

Braeden Foldenauer is a senior at , studying government and education. Braeden is from Mississippi and is interested in education policy and school leadership. Outside of class, he serves as vice president of Primus (the first- gen/low-income student union), as a voting member on the Honor Council, as a first- generation program coordinator for the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, and is involved with political and cultural groups on campus. In his spare time, Braeden enjoys weightlifting, playing chess, and gushing about his home state.

Shavonna Jackson Email: [email protected]

Shavonna Jackson is a junior at Harvard College studying integrative biology and African and African American studies with hopes to go into a career in biotechnology or computational biology. She enjoys photography, design, and spoken word poetry. On campus, she serves as the current co-mentorship chair for the Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers. Shavonna is also passionate about diversity and spent her last winter break as a hometown recruiter for communities similar to her own which often feel discouraged when applying to Harvard. ADVANCED LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE STUDENT AMBASSADORS

Laura Jenny Email: [email protected]

Laura Jenny is a senior studying integrative biology with a secondary in global health and health policy. She is also a Cheng Fellow at the Social Innovation and Change Initiative at and Founder of You(th) Matter, a youth leadership group which works to improve youth policing policies in and empower youth to create change in their communities. At Harvard she has been a Peer Advising Fellow, director of the Community Service Board of Eleganza, a violinist in Harvard Pops Orchestra, and a case manager for Y2Y a youth homeless shelter.

Haeyun Lee Email: [email protected]

Haeyun Lee is a senior at Harvard College, concentrating in neuroscience on the computational track. She is heavily involved in the first-generation community, having had leadership roles in Primus (the student organization for first-generation, low- income students) as well as FYRE (First-Year Retreat and Experience, one of Harvard’s pre-orientation programs for incoming first years). Prior to the pandemic, she spent most of her time at Newell Boathouse, as a coxswain on the Men’s Heavyweight Crew team. Haeyun enjoys playing classical and jazz piano, learning about jazz history, and learning languages. While she hasn’t gotten to travel recently, she loves talking about her trips to Turkey, Italy, and Japan on Harvard’s dime. After graduation, she will be pursuing investment banking in New York at JP Morgan.

Sahar Mohammadzadeh Email: [email protected]

Sahar Mohammadzadeh is a sophomore at Harvard College studying government and economics interested in the intersection of businesses, policy, and media. She serves as the communications director and executive board member for the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, president of the Harvard College Iranian Association, and board member for the Harvard College Consulting Group. Off campus, Sahar serves on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Postsecondary Value Commission and conducts research for National Geographic as one of their four international youth explorers, studying the role of funding and capital on global youth-led organizations. After working at CNN on Fareed Zakaria’s production team, this summer, Sahar will be an investment analyst for Insight Partners, a software private equity and venture capital group. For fun, Sahar loves to bake, frequent local coffee shops, and travel as often as possible. ADVANCED LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE STUDENT AMBASSADORS

Diego Navarrete Email: [email protected]

Diego Navarrete is a senior at Harvard College studying government with a secondary in ethnicity, migration, and rights. Born in Mexico, Diego has been a life-long advocate for immigrant rights. He has served as the director for Act on a Dream, a Harvard student organization that advocates for undocumented students and immigrant justice. Diego is also passionate about addressing social issues at the local level, having interned with the mayor of Detroit in 2018 and the mayor of Los Angeles in 2020. He has also worked at the national level under the chief of staff of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) in Washington, D.C. Diego has been recognized twice by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations for his work to support marginalized students and increase racial equity on campus.

Zeel Patel Email: [email protected]

Zeel Patel is a junior at Harvard College studying computer science and neuroscience, while concurrently pursuing his master’s in statistics. Hailing from Canada and originally born in India, Zeel comes from a life sciences background where he developed a novel diagnostic device for heart disease while researching at his local university—the patent for which he had acquired by a pharmaceutical when he was 17. On campus, Zeel spends his time exploring innovative technologies and startups, organizing international science conferences to invite interesting people to campus, and traveling the world to immerse himself in different perspectives. Zeel is also a passionate Toronto Raptors fan!

Bridgette Ramirez Email: [email protected]

Bridgette Ramirez is a junior at the college concentrating in human developmental and regenerative biology. As a first-generation, Mexican-American college student, she is involved with mentoring through the Peer Advising Fellows program and is president of Mariachi Veritas de Harvard. Outside of school, she continues to explore the intersection of medicine and social justice within marginalized communities through Houston-based programs like Improving Maternal Health and United Way of Greater Houston.

ADVANCED LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE STUDENT AMBASSADORS

Brian Seo Email: [email protected]

Brian Hyun Seo is a junior at Harvard College, concentrating in economics. Brian is interested in automation and AI. On campus, Brian is an analyst for the MIR Investment Association, a member of the Harvard College Deans’ Student Advisory Board, and a member of the Men’s Lightweight Crew team.

Leo Tarantino Email: [email protected]

Leo Tarantino is currently a sophomore at Harvard concentrating in philosophy. At Harvard, Leo is a starter at 184 pounds for the wrestling team. He also works with the Project on Disability (HPOD), a program which seeks to advance disability law and understanding both domestically and globally. With HPOD, he assists with programs on self-advocacy for individuals with intellectual and Developmental disabilities.