International Student Advisory Board

Hi everyone! My name is Brandon, and I am a CSE student majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Management and Information Systems. I am from Taipei, Taiwan. In my free time, I like to watch and play sports, riding my motorcycle, and hang out with friends. I am involved on campus as a teaching assistant and I also work for the U's intramural program. I am very excited to be on the board this year and contribute to the community!

I am Emmanuel Kipruto Ngetich from Kenya and I am in my second year  pursuing a PhD in the anthropology department. My research is centered around the genetic diversity and population history of Eastern African populations. The project I am pursuing in the course of  my PhD is located in Lake Victoria basin, Kenya. I was able to learn a lot during my previous work with internationals. The amount of knowledge acquired in a meeting with people from different cultures are enriching. I am looking forward to having an interaction with international students through various avenues offered by ISAB. 

Hello! I am Luxi Tian. My name "Luxi" is pronounced as "Lucy". I come from Chengdu, Sichuan, China. I love Chengdu; it is a very beautiful city, and it welcomes everyone to visit or live! I am a sophomore in CSE this school year. My major is chemical engineering because I like chemistry and I like to apply chemistry to our lives. I like birding, music, fishing, movies, biking, and the library. 

As an international student, I am glad to join the U as a student and ISAB again (I was in the board last academic year). I want to help international students gain a better transition experience and help increase the diversity of culture in the U! I love UMN, so I hope everyone likes UMN. 

Besides ISAB, I am also in the Solar Vehicle Project (UMNSVP) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE UMN), I was in the Plumb Bob Leadership Society for last academic year. Since I joined so many student groups, my advice for international students is to join student groups! This is very important for getting involved and gaining experience! 

ISAB is an organization that helps international students. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Hi everyone! My name is Nhi Dang. I'm a senior in the University Honors Program, double majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. I'm an international student from Vietnam. Throughout my college journey, I received a lot of help from other students that greatly smoothened my transition to the U and I would love to spread that to other international students. 

I was previously a mentor in the International Buddy Program (IBP), which allowed me to not only help other international students with their college transitioning questions but also bring a sense of community to my mentees. I was also an officer at University Honors Student Association, where I advocated for Honors international students. 

As a woman in STEM, I actively advocate for underrepresented students in STEM major, most directly through my work as a 6th-time Teaching Assistant at Department of Computer Science and Engineering. 

Hi everyone! I'm Quynh Anh but you can call me Amy as well! I come from Hanoi, Vietnam; a super dynamic, active and beautiful city and if you ever come here, I'll be your tour guide ;). I am a sophomore student majoring in Strategic Communication and Psychology with a minor in Design. I love traveling, I'm so fascinated by exploring new places, I've been to 9 states in my first year here!! 
Being an international student is like a sugar rush, we always feel so energetic and positive but it always ends if we don't keep adding tons of sugar. So my advice to any other international student is always to try new things, never limit yourself, and get involved while spending lots of time for yourself as it can be tough to be on our own in a different culture. 
As a part of ISAB, I'm hoping to collaborate with my board members to propose innovative solutions to address key issues faced by international students on campus. My goal is to promote cross-cultural understanding between international and domestic students, therefore foster communities that promote diversity and inclusivity.

I am a second year Epidemiology student, and I am getting my MPH in May 25. I am from Saudi Arabia and have been living in the States for almost 10 years. I got my B.S in Respiratory Care and worked as a respiratory therapist prior to grad school. I joined the school of public health student senate in my first year, and I am the 2024-2025 student senate president. I am also the president for the new group ISPH, International Student in Public Health. I have presented for Voices from Around the World, a course for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, OLLI. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, going for a walk, and hanging out with friends! 

I am honored to be part of the International Student Advisory Board and so excited to serve as a board member. I cannot wait to meet more international students outside the School of Public Health. I hope this position will help me advocate for international students at the University of Minnesota and ease their transition to the states during their studying abroad journey. Most importantly, creating memories and helping international student grow by expanding their experiences and gaining lifelong skills to help them success.

Hi everyone! My name is Shakhzoda and I am from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I'm a Junior studying Finance and International Business, passionate about learning how businesses operate globally. The best part of being an international student is meeting new people and experiencing diverse cultures, which broadens my perspective and enriches my academic journey.