Claire Q., ILR ‘24
Hi! My name is Claire, and I am a junior majoring in Industrial Labor Relations. On campus, I am involved with various civil rights and advocacy organizations. I am involved with the Advocacy project and the Roosevelt Policy institute. Also, I am the Co-President of Asian Pacific Americans for Action (APAA), VP of Recruitment for Cornell University Parole Initiative (CUPI), and Director of Outreach for Women Leaders of Color. I am very interested in incorporating DEI initiatives into policy and advocacy work, and I am particularly passionate about gender-based violence issues.
My hometown is Lexington, Kentucky, and in my free time, I enjoy figure skating. I am excited to participate in the India GSL program this summer, and I look forward to working with SVYM and collaborating with my peers.
Margot T., ILR ‘24
Hello! My name is Margot. My family is from Buffalo, New York. I am a Junior studying Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell. I am currently pursuing minors in International Relations, Arabic, and Law and Society. On campus, I am involved with the Cornell Speech and Debate Program as well as a student run nonprofit called the Advocacy Project. I am excited to work with SVYM because I am passionate about holistic community building, meeting new people, and participating in community driven initiatives. I am honored to join this program and learn from those with experience serving global communities. I hope that I can apply my skills to further these causes and make meaningful connections.
Isabella I., ILR ‘26
Hi! My name is Isabella, and I am from San Antonio, TX. Currently, I am a freshman in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations pursuing a minor in Business. I am interested in both working with communities to help citizens thrive, and educating the youth on the importance of community involvement. On campus, I am involved with the Cornell Women’s Rugby Team, Cornell Consult Your Community, and the ILR Sports Business Society. Outside of school, I enjoy playing tennis, exploring new places, and spending time with my family and friends. I am so excited to begin my work with SVYM and the ILR India Global Service Learning Program. I became interested in this program because of the opportunity to help diverse communities on a global scale. I cannot wait to create change and make an impact in a community that I have never visited before. I look forward to applying my experiences, from the GSL team and SVYM, to my future education at Cornell and the ILR School.
Sharon L., ILR ‘25
Hello! My name is Sharon, and I am a second-year student from Memphis, Tennessee. I'm currently majoring in Industrial and Labor Relations with double minors in Law and Society and Crime, Prisons, Education, and Justice. I'm interested in criminal and human rights law, legal advocacy, and human resource management, and I hope to attend law school after graduating. On campus, I'm involved with the Cornell University Parole Initiative (CUPI), Pi Lambda Sigma (POLIS), Meinig Family National Scholars, and the Einhorn Engaged Ambassadors, and I work as an HR Assistant for the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment. In my free time, I love going to museums, going on hikes, and listening to jazz music.
I'm incredibly excited to broaden my perspectives beyond the classroom and make a meaningful difference with the people at SVYM, and I look forward to all the amazing experiences I'll make this summer!
Luke M., GPHS ‘25
Hello everyone! My name is Luke, and I am from Newburgh, New York. I am a Global & Public Health Sciences (GPHS) and Entomology (’25) major with a special interest in vector-borne diseases from a public health perspective. I genuinely believe that GPHS and entomology are the two most practical majors because nearly anywhere in the world you go, insects are always pestering people.
I am grateful to have this opportunity of traveling to India! I look forward to visiting Mysore’s sites and becoming immersed in the culture. Additionally, I hope to familiarize myself with the healthcare system in India and use that knowledge to envision how both the U.S. and Indian healthcare systems can be improved. Instead of considering healthcare systems between nations as separate entities, I want to think of healthcare systems as one unit. Finally, as someone who is pre-health, I hope that the program allows me to become a more open-minded and compassionate student.
During my free time, I love rollerblading, hiking, xc skiing, and meeting new people. I am especially excited about meeting everyone on this trip and having shared experiences with all of you!
Eva T., ILR ‘25
Hello! My name is Eva (she/her) and I am from Tampa, FL. I am a sophomore studying at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. I intend to further my education in Disability Studies and plan to join the Peace Corps post-graduation. I currently work as a Cornell Librarian at the Catherwood Library in the ILR school.
When I'm not at work or studying for classes, I enjoy playing guitar, composing music, and watching documentaries. I also watch NPR's tiny desk, along with NPR's radio station and other news channels to stay involved with today's world.
As the daughter of immigrant parents from Ecuador and Uruguay, my passion for traveling internationally has once again been sparked by this extraordinary opportunity to engage in global service learning and volunteer work in India.
It is truly an honor to take part in the SVYM India program this upcoming Summer. It is my priority to be of service to my community, whether that may be local or abroad. I can't wait to learn the intercultural competency skills necessary to complete my independent project and look forward to networking with my fellow cohort.
Grace K., ILR ‘24
Hello! My name is Grace and I’m a junior transfer into Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations from Fairfax, VA. I am a part of Cornell Speech and Debate as a member of the British Parliamentary team and Co-Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion of Phi Lambda Sigma (POLIS). I’m also Co-President of Asian Pacific Americans for Action (APAA). In my free time, I enjoy exercising, driving, baking, dancing, and spending time with friends.
I am excited to participate in the India Global Service Learning Program and work with SVYM because I want to engage and work with a community at a grassroots level and improve my intercultural competency. I hope to pursue a career in human rights and advocacy. I’m incredibly grateful and thrilled to be learning from and working with SVYM this summer!
Julia G., ILR ‘25
Hello! My name is Julia and I am a sophomore at the ILR school pursuing minors in business and computer science. On campus I am heavily involved with Cornell Field Hockey Club, ILR Women's Caucus, and a student run orchestra. I am interested in pursuing law, consulting, and other professions related to banking.
During my free time I love backpacking, hiking, and driving boats. Since I am from Long Island NY, I spend a portion of my summers on my Grandpa's boat traveling all along the eastern coast! If I am not somewhere in nature, you can find me combining my passion for service and music either playing in nursing homes or teaching younger kids.
I am very excited to work with SVYM and help make an impact across the world!
Kamala K., ILR (Global Health Minor) ‘26
Hello! My name is Kamala, and I am from New Jersey. I am a freshman in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. I am pursuing a Global Health minor and planning to complete a minor in Information Science. I am particularly interested in health care rights, health policy, and privacy rights. I aspire to go to law school soon after completing my undergraduate degree.
In high school, I participated in several law-related extracurricular activities like Mock Trial, We The People, Model United Nations, and Urban Planning. I also had the opportunity to participate in internships focusing on public health and the Protein Data Bank at Rutgers University. These experiences fostered my interest in the intersection between the law and healthcare.
Other than academics, I am passionate about community service, dance, and music. I enjoy spending time with friends and exploring new restaurants with my family.
I am very excited to be taking part in the ILR India Global Service Learning Program at SVYM. I hope to be able to expand my interpersonal skills, learn more about the world around me, and make meaningful connections and friendships. I am eager to learn and absorb a lot from the program, and I am also grateful to have the opportunity to serve the community.
Maaya K., Bowers CIS (Global Health Minor) ‘25
Hi! My name is Maaya, and I am a sophomore majoring in Information Science and minoring in Global Health. I am originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but Cornell has quickly become my home away from home. On campus I am part of an Indian fusion dance team, Hindu Student Council, and am a Residential Advisor. I also love to pursue creative activities in my free time such as Carnatic music, a traditional South Indian style of music, and drawing. Aside from this, you can find me watching movies, exploring new places, trying different cuisines, or spending time with my friends.
My interest in global health started with my internship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where I worked on projects aimed at helping underrepresented populations. Through this experience, I learned about the inner workings of a public health investigation and data analytics. More importantly, I became immersed in communities that I had never been exposed to before. I am appreciative of the opportunity to work with SVYM and make a difference in the community!
Amalia S., ILR ‘24
Hi all, my name is Amalia and I am currently a junior in the ILR school. Apart from majoring in Industrial and Labor Relations, I am pursuing minors in Spanish and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Within ILR, I am a member of the Global Scholars Program as well as the Spanish Debate Team. Additionally, I have participated in ILR’s Vietnam Engaged Learning Program both as a student participant and as a teaching assistant. Outside of my school day, I enjoy creative writing, singing, dancing, and cooking a nice meal for my loved ones. In the future I hope to explore my intersecting passions of education, labor, and international and comparative studies. This is my first time working with SVYM for this global service learning program, but I am excited to undertake meaningful service amidst cultural immersion.
Natasha Z., CHE (Global Health Minor) ‘24
Hello! My name is Natasha and I am a Bengali-American born and raised in Queens. I am a junior pre-med student majoring in Human Biology, Health & Society with minors in Global Health and Infectious Disease. On campus, I am a part of CCHEQ’s public health committee, the Cornell Surgical Society, Cornell Welcomes Refugees, and other service activities. I am also involved in immunology research both on and off campus in the McGeachy and Gorelik labs. In my free time, I enjoy archery, digital art, and singing South Asian classical music as a part of Cornell SPICMACAY.
I am honored and excited to work with SVYM this summer. As an aspiring physician, I hope to learn from and collaborate with different disciplines and communities to improve health equity. I look forward to experiencing Indian culture and contributing to SVYM’s mission of developing human and social capital!
Eunice K., CHE (Global Health Minor) ‘25
Hello! My name is Eunice. I am from Los Angeles California. I am a sophomore studying Global Public Health in Human Ecology – also on the pre-med track. During my free time, I like to go on runs, read books, learn about fashion, decorate my room, spend time with friends, and find new music.
I am currently a part of Cornell EARS and am looking forward to joining Big Red Buddies and finding a research lab I am interested in! I also just joined greek life here at Cornell! Pi Phi has an amazing environment to meet new people and build new friendships! I love finding new hobbies and putting myself in new situations which is why I believe the India GSL program was a perfect fit for me.
I applied to Cornell as a GPHS major to specifically broaden my passions. Growing up in Los Angeles, I met so many amazing people and communities that allowed me to understand many pressing issues regarding health care inequity. I believe that this opportunity to work with SVYM will expand my worldview as I can learn from those around me – not only from my team of students and teachers but from the community of Mysore.
I am so excited to meet you guys along this journey and learn more from all of you!
Dovanie B., ILR ‘26
Hello! My name is Dovanie Benjamin. I am from Long Island, New York but I was originally born in Haiti. I am a freshman in the Industrial and Labor Relations school. I am currently interested in international studies and pursuing a career in diplomacy. I became interested in the India GSL program at SVYM because I knew it would be an invaluable experience for the career I am pursuing and for fostering personal growth. I have always sought out unique and valuable experiences that encouraged connection and inter-cultural competency. This is an amazing opportunity that facilitates just that, and I am so excited and beyond grateful to be joining the 2023 cohort!
