NAFSA is proud that our RISE Fellows come from nearly all our regions across the United States.
Meet the current cohort of NAFSA RISE Fellows and learn more about who they are.
NAFSA RISE Fellows 2024-2025
Alisa Batchelor
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Alisa Batchelor began her career in international education at Montana State University Billings after living two years abroad in China and Japan. Since then, she has earned a Master's degree in International Educational Leadership from the University of Montana. As part of a small, highly versatile...
Angela Luedke
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Angela Luedke (she/her) is an Education Abroad Advisor at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. After both studying and working in France and Morocco, Angela earned her Master's of International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. She uses her...
Hiromi Narita
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Hiromi Narita advises students on the short-term, semester, and other study aboard programs. She is committed to promoting international education, global citizenship education, and study abroad programs. One of her values is that "everyone possesses infinite potential, and education is the tool to...
Jessica Chandarlis
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Jessica Chandarlis (she/her) serves as the Associate Director of the Office of International Programs at the University of Texas at Tyler, where she has played a pivotal role in building the university's study abroad culture. Her approach is marked by a strong commitment to collaborative faculty...
Jonathan Carmona Marrero
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Jonathan Carmona Marrero (he/him/his) is currently in his sixth year of professional work in International Education. He serves as the Assistant Director for International Engagement in the Office of International Programs and Services (OIPS) at George Mason University. In this role, Jonathan...
Mimi Tran
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Mimi Tran is currently the Program Coordinator at the University of Idaho's International Programs Office. In this role, Mimi is passionate about raising leaders and equipping international students and scholars with the skills and knowledge to give them ownership to enrich their educational...
Nick Oo
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Although he has been traveling internationally since he was an infant, Nick’s career in International Education began during his time as an undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst when he served as an Education Abroad Peer Advisor in the International Programs Office for...
Rachel Brown
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Rachel Brown has worked with International Student Exchange Programs for nearly 2 1/2 years, currently serving as the Student Services Officer for the Asia Region. She advises hundreds of students across of a network of 300+ universities every semester, and offers one-on-one support before, during...
Romeo Luevano
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Romeo Luevano (he/him/él ) received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology with a minor in Latin American Studies from Swarthmore College. Romeo is currently an International Scholar Advisor at Princeton University, where he supports postdocs, faculty, and staff with wit h their own work...
Tendai Kachingwe
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Tendai Kachingwe (he/him) is an International Education professional who is motivated by his goal of increasing participation in education abroad programs by students from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds. Tendai's career in the profession started with studying abroad for an academic...
Vera Bell
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2024-2025 RISE Fellow
Vera earned their Bachelor's degree in English in 2020 prior to joining the Global Learning Hub at UC Davis as an Enrollment and Operations Officer in November of 2022. However, Vera considers themselves to be more of a storyteller than a scholar or professional, one interested in how we can turn...
NAFSA RISE Fellows 2023-2024
Kuylain Howard
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
Kuy Howard began his career in International Education as a Student Assistant in the Office of Global Education as an undergraduate student at Elon University in North Carolina. His first time leaving the borders of the United States was to embark on an academic year-long study abroad experience in...
Malikka Hutchins
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
Malikka Hutchins is an International Education Professional whose passion for the field was ignited by a Study Abroad opportunity to South Korea that would not have been possible without her being awarded a Gilman Scholarship. Upon returning from the trip as the first in her family to ever go abroad...
Maria Melendrez
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
Maria Melendrez (she/her) is the Assistant Director for the Office of Global-Local Affairs (GLA) at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). As a DACAmented professional, she feels extremely privileged to work with a team committed to promoting global learning experiences through initiatives that are...
Myrna Najera Perez
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
Myrna Najera Perez is an International Student and Scholar Advisor at the University of Oregon. Though relatively new to International Education, she has worked with F-1 students, J-1 scholars and student interns, H-1B beneficiaries, and continues to explore and grow her professional development in...
Phoebe Nishimoto
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
Phoebe Nishimoto (she/her) is a new International Education professional and serves as the Manager of International Program Logistics for Central College in Pella, Iowa. Before arriving in Pella, Phoebe attended Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Bowling Green, Ohio, where she received a...
Keyana Pugh
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
Keyana holds a Master of International Studies from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her experience working with refugees and being an international student in Guatemala fueled her...
Hannah Thomas
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
Hannah Thomas joined The College of Wooster as Assistant Director of International Student Services during summer 2021. A Chickasaw Nation citizen, Hannah learned that the way in which she interacts with the world is different from her colleagues and peers. She aims to learn from the other RISE...
Vaughn Thornton
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
As a high school student in Detroit Public Schools, I was exposed to some of the most multifaceted parts of our globe. I took language classes and learned about international work opportunities, and I knew that this was the path for me. Over the next few years, I found myself working and studying in...
Yang Zhang
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2023-2024 RISE Fellow
My name is Yang Zhang. I am the Assistant Director of International Admissions at the Millersville University of Pennsylvania. The focus of my job is to provide information about my institution and help students make informed decisions to choose the college that would be the best fit for them. I...
NAFSA RISE Fellows 2022-2023
- Alexandro Gonzalez-Calvillo
- Ariana Stuhl
- Aurian Eghbalian
- Dionne Daniels
- Jaron Hightower-Mills
- Jordan Anderson
- Sandy Wang
- Tessa Lane
- Tiff Hayes
- Timothy Bryson
NAFSA RISE Fellows 2020-2021
- Adán De La Paz, The College of Idaho, Region I
- Robb McCollum, Southern Utah University, Region II
- Chris Huh, University of Missouri, Region IV
- Tia VanHester, Illinois Central College, Region V
- Caitlin Johnson, University of Kentucky, Region VI
- Nicole Inclan, University of Central Florida, Region VII
- Hermella Tekle, Institute of International Education, Region VIII
- Ogonna Owu, Towson University, Region VIII
- Emilie Buse, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Region X
- Loren Scott, Middlebury College in Vermont, Region XI
- Eric Izaguirre, The University of California, Los Angeles, Region XII