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Senior Interns

Our senior interns are a diverse group of talented, enthusiastic Wes students, active both on campus and off, who are eager to connect with you through Information Sessions and WesChats!

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

High School: Redondo Union High School

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): Music major

Email Omri

Why Wes: When I was applying to colleges, I was looking for a place that would actually let me explore, be around unique, interesting people, and feel like I matter. Wesleyan stood out clearly. The open curriculum, program housing, unique student body, and all of the oddly hyper-specific yet wildly interesting classes felt surreal. An alum once told me, “Wesleyan is where all the geeks go to no longer be geeks.” Now that I’m here, throat-singing, studying gamelan, reading Camus under a tree, I get it. They were right.

Favorite Class, and Why? My favorite class has got to be Javanese Gamelan. Gamelan is a traditional Indonesian bronze percussion ensemble, and participating in it completely reshaped how I understood music. The intricate rhythmic and melodic interweaving of the instruments created a sound I had never heard before. It shook my musical world. I always joke that Wesleyan should make everyone take an ethnomusicology class; it’s wild how much it can expand your worldview. This class opened my mind not only to ethnomusicology and Indonesian culture but also led me to pursue a summer fellowship in Yogyakarta, Indonesia!

Activities/Interests at Wes: On campus, I participate in a wide range of musical groups, from jazz and European classical to Indonesian gamelan ensembles. I also perform solo as a vocalist, pianist, and organist. Outside of music, I served on the board of the Wesleyan Refugee Project and currently work as the house manager for German House. I’ve also been a class assistant and tutor. I really love teaching and mentoring others! I'm deeply interested in education, philosophy, and cultural exploration, whether it's through language, literature, or music. You can usually find me tucked away in a practice room or basking in the sun, reading some philosophical fiction.

Activities/Interests Off Campus: Off campus, I love cooking, reading, meditating, spending time with others, and adventuring. At home, I’m usually the one making most of the meals, and I love inviting friends over to share food and have conversations. I’m also drawn to Buddhist monasteries. I find so much enjoyment in meditating with others and just sitting in silence. I also love wandering into cafes, reading, and then occasionally striking up unexpected conversations with strangers. I’m someone who loves to explore and wander around my neighborhood, letting my environment surprise me.

Pronouns: They/She

Hometown: Worcester, Massachusetts

High School: Worcester Academy

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): Education studies and sociology double major

Email Isa

Why Wes: My answer to this question changes every time as I continue to discover why Wesleyan is the right place for me. Wesleyan’s open curriculum is what originally drew me to visit. I’ve always had a vast range of academic and extracurricular interests, and I wanted to choose a school that not only allowed me to explore all these areas but encouraged me to do that. As a Regular Decision applicant to schools, it took me a long time to figure out what could make a college “the right one.” Visiting Wesleyan’s campus and experiencing a student body that was so kind, passionate, engaged, and collaborative was the push I needed to “say yes to Wes” because I knew that I could see a life for myself here alongside them.

Favorite Class, and Why? Two of my favorites are Playwriting and Politics of Education. Fun fact, I’ve taken Playwriting three times! Every week I read a play, wrote a two-page response to it, and wrote about ten pages of my own play, so I have revised drafts of a one-act and two full-length plays. Professor Sanchez is amazing, the vibe of the class is a fun and collaborative environment, and it provides me with a unique creative outlet. Politics of Education was my first advanced class in education studies, taught by my advisor, Dr. Butler. This course combined education with my politics and policy interests, and now two years later, I’m using the theoretical framework from my 20-page final paper to co-author a research article with Dr. Butler and a fellow intern.

Activities/Interests at Wes: On campus, I am a tutor and mentor in the Writers Room. I’m a research assistant in the Education Studies Department for Dr. Alisha Butler, working on a paper about how carceral logics affect family engagement in schools. I’m also conducting my own research study and writing a (long!) paper for my thesis this year! Starting this summer, I am a TA for the Wesleyan Center for Prison Education. I’ve always been involved in theater and music, so I did a cappella here for a year, and I am still part of Spike Tape, our largest student-run theater organization on campus! I’m also dabbling in film, via a filmmaking class and as a production assistant for a senior thesis film.

Activities/Interests Off Campus: I love finding new ways to spend time with my friends, embarking on little adventures on campus and nearby. In the spring, we started going to Metro Movies in Middletown every Tuesday night to see new movies for $7, and I love attending the film series in the Goldsmith Cinema on campus as much as possible. I also crochet! Aside from crocheting in my room, you might catch me doing it in some classes, while sitting at the Admissions Office desk, or on Foss.

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Kingston, Ontario, Canada

High School: Kingston Secondary School

Major(s): College of Letters, Romance Languages (Italian and French)

Email Lucia

Why Wes: What first drew me to Wes was the open curriculum. Coming from Canada, I was used to being restricted to one path, one major, all to eventually get one specific job. I have never been good at making decisions, so that terrified me. The idea of being able to explore as many subjects and classes as I want made Wesleyan extremely appealing. However, the thing about the open curriculum that made Wes perfect for me wasn’t just the freedom to choose, it was the fact that everyone had this freedom. This meant that everyone in my classes was there because we shared a common interest. No one is in classes they do not want to be in. This made the classes so much more engaging, as everyone cared about the material. Everyone did the readings and wanted to participate in discussions. It sounds simple but this really made me realize how fun learning could be in the right environment. Wes provided (and continues to provide) me with a supportive yet rigorous atmosphere in which I have been able to truly discover what I am passionate about.

Favorite Class and Why? One of my favorite classes that I have taken is German Fairytales. In this course we read and dissected classic Grimm fairy tales, tracing the different iterations of stories through the centuries. This was the course that really made me fall in love with close reading and literary analysis. I loved being able to return to stories from my childhood with a new lens. Parsing the sometimes subtle, sometimes glaringly obvious changes made over the years helped me to examine shifts of societal norms and the influences people like Walt Disney implemented over children. I also loved the global aspect my professor brought to the discussion. He encouraged all of us to bring in stories we grew up with, and I found fascinating both the differences and odd similarities we found in stories from everywhere from Germany to Italy to Belarus, to mention a few. Plus, I loved being able to read Little Red Riding Hood as my homework.

Activities/Interests at Wes: At Wes I am very involved in SpikeTape, our student-run theater organization. I have worked on multiple shows, including as assistant director for Much Ado About Nothing and assistant stage manager and props and weapons manager for Dorian Gray. Along with theater, I play on the women’s club rugby team—as long as I am not too busy. I also work as a tutor and mentor at the Writer’s Room, where I love helping students produce writing they are proud of. I have also worked for the National Education Equity Lab, where I was able to bring a university-level philosophy course to students attending a Title I school in Florida.

Activities/Interests Off Campus: When I am not studying or doing one of my many extracurriculars, I am most likely reading historical fiction or cross-stitching. I am also liable to be found doing crossword puzzles or going to trivia nights with friends. While I love tasting new foods, cooking isn’t really a passion of mine, so I am also always happy to volunteer as taste tester for some of my more culinarily inspired friends.

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Clifton, New Jersey

High School: The Peddie School

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): Economics and College of East Asian Studies double major

Email Santiago

Why Wes: Wesleyan was the only university I applied to where I could actually discover what I wanted to do as an absolutely clueless 18-year-old, instead of locking myself into a path that I would not have wanted for myself. It was also the only school where I could pursue an unrelated degree without completely severing my relationship with music, still an inseparable part of my identity to this day. The superb academic environment, combined with the amalgamation of individuals possessing equally niche hobbies and artistic endeavors as myself, creates an unreplaceable world perfectly suited for the intellectually brave and socially curious.

Favorite Class, and Why? As an economics and College of East Asian studies double major, I always jump at the prospect of taking a music course, and World Music with Professor Eric Charry was no exception. This singular class was not just a brief introduction to the study of ethnomusicology; it was, more importantly, a perspective-shifting course that forever impacted the way that I listen to music. As a jazz musician, the exposure to such different sounds and the history behind them felt eye opening, even as somebody who thought that they knew a lot about music already. I left the class with a full heart and an incredibly niche Spotify playlist.

Activities/Interests at Wes: At Wes, I am involved in the Wesleyan Student Assembly as a senator, where I have been a member of the Student Life Committee and the Academic Affairs Committee. I am also the president and founder of the Weightlifting and Fitness Awareness Club, an organization I founded as a sophomore to promote a judgment-free community for Cardinals to weight train and become healthier. As for the arts, I’m involved in the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra and jump at the chance to play with any student groups.

Activities/Interests Off Campus: Off campus, I am involved with an ESL tutoring program based in China that I helped found with a peer from another university while we were both studying Mandarin there. Working as a cross-cultural tutor in this organization not only allows me to practice my Mandarin Chinese, which I love to learn, but also expands the kinds of differing perspectives that I get to hear.

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Turkey and Cyprus

High School: American Academy Nicosia

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): Biology and Art Studio Double Major

Email Ruby

Why Wes? When I was applying to college, I knew I wanted to pursue both biology and art. Wesleyan’s open curriculum not only made it possible for me to major in both fields, but also encouraged it—fostering an environment where students are inspired to explore a wide range of disciplines. As someone who thrives on encouragement rather than high-pressure environments, I’ve come to appreciate the collaborative and supportive atmosphere in every class I’ve taken at Wes. I’ve also seen how deeply passionate students are about both their academic and non-academic pursuits. Since arriving, I’ve joined clubs I’d never heard of before and found space to explore new interests while deepening existing ones. From learning how to farm to leading Bible studies, Wes has been a place where I can grow in many directions—academically, creatively, and spiritually.

Favorite class, and why? One of my favorite classes at Wesleyan was God and Guns: The History of Firearms in America. As someone focused on art and science, I initially felt like a fish out of water in a history. While a religion course was outside of my majors of interest, the class turned out to be incredibly eye-opening. We explored how early American colonists’ relationships with firearms have shaped today’s gun culture, and how religious and political beliefs have influenced that evolution. By the end of the semester, I was writing 20-page research papers on a subject I never expected to be so compelling.

Activities/Interests at Wes: When I first arrived at Wes, I signed up for far too many activities in the spirit of trying something new. After attending a variety of events, I found a few favorites that I’ve continued with. I began attending Wesleyan Christian Fellowship Bible studies early on and will be serving as president this upcoming year. I’ve also been deeply involved in Long Lane Farm, a student-run farm where I conduct summer research on crop plants for the biology department. This past semester, I auditioned for WesArabesque’s Sleeping Beauty ballet and had the opportunity to dance as The Queen! On campus, I’ve worked as a resident advisor for first-year students, a gGallery attendant at the Pruzan Art Center, and a summer farm manager!

Activities/Interests off campus: While most of my time is spent on campus, I’ve also become involved in several areas of the Middletown community. As a member and volunteer at Fellowship Church, I serve as a worship leader on Sundays and regularly meet with local community groups. I’ve performed at open mic nights at The Buttonwood Tree, learned to swing dance at Vinnie’s, and volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul’s food pantry. With so many state parks and hiking trails nearby, I’ve loved spending time outdoors with friends. My favorite spots are the trails at Wadsworth Falls and Miller’s Pond!

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: New Delhi, India

High School: The British School

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): Economics and Data Analysis

Email Ariyaan

Why Wes? In high school, I applied to nearly 40 colleges and universities—mostly for their engineering or economics programs. Wesleyan stood out as the only liberal arts school, and I ultimately chose it because I realized education here is about more than acquiring a credential or technical skill. Wesleyan challenges you to know yourself well, and once you do, you can take many different routes to get where you want to go. I’ve loved that flexibility—whether it’s diving into economics and data, working on a start-up incubator project, or exploring democracy through ancient Greek texts.

Favorite class, and why? My favorite class so far has been Democracy and Its Discontents. I loved how the course explored democracy through a Greek lens, asking fundamental questions about power, citizenship, and belonging. It challenged me to think more critically about how democratic institutions are defined and how those definitions impact who gets to participate in society. That mix of history, philosophy, and political analysis gave me a new framework for thinking about issues I care about, like governance and equity.

Activities/Interests at Wes: I’m a teaching apprentice in the Economics department, where I run review sessions and office hours, and I also work as a dean’s peer tutor, helping other students strengthen their academic skills. Beyond academics, I’m on the board of the South Asian Society (Shakti), and I stay involved in campus life through admission tours and student panels.

Activities/Interests off campus: I founded JustThrive, a nonprofit that supports underprivileged and disabled athletes in India by providing funding, equipment, and training opportunities. I’m also deeply interested in technology, real estate, and investing—I’ve worked on building AI models to streamline financial workflows in real estate and enjoy researching how innovation can transform industries. These interests let me balance my passion for social impact with my drive to explore business and technology.

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

High School: Packer Collegiate Institute

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): Sociology and education double major, African American studies minor

Email Olivia

Why Wes: It’s so difficult to summarize, but I do remember that during my tour at Wes, there was a sense of liveliness and excitement on campus that I didn’t feel anywhere else. I was really drawn to the open curriculum at Wes. Not only does it give people the opportunity to explore new areas, but it also attracts curious and open-minded people to the school. Despite the fact that Wes is a smaller school, the people that I’ve met are multifaceted, inspiring, and thoughtful within each and every one of their interests and activities inside and outside the classroom. I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to explore and discover more about myself through these various opportunities at Wes alongside amazing individuals.

Favorite Class, and Why? My favorite class is Intimate Histories: Black Women’s Sexuality, taught by Dr. Kaisha Esty. Every time I left a class session, I felt my curiosity grow, and that is my favorite feeling after a class. I especially appreciated the ways that she engaged with us on how to deeply analyze primary and secondary sources to see the intimate truths about Black women. This class was incredibly intense but taught in the most purposeful and enriching way. Dr. Esty led us through the investigation of African American women’s history by teaching us the right way to ask questions and engage in conversation with one another to reassess the historical “truths” we’ve been told.

Activities/Interests at Wes: I’ve worked as a peer career advisor at the Gordon Career Center for the past two years. I am a teacher assistant for the Afghan Female Student Outreach Program. I tutor for WesReads/WesMath, working with 1st graders at Macdonough Elementary School. Recently, I became an education curriculum volunteer, where I help with reproductive health education for students in Nepal. This is work for Pyari Education, a company founded by the amazing Priyanshu Pokhrel ’26! I also enjoy going to Wes Latin and Ballroom dance and the Women of Color Collective!

Activities/Interests Off Campus: This summer, I’m doing an internship with TurnUp Activism while working as a research assistant for both Professor Besharat-Mann and Professor Hepford, assisting with projects within the Education Studies Department. During my free time, I enjoy baking, yoga, exercising, singing, reading, going to Broadway shows with my family, and enjoying the beautiful parks in the city with friends!

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Fayetteville, Arkansas

High School: Fayetteville High School

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): English and theater double major

Email Senica

Why Wes: As a student from the South, knowing that I can build a support system matters to me. Between the faculty and the student-led aspects of the campus, I knew I would be able to do that here. Learning that the faculty want to invest in their mentorships with students and really spend time helping them with their Wesleyan journey and beyond was important to me. Additionally, being able to have numerous opportunities to try things and apply what I am learning in the classroom with other students is amazing. Within the live performance community on campus, there are so many different ways to take what I am learning in theater classes and apply it to theater, film productions, fashion shows, and dance shows.

Favorite Class, and Why? My favorite class has to be the first-year seminar that I took, August Wilson, an English course that focuses on reading all ten plays of August Wilson’s Pittsburgh cycle. I am going into my second time being a teaching assistant in this class this fall. This was the first class that I found myself connecting with the material on a personal level and finding intersections between my identity as a Black person from the South to Black history and culture. I also really connected and bonded with the professor, and we have a wonderful relationship where she is now my thesis advisor. This class is the reason I majored in English, and it helped me find my path here at Wesleyan.

Activities/Interests at Wes: I am an academic peer advisor with Student Academic Resources, and I work the front desk at the Gordon Career Center. Within clubs and organizations, I am the chair for SPARC: Student Performing Arts Resource Committee. I am also the primary contact and producing board member for SHADES POC Theater Collective. I am a member of the Women of Color Collective. In the past, I worked on the Student of Color Fashion Show Committee and also on shows with Spike Tape and Nosy Visuals. Also, I have worked on a senior film thesis and numerous Theater Department shows and theses as well.

Activities/Interests Off Campus: In my free time, I love to write and read. Since being at Wesleyan, I have written four plays, one musical, and two TV pilots. I am a twice-published playwright, having a monologue and a scene appear in two different anthologies. I have also been a member of the Dramatists Guild since 2023. With internships, I was fortunate to work with the children’s theater in my hometown in the summer of 2023. During my spring semester 2024, I worked as a development intern with Incognegro Productions, Billy Porter’s Production company. I also enjoy volunteering with Oddfellows Children’s Theater in Middletown.

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: New York, New York

High School: American School in London

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): Sociology major, physics minor

Email George

Why Wes: I didn’t know much about Wes at first. My college counselor recommended it to me, and I applied. Only since I’ve been here has it become the place for me, which I feel is a testament to the relationship you build with a place. Wes has the very unique ability to be quite small and personal and yet also offers wildly different experiences depending on what you seek out. There is a real energy of interrogating and deconstructing what is taken as a given amongst the professors that I love. Plus, I’ve met good people here who I’m very lucky to have in my life.

Favorite Class, and Why? My favorite class at Wes would have to either be The Fall of Rome, and Other Stories, taught by Professor Torgerson, or West African Dance, taught by Professor Iddrisu Saaka. The Fall of Rome was a fascinating retelling of Roman history that completely deconstructs one of the major historical narratives of the time: that Rome fell at all. West African Dance was pure joy! I’m not much of a dancer (at least not a very coordinated one) and much less on stage, but the class was such a freeing experience of putting yourself out there and just having fun.

Activities/Interests at Wes: On campus, I work as a peer career advisor at the Gordon Career Center. I’m perpetually taking too many classes, studying physics (with a concentration in astrophysics) and sociology. When I have the time, I’m a part of the Disengineering club and the Magic: The Gathering club.

Activities/Interests Off Campus: At home, I’m a pretty voracious reader, and I love watching movies. I’m a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur supporter, and I’m also a Knicks fan. I love to watch mini documentaries about absolutely random things. I grew up in five different countries, so I’ve always loved exploring and traveling. I just visited my 22nd country (Costa Rica) last spring!

Pronouns: He/him

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

High School: Institute for Collaborative Education

Major(s), Minor(s), Certificate(s): College of East Asian Studies major, civic engagement minor

Email Isaac

Why Wes: When I toured Wesleyan on Zoom, I learned about the “rule of seven,” which suggests Wesleyan students choose seven things to do (including classes, clubs, and jobs) per semester, in order to avoid being stressed. My tour guide explained that this was only in place because of the endless opportunities to explore various interests and build so many different communities here at Wes. Coming from a tiny high school with too many ideas of what I wanted to study in college, the intimate community (that still felt big to me), paired with the plethora of both academic and community-building opportunities at Wes, had me sold. I love Wes because the number of opportunities has made my “rule of seven” change every semester. Even after three years, there’s still so much I have to explore!

Favorite Class, and Why? One of my favorite classes would have to be DANC244: Delicious Movement: Time Is Not Even, Space Is Not Empty, taught by Visiting Professor Eiko Otake, who is a professional dance artist in New York City. I loved it because it truly embodied the spirit of Wesleyan—learning about history we are never taught in a “normal” history class, and working to comprehend it through a style of dance that our professor had personally created. While there were points throughout the course where I was definitely lost or confused, the knowledge that I gained, as well as the connections I made with Professor Otake and my fellow students, are those that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Activities/Interests at Wes: I am a coordinator of and teacher at the Cardinal Kids Afterschool Program, where Wes students teach afterschool at Middletown elementary schools. I’m also a member of the College of East Asian Studies Majors Committee, Wesleyan Jewish Community, and work for the Office of Student Involvement as an office assistant and orientation leader.

Activities/Interests Off Campus: Over my summers, I’ve interned for politicians and nonprofits supporting immigrant rights and language justice in New York City. I also really love to cook (and eat) and can usually be found cooking up a storm or going on a side quest for the best pho in Connecticut!

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