Meet the Speakers

Literally in hundreds...
Truthfully, it would be almost impossible to provide bios for each of the 700+ speakers who've participated in this program ove the years. In 2010/2011, we'll attempt to compile bios for all of the new speakers and list them on this page. In 2009/2010, 113 international students from 48 countries around the world joined the program. They made 1,000+ presentations to an audience of 34,000+ teachers and students in Minnesota. Below is a list of only some of them who happened to participate in the trip to Fairmont in January 2009. Check back frequently to see a growing list of this year's fabulous speakers.

Ahmad (Malaysia) is currently studying chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota on a scholarship from the Malaysian government. This is his first study abroad opportunity. His hobbies include playing musical instruments, playing video games and outdoor activities.

Alena (Belarus) has finished high school and university in Belarus majoring in foreign languages. She is now attending school in the U.S. pursuing a Master's in Hospitality. She has taught English as a Second Language. Alena loves travelling, meeting new people and gaining new experiences. She is interested in getting involved in international organizations and getting to know more cultures and countries.

Amit (India) is a senior police office working in the city of Hyderabad. Presently, he is participating in an international fellowship program at the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota. His area of professional interest is investigating white collar crimes. This fellowship is affiliated with the St. Paul Police Department. His hobbies are reading, listening to music, and keeping up-to-date on political news.

Beata (Poland) is a 2009/2010 International Fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. She is an economist who works for the Polish Ministry of Finance where she is responsible for economic programs and fiscal policy analysis. She has visited the U.S. several times, mostly Washington D.C., and has travelled extensively in Europe. In June 2009 she spent two weeks in The Gambia, in Africa.

Blanche (Poland) grew up in Minnesota but spent many summers in Poland. She is a Polish folk artist/ musician and is active in many local Polish organizations. She is a musician with Dolina Polish Folk Dancers.

Christine (Germany) is an Amity scholar. After finishing her Master's in English Linguistics and Medieval Literature (major), English literature and Political Science (minors) as well as her teaching degree in English as a Second Language and Social Science, she decided to participate in the Amity program. She is currently a teaching assistant at the Twin Cities German Immersion School in St. Paul. Christine enjoys spending time with friends, reading, going to movies and cooking.

Edmon (Armenia) is a human rights attorney from Armenia. He is a Hubert H. Humphrey Law Fellow and is affiliated with the University of Minnesota Law School, where he is studying international human rights law. Edmon will stay in Minneapolis till May 2010. His hobbies are traveling, classical music and swimming.

Elias (Kenya) was born in Nairobi and immigrated to the United States with his family. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in May 2009 with a major in Global Studies and a minor in Business Management. He is currently working with REM Ramsey and doing an internship at the Minnesota International Center. In his free time, he loves to play and watch soccer, listen to music and watch movies.

Felix (Germany) is 17 years old and came to the U.S. from Munich in order to gain experiences in another country and learn about the country's culture. He is currently going Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, MN. In June 2010, his year in America will be completed and he will return to Germany. His hobbies, while here in America, have been going with friends to see movies, eating hot dogs and hanging out with friends whom he met at high school and from his exchange program.

Jessica (Germany) is 23 years old and is an Amity Scholar here in Minnesota. Her parents are originally from Poland so she is bilingual in German and Polish. In Germany she is studying Art, Math, German Sports and German as a Foreign Language and is training to be an Elementary School Teacher. Art and sports are her main interests.

Jessica (The Netherlands) is 17 years old and is an exchange student at Spring Lake Park High School. She has been in Minnesota for five months and will stay until June 2010. After she leaves in June, Jessica will go to college in The Netherlands.

Juan (Nicaragua) feels that he was very fortunate to be chosen to participate in a scholarship program in Iowa where he studied for two and a half years. His hobbies include listening to music, dancing and spending time with friends.

Kate (China) was born in Sichuan province, but has spent four years in Beijing getting her Bachelor's degree. She is in the U.S. to pursue a master's degree in Public Policy. Her hobbies include reading, cooking, playing badminton and watching movies.

Leyre (Spain) is an American Field Service (AFS) exchange student from Spain who wanted to come to the U.S., to have new experiences and learn about another culture. Leyre goes to Roseville High School, and is active in cross country skiing, Nordic skiing, International club and Earth group.

Marie (Cote d'Ivoire) works with children who are in conflict with the law. She has been a deputy chairperson of the Youth Administration since 2001.

Mikalai (Belarus) moved to the U.S. in 2003 to study international business. He graduated from Metropolitan State University in 2007 and has a background in marketing, sales and diversity management. His interests include social media, entrepreneurship, international affairs, photography, political studies and coaching.

Nguyen (Viet Nam) is currently a senior at Macalester College, Saint Paul. Upon his arrival in the U.S., Nguyen had three years of high school education at an international school in New Zealand, where he pursued the IB Diploma. Originally from Vietnam, Nguyen is fluent in Vietnamese and English, also conversational in Chinese. Nguyen enjoys a variety of sports (badminton, racquetball, soccer and swimming).

Pirita (Finland) is 17 years old and will be an exchange student in Minneapolis until June 2010. In Finland she used to dance few times a week, but here she played tennis and is in cheerleading. In her free time, she likes to go to movies, go shopping or just hang out with her friends as all teenagers do. Pirita likes travelling and loves music, although she does not play an instrument.

Reem (United Arab Emirates) has been in the U.S. since August 2008 and is an MA-HRIR (Masters of Art in Human Resources and Industrial Relations) candidate at University of Minnesota. Reem likes to paint, listen to music, swim and travel.

Rumani (India) is 16 years old and is an AFS exchange student at Highland Park Senior High in St. Paul for 2009-2010. Rumani is active in the student community, having played tennis in the fall, made it to the dance team this winter and also starting a club named "Incredible India." Rumani likes pets, especially cats and dogs, and enjoys movies.

Saiyora (Tajikistan) is a Humphrey Fellow at the University of Minnesota studying public policy analysis and public administration. Saiyora's hobbies include reading and going shopping.

Tatiana (Colombia) is 27 years old and is an aspiring fashion designer. She is an Amity intern teacher at Park Spanish Immersion School in St. Louis Park. Before coming to the U.S., she volunteered as an English teacher with the Maureen Orth Foundation in Medellin which serves under underprivileged schools in Colombia. She loves music, movies and books and likes to cook

Trang (Vietnam) is an exchange student at the University of Minnesota, studying international economics. He really is enjoying his time here and has made many friends from around the world. His hobbies are watching funny movies and gathering with friends.

Uttam (Bangladesh) is a human rights lawyer and is affiliated with the University of Minnesota Law School and Human Rights Center as a Humphrey Fellow (Fulbright Scholar). His area of focus is law and human rights (i.e., human trafficking). He is an Attorney in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. However, for last six years, he worked with the United Nations system (e.g., United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organization for Migration) as a Legal Expert. Uttam's hobbies are travel, reading and creative writing. He has written a weekly column for The Minnesota Daily; and contributed to leading dailies and weeklies in Bangladesh on legal and human rights issues.

Vien (Viet Nam) is studying biology at Macalester College in St. Paul. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, socializing, or sometimes just sleeping in. His interests are photography, cinema, fishing and working with animals.