Wesleyan International Speakers Program (WISP)
The Wesleyan International Speakers Program (WISP) is a year-long volunteer program for current Wesleyan students who are passionate about promoting intercultural awareness, bridging cultural gaps, and fostering global connections within our campus and beyond. The program offers a unique opportunity for students who identify as coming from an international background to serve as Speakers and share short presentations and talks about their home country(ies), culture(s), and/or language(s) with various audiences within the Wesleyan and Middletown communities. Read on to learn about each of the Speakers and the structure of the program. Complete to request a WISP Speaker for your class or event!
WISP Speakers – Academic Year 2025-2026
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Vik Georgieva (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Government, Neuroscience & Behavior, and Psychology
Bulgaria
Read MoreLanguages spoken: I’m fluent in Bulgarian, English, and Russian. I’m currently learning French, American Sign Language (ASL), and Greek at Wes and self-studying Macedonian and Turkish.
Bio: Hey hey! I’m Vik (she/her) and I’m a junior, majoring in Government, Neuroscience and Behavior as well as Psychology. I’m from Haskovo, a small town in Southern Bulgaria. In my free time I read (anything really, but mostly graphic novels) and make comics. I enjoy dancing and fashion. My favorite building on campus is Allbritton but the construction site next to Exley is a close second. On campus I’m mostly involved in public speaking clubs, like Mock Trial and Debate. A fun fact about me is that I know every poem by Hristo Botev, my favorite Bulgarian revolutionary, by heart. I love memorizing stuff, so I happen to know the entire Bee Movie script as well. Through WISP I’m inviting people to get more familiar with Bulgaria but I’m also excited to learn about the countries the other wonderful speakers are from. I joined this program because most people in the U.S. don’t know much about Bulgaria. I’d like to spread awareness about my culture and its origins. I’m particularly interested in the language, history and traditional dance.
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Tamiraa Sanjaajav (she/her)
Class of 2027 - Computer Science and Government (International Relations track)
Mongolia
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Mongolian, English, and German (working proficiency)
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Tamiraa Sanjaajav and I use she/her pronouns! I am a junior majoring in Computer Science and International Relations. I grew up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. On campus, I am involved with the Sustainability Office and University Communications Center. Outside of school, I love to learn about design and read books. My hobby is learning new things. I am currently learning how to paint using watercolors. One interesting fact about me is that I used to have a giant blood mark on my left arm. I joined WISP because I love talking about Mongolian history and culture with people, and I like to engage in talks about culture, diversity, and inclusivity. I hope to foster curiosity and positivity in people's hearts with my presentations on Mongolian history and culture. I also want to learn about different countries and ethnicities!
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Raiza Goel (she/her)
Class of 2028 - Intended Majors: Government and Economics
India
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: English, Hindi, and Punjabi
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Raiza Goel and I use she/her pronouns. I am a sophomore, planning to major in Economics and Government. I grew up in the same city for 15 years of my life in Chandigarh, India. On campus, I am involved in Debate, Acardia, The Argus, WIG, Women in Finance and Consulting Pathways Training Program. Outside of School, I love learning about different countries and their cultures and work closely with Feminist Forums specially in the Asia-Pacific. I love drawing and sketching. I wanted to be part of WISP to promote my culture and learn in depth about other cultures. I joined this program because it seemed like the perfect opportunity to foster my interests in just knowing more about different languages and cultures. I am also really proud of where I come from, specially because of how diverse my country is, so I wish to add to the diversity of this amazing program. I look forward to seeing what immersion of cultures looks like!
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Dragos-Andrei Geica (he/him)
Class of 2028 - Economics and certificate in Applied Data Science
Romania
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Romanian, English, and French; I can also read Russian and Arabic.
Bio: Hey everyone! My name is Dragos, and I use he/him pronouns. I am a sophomore planning to major in Economics with an Applied Data Science certificate. I grew up in Bucharest, Romania – the so called "Little Paris." On campus, I am involved in the Debate Club, the Wesleyan Investment Group, and the Consulting Pathways program. I also work at IMS, so you might sometimes see me come to your class to solve tech-related issues. :) Outside of school I love studying foreign languages and alphabets. Fun fact, I can write your name in 7 alphabets. :) I joined WISP because I want to share more about Romanian culture. As far as my knowledge goes, I am currently the only Romanian student enrolled ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ. However, I also want to interact with other cultures and immerse myself in a multicultural environment like WISP!
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Sonaly (Abida) Mehnaz Nahar (she/they)
Class of 2028 - Economics and Government
Bangladesh
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Bangla, English, Hindi, Intermediate French, Elementary Korean
Bio: My name is Sonaly, and I use she/they pronouns! I’m a rising sophomore, prospectively majoring in Economics and Government (International Relations concentration). I grew up among the bustling streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh. On campus, I am involved in Psi Upsilon Fraternity, International Student Advisory Board, Wesleyan Debate Society, ASHA, SOC Fashion Show, International Buddy Program, and KDC. Outside of school, I love working as the Communications Intern for OISA to bring you the latest WISE! My hobbies include crocheting, designing pro bono graphics, collecting trinkets, and listening to songs in an album chronologically. One interesting fact about me is I can read and write 5 languages, and I aspire to learn more! I look forward to being part of WISP to help the Wesleyan community discover and appreciate the rich culture, history, music, and cuisine of Bangladesh.
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Isabella Xue (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Psychology
China
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: English, Mandarin, a little bit of ASL
Bio: Hey, everyone! My name is Isabella, and I use she/her pronouns. I am a freshman hoping to major in Psychology and possibly something else. I grew up in Beijing, China. I love crocheting, listening to many kinds of music (recently very into symphonies), eating tanghulu, reading psychology-related books, and, generally, things that involve interactions with children. One interesting fact about me is I was a little bit scared of dogs, but after my dad adopted a puppy recently, I became a total fan :) Being part of WISP is a way for me to share Chinese culture and traditions with everyone. Many people ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ represent different regions of China that others may not know about, and I want to show how these regions shape us as individuals through this great opportunity!
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Suki Chen (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Theater and Art History
Hong Kong
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Cantonese, Mandarin, English
Bio: Hi, I'm Suki (she/her), a freshman intending to major in Art History and Theater. I was raised between Hong Kong and Guangdong, China. On campus, I'm involved with the Mixolydians a cappella group, the debate club, the outing club, and I help coordinate the Cantonese Table. Outside of school, I love singing, traveling, and seeking out new experiences. I joined WISP to share my own culture, connect with friends from around the world, and help break down cultural barriers!
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Akari Ikeda (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Philosophy and Government
Japan
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Japanese and English (currently studying Korean!)
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Akari and I use she/her pronouns! I am a freshman hoping to major in Philosophy and Government. I grew up in Japan and the United Kingdom. On campus, I am a staff writer for the news section of The Argus and am most likely to be found in Olin. In my free time, I enjoy drawing, creative writing, game hunting, watching films, and reading. One interesting fact about me is that I can fly planes (my favorite planes are the Piper Archer and the Douglas Dakota). I want to be part of WISP because both the cultures I grew up in have beautifully rich traditions that I would love for more people to get to know. P.S. If you think British food tastes bad, come talk to me - I'll try and prove you wrong!
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Chelsea Zhang (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Economics
China
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Mandarin and English
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Chelsea Zhang and I use she/her pronouns! I am a freshman hoping to major in Economics. I grew up in Chengdu, a beautiful city in the center of China. On campus I am involved in Vicious Circle, badminton club, Debate and Consulting Pathways Training Program. Outside of school I love snowboarding, reading Chinese literature, and cooking. I enjoy learning new things and meeting different people to share stories with. I want to be part of WISP because I love sharing about Chinese culture and I believe this can be one step to diversify Wesleyan.
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Baidawu Iliyasu (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Undecided
Ghana
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Kotokoli, Hausa, Twi, English
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Baidawu Iliyasu, and I use she/her pronouns. I am a freshman, currently undecided about my major. I grew up in Ghana, and on campus, I work in the library. Outside of school, I love cooking and dancing, which are two of my favorite hobbies. One interesting fact about me is that I enjoy learning about different cultures through food and music. I want to be part of WISP because I hope to foster cross-cultural exchange and share my background while learning from the diverse experiences of others.
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Rachel (Ruihan) Duan (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Undecided
China
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Chinese, English, learning Japanese and Spanish
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Rachel Duan, or Ruihan Duan(段睿涵), and I use she/her pronouns! I am a freshman with an undecided major. I grew up in Beijing, China. I love performing arts, such as singing, dancing, and acting, and I’m trying to get involved with more on-campus art organizations. I am also working as a Chinese Language Partner. One interesting fact about me is that I don’t know any form of card games except UNO. I want to be part of WISP because I’m very proud of my culture, and I would love to give my effort to spread that.
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Joyce Gui (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Economics and Film Studies
China
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: English, Chinese, Spanish (elementary level)
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Joyce and I use she/her pronouns! I am a freshman and hopefully will double major in economics and film studies. I grew up in Shanghai, China. On campus I am involved in student organizations such as The Foster Connection, Marketing Club, Wesleyan Investment Group, etc. Outside of school I love volleyball, and created a band with my friends. One interesting fact about me is that I love mixing and matching single earrings to create new pairs. I want to be part of WISP because I want to serve as the speaker, listener, and help to foster community connections as well as mutual understanding through leading presentations. I also aim to promote intercultural awareness among Wesleyan’s diverse student groups.
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Yordanos Gebru (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Computer Science and Neuroscience
Ethiopia
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Amharic and English
Bio: Hello! I’m Yordanos (she/her), a freshman planning to major in Computer Science and Neuroscience and Behavior. I grew up in Addis Ababa, the beautiful and bustling capital of Ethiopia. On campus, I’m involved in Western Blots and the African Students Association. Fun fact: at one point in life, I was the proud mom of twelve cats (please don’t ask how that went). When I’m not trying to capture the perfect photo of the sky or playing the ancient Ethiopian harp, you’ll probably find me reading classic authors (yes, I’m quite the Austenite) or listening to classical music. I joined WISP because I believe it’s a far better way to learn about the world than trying to memorize every country on the map. More importantly, I genuinely enjoy sharing my culture and history with others.
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Melissa Xu (she/her)
Class of 2029 - Sociology and Education Studies
China
Read MoreLanguages Spoken: Mandarin and English
Bio: Hi everyone! My name is Melissa and I use she/her pronouns! I am a freshman and I haven’t decided my major, but I'm considering Sociology and Education Studies. I grew up in Anhui, hefei, China. I want to be part of WISP because I want to exercise my English speaking skills.
Goals of WISP
- Empower international students to educate community members about their country(ies), culture(s), and language(s) through their own perspectives and lived experiences
- Contribute to a campus culture that recognizes, embraces, and celebrates international students and their unique identities and stories
- Foster cross-cultural curiosity, intercultural learning, and global awareness within the Wesleyan and Middletown communities
Speaker Responsibilities
- Commit to serving as a speaker for 1 full academic year (fall and spring semesters)
- Give at least one presentation per semester
- Attend program meetings and monthly events, including cohort socials and professional development sessions
- Collaborate with other Speakers in the program to plan and deliver presentations
- Assist with outreach and promotion of WISP events
Eligibility
- Must be a Wesleyan undergraduate or graduate student
- Must identify as coming from an international background or have previous global experience(s)
- Must be passionate about your home country(ies), culture(s), and language(s) and promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding
- Speakers who fulfill their responsibilities and are interested in continuing in the program are eligible to extend for an additional year upon approval by the OISA Director and Assistant Director of International Student Engagement.
Benefits
- Opportunities to engage with Wesleyan and Middletown community members and raise awareness about your country(ies), culture(s), and language(s)
- Monthly socials with other Speakers to build strong connections within Wesleyan's international community
- Support from the Presentation Studio and OISA professional staff to practice and improve your communication, presentation, and public speaking skills
- Professional development, leadership, and networking opportunities
*Program participants will be provided with transportation to community venues, such as local schools, for speaker requests from outside of Wesleyan.
Applying to Join WISP
The WISP application for the fourth cohort of Speakers (2026-2027 academic year) will be opened and shared with current international students via email and the Wesleyan International Student E-newsletter (WISE) at the start of the Fall 2026 Semester.
Questions?
For questions about WISP, please send an email to oisa@wesleyan.edu with “WISP inquiry” in the subject line.