Student Ambassadors

Anmol Grewal is a junior at Harvard College studying Government. She is from Bakersfield, California, and is passionate about entering the legal field as her professional career begins. She spent the first half of the summer in Lisbon, Portugal, and the other half working at a law firm back home. In her free time, she loves making music, working out, baking, reading and writing, and playing video games. She is excited to explore the endless opportunities that are available to connect CID to the greater College student population.  

Cat is an Ed.M. student in Human Development and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Before coming to Harvard, she taught K-12 students across shelter, private, public, and lab schools in Beijing, Bali, Lima, Dakar, and Massachusetts. Her work with students draws on Paulo Freire's distinction between education that integrates people into existing systems and education as a practice of freedom, alongside Jean Baker Miller's analysis of how dominant groups set norms others must navigate. One of her most meaningful experiences was supporting Student M, a fifth grader with visual and cognitive disabilities, through name-writing practice in Lima, finding a hand-over-hand approach to meet M where she was.

At Smith College, Cat led the Chinese Students Association and co-led the International Students Organization, planning cultural events in partnership with the International Students and Scholars Office and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, from budgeting and logistics to publicity and day-of coordination. As a CID Student Ambassador, she looks forward to bringing that same planning and follow-through to gatherings that connect students' coursework to development opportunities.

Haben Tekle Abrha is an Edward S. Mason Fellow and Master in Public Administration candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, where she serves as a Student Ambassador for the Center for International Development (CID). She is an international affairs and security professional, diplomat, and peacebuilding practitioner with over a decade of experience advancing diplomacy, governance, conflict prevention, post-conflict reconstruction, security, and regional cooperation across Africa.

Prior to Harvard, Haben served as a Policy Officer in the African Union Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, where she contributed to continental peace and security initiatives through policy development, conflict prevention, governance strengthening, and post-conflict reconstruction strategies. She contributed to advancing the African Union’s Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Policy, supported the establishment of the AU Centre for PCRD in Cairo, and advanced African-led approaches to peacebuilding and institutional resilience. She also provided policy support during the early phases of the Pretoria Peace Agreement process in northern Ethiopia, including initiatives related to Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR). Her work involved collaboration with African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities, the United Nations, and international partners to strengthen multilateral peace and security frameworks.

Previously, Haben served as a Diplomat and Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Eritrea, where she focused on bilateral diplomacy, regional peace and security, Red Sea strategic security dynamics, Nile Basin cooperation, and engagement with regional and international partners. She also served as a political analyst, providing public commentary through state media on regional geopolitics, foreign policy, and international affairs.

At Harvard Kennedy School, Haben’s work bridges international cooperation, diplomacy, global development, negotiation, peace and security, and public policy. Her interests center on strengthening multilateral cooperation, advancing African-led solutions to global challenges, and developing innovative policy approaches that promote sustainable development, inclusive governance, and international peace.

Haben is a mentor with the Women’s Foreign Policy Group and co-founder of the Young Female Professionals Association.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations, an Advanced MBA specializing in Human Resource Management, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. She has also participated in selected professional training programs through Cato University. Fluent in Tigrinya and Amharic, with working proficiency in Arabic and Italian, she is committed to advancing principled diplomacy, effective negotiation, and collaborative policy solutions to complex global challenges.

Hamzah Kerdi is a concurrent degree candidate at Harvard, pursuing a Master in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and a Master of Theological Studies in Islamic Theology at Harvard Divinity School. An Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar and 2025 Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at HKS, his work sits at the intersection of global health, migration, and economic development. Through the Obama Foundation, he worked across Morocco and Spain studying refugee integration, collaborating with the Moroccan Ministry of Health to support rural clinics and with NGOs in southern Spain serving sub-Saharan African refugees on both sides of their journey. He currently serves as Graduate Coordinator for Community-Based Programs at the MIT Priscilla King Gray (PKG) Center for Social Impact.

Hamzah graduated from UC San Diego with a BA in Political Science–Public Law and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies, where he advanced equity-centered advocacy through roles on the Fair Housing Compliance team at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, as a Research Peer Coach for UCSD's 8,000+ transfer students, and as a legislative intern at the UC Office of Federal Governmental Relations in Washington, DC. He was named to the Arab America Foundation's 20 Under 20 and plans to dedicate his career to economic development and poverty reduction.

Helen Chang is a development finance professional currently in her second year of the Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) program at Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to HKS, she worked at Morgan Stanley and the Korea Development Bank, where she became interested in leveraging the private sector and financial markets to address development challenges. This past summer, she interned at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, contributing to policy dialogues for capital and financial market development across Europe, Central Asia, and Africa. She also interned at Finance in Motion, where she supported the structuring and analysis of climate-resilient investments in Latin America. As a CID Student Ambassador, Helen aims to foster an inclusive, cross-disciplinary network of future development leaders to bridge the conversation between businesses and governments.

Crystal Gee is a Master in Public Policy (MPP) candidate at Harvard Kennedy School interested in resilience building innovations against humanitarian emergencies, particularly those induced by climate shocks. This past summer, Crystal interned at the Public Partnerships Division at the United Nations World Food Programme, where she supported country operations in shaping multi-year programmatic and donor partnerships with national governments and conducted analyses on Asia's funding landscape for climate anticipatory action programmes. Prior to HKS, Crystal served migrant communities as a frontline educator and worked as a management consultant advising leading institutions in climate-tech manufacturing, healthcare, and finance. As a CID Student Ambassador, Crystal hopes to deepen Harvard's engagement with practitioners and researchers working at the frontier of climate resilience and disaster recovery, and to elevate Asia-Pacific's development experience in Harvard's broader discourse on international development.

Jakaphan Suksiri is a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration candidate and Mason Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. Originally from Thailand, he has built a career at the intersection of corporate finance and international organization.

Before coming to Harvard, Jakaphan was with the United Nations, working in Ethiopia and later at UN Headquarters in New York. His work has focused on budgeting, financial management, internal controls, institutional accountability, and helping public organizations use limited resources more effectively. Prior to joining the United Nations, he spent nearly a decade in commercial finance and business strategy roles with multinational companies, including Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Universal Robina, across Southeast Asia.

Jakaphan is interested in public financial management, state capacity, policymaking, and public-sector reform, particularly in emerging economies. As a CID Student Ambassador, he looks forward to bringing perspectives from Southeast Asia, Africa, and the multilateral system, connecting students across Harvard, and contributing to conversations on how stronger institutions and sound public finance can advance inclusive and sustainable development.

Jungho Park is a master’s student in the Education Policy and Analysis program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He recently earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Columbia University. He currently teaches International Baccalaureate Business Management and Economics at a private educational institution in South Korea, working with high school students from around the world. He also serves on HLAB’s Global Representative Team, mentoring Japanese high school students to expand their access to global educational opportunities. Throughout his undergraduate studies, he has collaborated with companies such as the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation in Korea to design and host academic camps during summer and winter breaks, making global education more accessible for students. At Harvard, Jungho works with the Harvard College Dean of Students Office as a graduate assistant, supporting undergraduate programming and student engagement. 

Jungho Park grew up across five cities: Cebu, Abu Dhabi, Baguio, Seoul, and New York. Living in different cultural and educational environments shaped his global perspective, which strengthened his interest in how different education systems influence students’ opportunities. With this, Jungho is passionate about expanding access to high-quality education and understanding how international education systems shape students’ long-term opportunities.

Katya Popova is a junior at Harvard College pursuing a double BA in Economics and Government, and a Certificate in Latin American Studies. She grew up moving between the US, Scotland, and Romania. Her interest in global development arose at a young age, questioning why similar democratic institutions and agencies across countries could not build similar capacities. Starting in high school, she was elected to the board of the only Romanian student represented NGO advocating for improvements in public education and social security. Katya led public campaigns, legal cases to protect constitutional rights, a support hotline, and negotiated with local representatives to guarantee free public transportation for students. Last summer Katya explored monetary policy and IMF financing at the Romanian Central Bank, focusing on green economic policy recommendations, as she manages the only impact investing group on campus. This summer, she pursued quantitative research in structural transformation and coal windfall in emerging markets at the Indonesian Bureau for Economic Research in Jakarta. Outside of her studies, Katya enjoys singing in an all-treble choir and organizing a yearly conference in Latin America with the Harvard Association for Cultivating Inter-American Democracy. In her free time she likes hiking mountains and volcanoes in Romania, watching Brazilian movies, and attending international food festivals.

Luis Figueroa is a humanitarian leader with 15+ years of experience in international organizations (USAID, WFP) leading complex, multi-country programs and managing multi-million-dollar budgets, in fast-paced, ambiguous, and austere environments across Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Luis has directed large-scale multi sector response operations, mainstreaming disaster risk reduction, food security, climate change adaptation, and resilience. He holds a Bachelor of International Studies from Georgia State University, and a Master's in Public Administration from Columbia University. On his free time, he enjoys exploring cities through specialty coffee shops and natural wine bars. He was born in Quito, Ecuador, and migrated with his parents to the US at age 7.

Mahek Vijayvergiya is an incoming Master of Science candidate in Global Health & Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She studied Economics and Health Policy and Administration at Penn State, where her honors research explored how health insurance market concentration affects premiums and access across Affordable Care Act markets, a question that started, honestly, with just being curious: was “more competition” actually improving affordability, or was it merely assumed to be? Before that, she spent a summer abroad in India, mapping healthcare access district by district, supporting health economics and outcomes research. She’s moving to Boston to keep chasing the question: what does it actually take to make a health system work for the people inside it, not just on paper? As a CID Student Ambassador, she looks forward to strengthening connections across Harvard and advancing engagement with research and ideas that promote inclusive, sustainable development.

Marijn Raemaekers is a sophomore at Harvard College concentrating in Energy, Climate, & the Environment and Economics, with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. Having grown up in Manila, Philippines, she is passionate about advancing inclusive and sustainable development in the Global South, an interest she has pursued through work with several NGOs. She has served as president of Operation Smile's Manila Student Chapter, advocating for equitable healthcare; researched the intersection of typhoons and solar energy systems for One Million Lights Philippines; and investigated land rights and conservation policy as an intern for the Masungi Georeserve. Marijn is excited to share CID’s opportunities with students interested in interdisciplinary development work centered on human rights and sustainability. 

Moiz Lakhani is a Canadian-trained physician and currently completing a Master of Science in clinical research at Harvard Medical School. He has advocated at the intersection of international development, education, and healthcare, with a particular interest in advancing youth perspectives in global policy discussions. He was invited by the Government of Qatar to participate in the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE). He was selected as one of 25 young leaders globally for the WISE Learners’ Voice Program where he was invited to speak and advocate on issues related to education and international development. He has also served as a Youth Representative at the United Nations Youth Plenary and ECOSOC Youth Forum at United Headquarters, where he was invited to contribute to discussions on global health & education. For his efforts in global development, Moiz was awarded the Diana Award. 

An avid researcher, Moiz focuses on population-based outcomes and the use of large-scale databases to evaluate real-world health outcomes. His research has been globally recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Neurology and has been featured in media outlets including the New York Post, The Guardian, and Yahoo News. Outside of academics, Moiz is an avid mixed martial artist who has competed on national and international circuits since the age of five.

Yuzhe (Oliver) Song is an incoming second-year student in the Master in Public Policy program at Harvard Kennedy School. This summer, Oliver is interning at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Resident Office in Chisinau, Moldova, where he supports investment projects across different banking teams and conducts research on private-sector competitiveness, public-private partnerships, and Moldova’s path toward EU accession. At HKS, his interests include economic development, development finance, and the political economy of emerging markets, particularly in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa.

Before joining HKS, Oliver studied International Politics & Economics and Russian at Middlebury College. He also spent a semester at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, where he conducted research and deepened his understanding of the political economy, history, and cultures of Eurasia.

After graduating from HKS, Oliver hopes to work in development finance, helping governments and businesses mobilize investment, strengthen economic governance, and advance sustainable and inclusive growth.

Sarah Mills Amo is an Edward S. Mason Fellow and MC/MPA candidate at Harvard Kennedy School. She brings nearly two decades of experience in strategy, transformation, and private-sector leadership, including nine years at GE Vernova, where she led commercial growth, operations, and transformation initiatives across Europe, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She has also founded and co-founded ventures focused on entrepreneurship, leadership development, and building thriving business communities.

At HKS, Sarah is deepening her foundation in economics and governance to broaden the perspectives she brings to leading organizations in emerging markets. As a CID Student Ambassador, she is focused on making the connections between research and practice more deliberate, beginning with the Mason Fellows community and extending across Harvard’s student, alumni, and practitioner networks.

Selim is a junior at Harvard College concentrating in Social Studies & Psychology. He was born and raised in Tunis, Tunisia, where his fascination for international development was sparked, particularly in the MENA region. Selim is also deeply interested in human rights advocacy as a parallel to development. Last summer, Selim studied International Human Rights Law and Behavioral Economics at the London School of Economics, while this summer, he interned at the Center for Strategic Litigation in Tanzania where he researched Gen Z's attitude towards democratic backsliding in East Africa. Outside of work and classes, Selim loves to explore new cafes in Cambridge, enjoys reading, and meeting up with friends.

Sharon Low has over 25 years of experience in global health, social protection, and humanitarian response in conflict-affected and fragile settings across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Her background spans social work, GIS, and public health. Her work focuses on use of traditional and emerging data sources to strengthen decision-making in complex environments. She is Co-Founder and Operations Director of Arq by Allyvate Limited, a global health practice focused on monitoring and evaluation, applied research, and organizational strengthening. She is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and serves on the Steering Committee of Health Systems Global's Thematic Working Group on Fragile and Conflict-Affected States. She is also an AsiaGlobal Fellow with the University of Hong Kong and an Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in Southeast Asia and China, where she works on advancing health equity in the region.

Shreya Goyal is a Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School who focuses on using AI and tech for improving lives while deploying it responsibly. She loves turning ideas into products that create positive impact and pulling people together to build it. Before HKS, she worked at Rocket Learning, where she raised over $8 million and won a $1.5 million Google grant to build India's first AI learning tutor, reaching 4 million children. She started her career in consulting and then spent two years teaching in a low-income public school as a Teach For India fellow, running everything inside and outside the classroom. At Harvard, Shreya was selected as one of 35 Harvard Student Leaders in AI by the Berkman Klein Center, serves as an AI Policy Fellow on the Harvard AI Safety Student Team, has worked with the City of Boston's Mayor's Office, and co-leads the HKS Education Caucus. On the side, she is a Bharatanatyam dancer who enjoys painting mandalas and reading. As a CID Student Ambassador, she looks forward to connecting students across Harvard to CID's work on AI, education, and development. 

Siena Fleischer is a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration candidate at Harvard Kennedy School with 20 years of experience advancing education through international public service. As a USAID Foreign Service Officer, she led participatory development initiatives that centered youth, Indigenous communities, and women as agents of change across Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Ms. Fleischer's leadership was defined by mobilizing high-performing teams toward systemic change that empowers young people to lead in their communities, from brokering trust-building processes with Indigenous leaders in Guatemala's $120M education and youth portfolio, to advancing gender inclusion in Nepal's national reading program, to strengthening rural livelihood diversification in Peru. She also helped steward USAID's global research-to-practice ecosystems, including LASER PULSE and SPARK, connecting university researchers with development practitioners to turn evidence into scaled policy and programming. Building an inclusive development community, Siena led USAID's 500+ member workforce transformation planning, translating equity commitments into agency-wide policy through a comprehensive Strategic Action Plan. 

She holds a master's degree in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, a bachelor's degree from McGill University, and a Youth Diploma from FLACSO Ecuador. Committed to public service renewal, she leads HKS’ Public Service Renewal Caucus and works to strengthen the connections between global development evidence and local practice – advancing education, digital access, and workforce opportunity for underserved communities abroad and in the United States. She is profoundly honored to be part of the inaugural American Service Fellowship cohort.

Wantoe T. Wantoe is an international development practitioner, education policy specialist, governance strategist, and youth leader whose work focuses on strengthening education systems, public institutions, and democratic leadership across Africa. He is pursuing an Ed.M. in Education Policy and Analysis at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and holds a Master of Public Policy and an MSc in Comparative and International Education from the University of Oxford. At Oxford, he served as President for Postgraduates, representing more than 13,900 students and contributing to university policy on education, artificial intelligence, student finance, and strategic planning.

He is the Founder and Executive Director of Scholarly Path and Executive Director of the Center for African Policy, where he advances evidence-based solutions in education, governance, economic development, and public leadership. He co-convened the 2025 Oxford African Conference and previously served as a U.S. Congressional Fellow. His commitment to education reform began during Liberia’s Ebola outbreak, when he led national efforts to document the educational and protection needs of vulnerable children. This work led to his selection to address the World Humanitarian Summit.

Wantoe has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly, advised governments and international organizations, and represented Liberia at major global forums. He also serves as a Trustee of AFS Intercultural Programs. His leadership has been recognized through the Princess Diana Award, the Golden Image Distinguished Transformative Leadership Award, and recognition as one of the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network’s Eight Young Pacesetters for African Development. His interests include education reform, state capacity, democratic governance, artificial intelligence in education, and human capital development.