Aiden Duffy is a junior at the University of Washington in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies with a focus in International Communication. She is a photographer for The UW Daily. She has published over one hundred photos in the newspaper and is a 2008 Society of Professional Journalists Award-winner. She is also an intern at Seattle’s own Amazon.com, where she works with both the Recruiting and Brand teams to produce materials for global recruiting.

Ailyne Halim is a senior at the University of Washington double majoring in Communications and Business (Marketing & Human Resources Management). She was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, but grew up in Singapore before moving to Seattle for college. During the summer, she interned at IndoPacific Edelman, one of the largest PR firms in Indonesia, where she had an awesome experience. After graduating from the UW, she hopes to have a career in Public Relations or Advertising. In her free time, she enjoys reading random blogs online, watching movies and trying out new restaurants.

Aisling Underwood is a senior at the University of Washington and is double majoring in International Studies and Political Science. Aisling moved frequently during her childhood, living in Dublin, Ireland, Barcelona, Spain and Vancouver, Washington. She speaks conversational Spanish due to time spent in Spain. She currently works in Seattle at I-TECH, an organization that creates AIDS prevention and training materials for third world countries. Aisling has gained experience with document formatting and copy editing while working at I-TECH.  In her free time she enjoys camping, travelling and reading.

Alyssa Goldberg is a senior at the University of Washington majoring in International Studies and Communication. Since moving to Seattle in 2006, she has put her skills in Marketing and Public Relations to work interning for KCTS 9 Public Television and the International Rescue Committee. She has studied abroad in Greece and Brazil and hopes to continue to travel and explore different cultures and languages. Upon graduation in March of 2010, Alyssa plans to pursue a career in Marketing and Public Relations working with an international non-profit. In the future, she intends on returning to graduate school and entering an MBA program in non-profit management.

Annie Bettis is in her fifth and final year at the University of Washington pursuing a bachelors degree in Communication. Annie is originally from Spokane, WA and has been living in Seattle for the past four years while attending the UW. She has recently returned from a semester abroad in Sydney, Australia. Annie hopes to teach English abroad and emerse herself in a variety of cultures. Currently, she is working as a volunteer for Seattle Public Schools SBOC program, helping tutor children from immigrant and refugee families. Her most recent aspiration is to travel through Europe and spend time residing in countries, particularly Spain and Italy.  She is currently working as a Barista and Nanny, with the hopes of eventually becoming a waitress.

Ashley Praetorius is a junior at the University of Washington majoring in Communication with a minor in Art History.  For the last year, Ashley has worked for Battelle Seattle Research Center.  Before her time there, she held a position at a Benefits Office under Human Resources.  She is a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority, where she has held several leadership positions as well as partaken in community service and philanthropy events.  Ashley enjoys exercising, traveling, reading and spending time with friends and family.

Avery Caldwell is a senior at the University of Washington double majoring in Communications and Political Science. She is a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and has served in various leadership positions. Caldwell gained extensive public relations experience as an intern for Wilson Public Relations during the fall of her junior year. She is currently a sales and marketing intern for National Purchasing Partners, a group purchasing organization owned by Virginia Mason Medical Center. During her spare time, she volunteers at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Epilepsy Foundation Northwest. In the spring of her junior year, she studied abroad in Rome, Italy. Upon graduating in June 2010, she hopes to find a career in the sales and marketing field.

Brianna Thomas is currently a senior at the University of Washington majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Political Economy.  Growing up in a military family instilled a curiosity of the interconnectedness of global events, political turmoil, and citizen participation.  This global perspective combined with local experience working in direct human service at the Church Council of Greater Seattle, motivated her to seek out solutions to meeting the needs of the most disadvantaged members of society. She began looking locally for solutions that could be applied globally to connect resources with those most in need. Brianna currently works for The Showbox (Seattle’s oldest working music venue), is a volunteer with HomeStep (a transitional housing program) and is looking forward to studying abroad in South America this spring.

Daphne Hazlehurst is a senior in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. She was born in Taipei, Taiwan and was raised in Seal Beach, California. She is majoring in International Studies with a focus in Communication and hopes to gain a career in International Marketing. In the past she has held several internships including a retail internship at Nordstrom and a merchandising internship at Sun Wellen Inc., a sunglasses trading company in Taipei, Taiwan. She is fluent in Chinese and is conversational in French. Daphne has utilized her language skills in her working experience, as well as her multiple trips to England, Taiwan and China.

Elizabeth Larned is a senior at the University of Washington majoring in Communication with an interest in International Relations. During the summer of 2008, Elizabeth completed an internship in Boston with Regan Communications, one of the largest privately-owned public relations firms in the nation. She has had significant international travel experience, including two quarters studying abroad in Italy and Greece. After graduation, Elizabeth plans to pursue a career in travel.

Hyunhee Rachel Park is a senior at the University of Washington majoring in Communication and Political science. She was born in Seoul, Korea in 1987, and lived in San Francisco, California and McLean, Virginia. She speaks Korean and basic Chinese, and has traveled to a number of countries including France, Japan, and New Zealand. She has interned at several broadcasting companies and PR firms in Korea and is currently working as a publicity coordinator for the campus initiative, UNICEF-UW. She likes traveling and singing, and enjoys writing posts about social, political, and media-related issues on her Korean blog.

Jamie Evans is a twenty-one year old senior at the University of Washington.  He is majoring in Political Science with a minor in History.  Jamie was born and raised in Aberdeen, Washington and graduated from Aberdeen High School in 2006.  He currently works at the Intramural Activities Center and hopes to study abroad in Italy during winter quarter.  His hobbies include basketball, baseball, and hiking. He loves to be active and outdoors.  He is also a die-hard Huskies and Seattle sports fan.  After graduation, he plans on getting a job in the Olympia area. His long-term dream is to open up his own sports bar.

Jane Sander a University of Washington senior who plans to pursue a career in Broadcast Journalism.  She has recently returned from the UVA Semester at Sea program during which she circumvented the world over a course of four months.  She has had internship experience with local broadcast companies and aspires to have a career covering international news.  She is building her basic French abilities because she understands the invaluableness of being bilingual in this world.  The cultures and people she has met abroad have left life-changing impressions upon her global perspective.  She believes communication is what connects us and is crucial worldwide.

Jasmine Zhang is a junior at the University of Washington majoring in International Studies and Community, Environment, and Planning (CEP). Her interests include sustainable development, local agriculture and food systems and the effect of globalization on traditional cultures. Jasmine was born in Sydney, Australia and lived there until the age of nine, when she moved to Seattle. Since moving to the States, she has travelled extensively and developed a passion for experiencing unfamiliar cultures and customs. She intends to spend her last two years in college diversifying her knowledge base and exploring local and global issues through volunteer work.

Jesselle Benson grew up on Stuart Island, a small island in the San Jaun Islands where she attended a one-room school for nine years. During her junior year of high school, she moved to Seattle to attend Mt. Rainer High School. Jesselle now attends the University of Washington and is majoring in Political Science. She is planning on attending law school after graduation and hopes to stay in Seattle because she loves the weather and cultural diversity. She is interested in learning about other cultures and hopes to travel to Europe and South America some day.

Jonathan Smith is a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in Communication with a minor in Political Science. He was born in 1988 and spent 12 years of his life residing in Oakland, California. In 2000, he and his parents relocated to Bellevue, Washington where he has lived ever since. Jonathan has recently taken the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), and plans pursue a career in law after graduation.  He is currently working alongside a professor at the UW acting as a research aid, studying the First Amendment. He is also a tutor for the largest non-profit organization Powerful Schools, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, where he has held several leadership positions throughout the years. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys sports, traveling, music, and spending time with friends and family.

Lauren Akamine is a senior at the University of Washington, Seattle majoring Political Science with a minor in International Studies and Human Rights.  She is a resident of Hawaii, but has always aspired to travel the world.  This summer she backpacked through Europe and since then has developed a love for travel and different cultures.  She currently is a legal assistant at the Moen Law Offices, P.S. where she hopes to gain an experience that will benefit her in law school.  Lauren’s life ambition is to make an impact on the world because she believes everyone deserves a chance at greatness.

Misao Oki is a senior at University of Washington majoring in Communication and minoring in Technical Japanese. She was born in Bellevue, WA, but spent her early childhood in Nagoya, Japan. She is currently studying Italian in preparation for her study in Rome, Italy this upcoming winter quarter. During her junior year, she worked as a financial chair for the Japanese Student Association. Through this experience of negotiating and planning events, she developed an interest in working in event planning and PR.  Currently she is looking for internship opportunities in those fields. Aside from her school life, she enjoys playing sports and loves playing with her dog.

Sean Larin is a senior at the University of Washington double majoring in Communications and Economics.  He was born and raised in Bothell, Washington.  Sean spent the previous summer studying culture and tourism in Switzerland through a University Exploration Seminar.  His experiences during and after the program fueled an enthusiasm for more travel.  With his passion for public speaking and social networking, he hopes to work in Public Relations upon graduation.  In his free time, Sean enjoys driving a racecar for a northwest based automotive shop.

Tiffany Martin is a senior at the University of Washington double majoring in International Studies and Communication. She interned at PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) in the Public Affairs department as well as at Helping Link as a Public Affairs intern. Tiffany enjoys traveling and plans to continue doing so after graduation to the UK and Chile. With interests in international environmental policies she plans to attend graduate school the following fall after graduation.

Tyler Goulet is currently a senior at the University of Washington triple majoring in Communication, Political Science and Community environment and planning. He has a strong interest in deliberative democracy and has interned with the King County Community Wide Forums as well as with the Deliberative Democracy Consortium. He is currently working on an independent study with Professor John Gastil, which focuses on a deliberative democracy effort in Australia. He has also interned with the Center for Communication and Civic Engagement. His professional experience includes a marketing internship, a Public Relations internship, and leading a team of four as the Marketing Director for a small social networking start-up.

Won Hee Choi is twenty-one years old and a senior at the University of Washington, Seattle. She is from South Korea, but has lived in China for seven years. She speaks Korean and Chinese fluently as well as English. Won Hee is majoring in Communication and Political Science. Her hobbies are watching movies and yoga. She also likes to travel and experience different cultures.  She has traveled to various countries in Asia and Europe such as Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, England, and Germany.