What is the OGA Fellows Program?
The Office of Global Affairs is proud to offer UW Tacoma students the opportunity to serve in student leadership positions in our office. Office of Global Affairs Fellows are UW Tacoma students whose mission is to promote global learning opportunities on campus. OGA Fellows help plan, promote, and implement events and assist with international student services, supporting study abroad programs, student fellowship, and award promotion. To successfully carry out these tasks, it is essential to have in-depth and experiential knowledge of study abroad, student fellowship processes, and international student transitions. If you have questions, they have answers!
Global Affairs Fellows

Name: Angel Reddy
Email: chreddy@uw.edu
Graduation Quarter: Spring 2023
Hi everyone! My name is Angel Reddy and I will be entering my second year at UWT. I am a Biomedical Sciences major. It took me quite a while to settle on a major. Originally, I wanted to pursue creative writing. I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling. However, as I began to take chemistry courses at UWT, I realized the sciences was where I was meant to be. I loved being a lab setting and solving problems in a methodical, deliberate manner. I still love to write and plan to strengthen that skill as I move through university.
My belief in the power of stories is what lead to me to complete a study abroad in Bangalore, India. My own family in Indo-Fijian. Their stories of Fiji filled me with awe at an early age. However, they always left me feeling empty. I never felt like I belonged to Fiji or India (or even the United States at times). When I discovered a program at UW Seattle that took students to India for a month, I jumped at the opportunity. I thought I would find all the answers to my questions. Instead, I just found more questions. Which is good! The stories that I heard from locals helped to understand my identity and question it further to grow my understanding of who I am in the world.
Studying abroad opened me to the challenges of traveling abroad. Wherever we go in the world, we carry our unique identities with us. I am happy to share more information about my experience with you if you have any questions or concerns about traveling. I look forward to working with you to plan your study abroad!

Name: Samuel Halim
Email: shalim01@uw.edu
Graduation Quarter: Spring 2022
Hello! My name is Samuel, and I am an international student from Indonesia. I came to this country alone four years ago. I found great comfort interacting with international student communities which led me to develop relationships with foreign & domestic people. I understand what it’s like to be alone in a new country and that’s why I wanted to be an OGA Fellow. My goal with this position is to foster a community to help international students navigate UWT and its resources.
Before transferring to UW Tacoma, I had attended Shoreline Community College and UC Riverside. I used to study Computer Science but found a more fantastic fit with Information Technology at UWT focusing on Cybersecurity. I’ll also be a student representative and a seminar leader for my major, so please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding the Information Technology program!
I’m very excited to meet everyone and explore various cultures around the world. Please feel free to email me or reach out to me on campus if you have any questions! I would love to connect with you all :)
Global Ambassadors Coordinator

Name: Orie Kimura
Email: globala@uw.edu | oriek@uw.edu
Graduation Quarter: Spring 2022
Hi everyone! I am a senior student majoring in social work. I am originally from Japan and came to the United States as an international student in 2016. When I was in Japan, I joined three study abroad programs. I went to Iowa and Wisconsin states as an exchange student and Malaysia to stay with local families and learn about their customs, religions, and traditions. I also went to a public international high school in Japan. It allowed me to learn about numerous cultures and talk to other students with various backgrounds. These experiences grew my interest in learning about different cultures, experiences, and histories (Including the U.S. culture).
During my personal time, I like to explore the natural world, hike, embroider, crochet, and take care of my plants. Other than that, cooking and trying new food brings me joy. While cooking and smelling the aroma of Japanese food brings me a sense of peace in my heart, I enjoy cooking food from other cultures. I am always looking for good restaurant recommendations and cooking recipes.
I have an immense passion for advocating for marginalized and oppressed communities and learning about their lived experiences. In the Global Ambassador Program, I hope to supplement my understanding of social justice issues from a global scope with domestic and international students. As an international student, I have struggled to engage with domestic students and the school itself. Hopefully, the program provides a space where all kinds of students can come together, make connections, and develop an understanding of social justice issues. I am planning to have meetings to discuss social justice issues as well as social activities and volunteer opportunities regarding the issues. Please join us!
Japanese Language Facilitator

Name: Yuna Wada
Email: ywada2@uw.edu
Graduation Quarter: Spring 2022
Hi everyone! My name is Yuna Wada and I became a senior in Sustainable Urban Development major this fall. I am an international student from Japan, and my college life in the U.S. started in June 2017. Three months after graduating from a high school in Japan, I came to the U.S., studied at Green River College for two years, and earned my Associates in Arts. Then I transferred to UW Tacoma in fall 2019 and started studying urban development.
Since I came to the U.S., I have faced a lot of difficulties. But all the difficulties definitely made me stronger. In addition, I made many friends who support me every time I face difficulties. I am still not confident about my English and take a lot of time to finish one assignment, but I believe these experiences help the future me.
From this fall quarter, I am offering Japanese language and culture lessons for UW students. Since the virus is spreading and I am taking classes from my house in Japan, the lessons are held on Zoom. From my experience of learning English, I understand that learning non-native languages is sometimes hard and can make the person want to give up, so I have been trying to make the Japanese lesson enjoyable to all the participants. Please feel free to email me and ask questions!
Arabic Language Facilitator

Name: Maryam Al Darraji
Email: mwad@uw.edu
Graduation Quarter: Spring 2021
I am a sophomore who plans on studying Biomedical Sciences at UW Tacoma. I lived in Iraq until I was 9 years old before moving to Jordan for several years. I then I came here as a refugee in 2014. When I first came to the U.S., there were people who pushed me to be who I am as a strong woman that fights for her dreams. And I want to be that person that lights up the darkness of someone’s life, and give back to those who’ve helped me.
I recognize that each person's life story is unique, making their experiences a valuable way to learn about the world. An important part about my culture is how our friends and family gather together at the end of the day. Even when we are tired, we still spend the night together by each other sides through sadness and happiness. I strive to be a representative for my culture to educate others on Middle Eastern people, and to address the incorrect portrayal of our culture in the media. I want to offer support for anyone who has questions or just needs someone to talk to.
I am a fluent speaker in Arabic and its different pronunciations, and have been learning Turkish as well. When I teach Arabic, I focus on creating an immersive environment where I work with participants as they practice. I look for ways to fuel their passion for learning a new language, and strive to work with them one-on-one whenever possible. I enjoy teaching others because I want to provide others with an opportunity to experience another culture.
My goal is to study abroad in different countries to learn about how different cultures practice medicine. I want to experience as much as possible so I can improve medical care in my home country, and places throughout the world.
I would love to be a peer mentor, and welcome any questions people may have.
Former Student Leaders
- Samyak Jain, Global Affairs Fellows [2021-2022]
- Angel Reddy, Global Affairs Fellows [2020-2022]
- Maryam Al Darraji, Arabic Language Facilitator [2020-2021]
- Yuna Wada, Japanese Language Facilitator [2020-2021]
- Jordan Monroe, Global Ambassadors Coordinator [2020-2021]
- Ping Luarn, Global Affairs Fellows [2020-2021]
- Carly L. Norton, Global Affairs Fellows [2020-2021]
- Chen-Wei "Wayne" Hu, Global Affairs Fellows [2020-2021]
- Zaira Rojas, Global Ambassadors Coordinator [2019-2020]
- Kuniya "Kuni" Yoshikawa, Global Affairs Fellows [2019-2020]
- Wenyan "Leah" Li, Global Affairs Fellows [2019-2020]
- Linh Dao, Global Affairs Fellows [2019-2020]
- Cierra Figaro, Global Affairs Fellows [2019-2020]
- An Nguyen, Global Affairs Fellows [2018-2019]
- Misaki Seto, Global Affairs Fellows [2018-2019]
- Taylor Steedman, Global Affairs Fellows and Global Ambassadors Coordinator [2018-2019]
- Syndra Feng, Global Affairs Fellows [2017-2019]
- Alexandra Franklin, Global Affairs Fellows [2017-18]
- Autumn Diaz, Global Affairs Fellows [2017-18]
- Audrey Weber, Global Affairs Fellows [2017-18]
- Nicole Baker, Global Affairs Fellows [2016-17]
- Priyanka Polavarapu, Global Affairs Fellows [2016-17]
- Yueyang Hu, Global Affairs Fellows [2016-17]
- Najma Ali, Global Affairs Fellows [2016-17
- Karina Ramos, Global Affairs Fellows [2016-17]
- Karin Chan, Global Ambassador [2015-16]
- Tzu-Chien "Zack" Lu, Global Ambassador [2015-16]
- Putthida Samrith, Global Ambassador [2015-16]
- Sidd Saini, Global Ambassador [2015-16]
- Mulianto Patinals, Int'l Student Assistant [2014-15]
- Mengmeng Liu, Study Abroad Ambassador [2014-16]
- Guillermo Sandoval, Study Abroad Ambassador [2014-15]
- Luan Dang, Study Abroad Ambassador [2013-15]
- Hunter Henderson, Study Abroad Ambassador [2013-14]
- Carmen Burger, Study Abroad Ambassador [2013-14]
- Roman Fedorak, Int'l Student Assistant [2013-14]
- Lana Tu, Int'l Student Assistant [2013-14]
- Iris Song, Int'l Student Assistant [2013-14]
- Indira Trejo, Study Abroad Ambassador [2012-13]
- David Moseley, Study Abroad Ambassador [2012-13]
- Zoe Shen, Int'l Student Assistant [2012-13]
- Tinh Quoc Doan, Int'l Student Assistant [2012-13]