Category: Alumni Stories
Michelle Nagawa ALP ‘23 Inspires Change as a Ugandan Social Impact Leader, Mentor, Writer, and Mother
Michelle Nagawa completed the Aspire Leaders Program in 2023 and receiving funding to pursue a transformative project in the Katanga slum area of Uganda. She continues to balance her roles as a social entrepreneur, mentor, writer, geospatial analyst, and mother.
Edith Lozano Perez ALP ‘22 Finds her “Seat At the Table” by Exploring Opportunities and Overcoming Doubts
Aspire alumna gained a sense of belonging in her field after guidance from expert Boston bioengineers as part of her iGEM Design League contest grand prize.
Florencio Vente ALP ‘21 Advocates for Youth and Minorities Across Borders
Florencio Vente, originally from Colombia but living in Brazil, began advocacy work at a young age. Today, he continues to advocate for youth voices to impact change.
Godwin Obi ALP ‘22’s Global Leadership Journey from Nigeria to Princeton University
Aspire alumnus, Godwin Obi, shares his leadership journey from Nigeria to studying at Princeton University.
Tanzeel Rashid ALP ‘22 from Bangladesh Believes Young People Should Drive Societal Change
Tanzeel Rashid — with his passion for social impact and his organization, Ogrograhi — empowers young people in Bangladesh to drive societal change.
Isabela Sanchez Taipe ALP’22 from Peru Carries Her Family’s Dreams as a First-Generation College Student
An ALP '22 alumna, Isabela Sanchez Taipe overcame barriers in Peru and now carries the dreams of her family as a first-generation college student.
Alumni Spotlight: Barsha Tamang and Anisha Prajapati ALP ‘22 Establish Support Systems for First-Generation Youth in Nepal
Aspire alumni work to address the hardships faced by first-generation youth, young girls, and students striving to learn English in Nepal through their nonprofit organization, Lokopakar.
Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Marvin Kanyike ALP ‘22 Tackles Community Health Problems in Uganda
A Community Action Award winner aims to make great strides in Ugandan healthcare. Through his community health plan for early hypertension detection and treatment, he hopes people seek care sooner and put less stress on the healthcare system.
Alumni Spotlight: Alumni Spotlight: Alejandro Ortiz ALP ‘22 Forges Beyond Adversity
The challenges that Alejandro Ortiz and his loved ones have endured in Bogotá, Colombia influenced his work in fighting gender violence towards women.
Alumni Spotlight: Ally Li ALP ‘22 Seizes Opportunities as a First-Generation College Student
Ally Li is a Business Administration and Management student at Boston University's Questrom School of Business. In a meeting with Aspire Institute's Team, she described how her background and experiences as the daughter of Chinese immigrants and a first-in-family college student have driven her to pursue valuable opportunities.
Aspire Institute Establishes a Presence in São Paulo, Brazil
Aspire Institute officially launched a Foundry in Brazil on April 3, 2023 in partnership with Insper. During the month of April we hosted multiple alumni events and information sessions.
Alumni Spotlight: Akbar Kurniawan ALP ‘22 Expands His Worldview and Seeks to Reduce Inequalities in Indonesia
Kurniawan, a recent college graduate and 2022 Aspire Community Action Award (CAA) winner, seeks opportunities for global exposure and community impact. His initiative, The Mula Sasmita Project, provides sign language training to the entire community to support the Deaf community.
Alumni Spotlight: Diana Citlali Avila Padilla ALP ‘22 Paves The Way for Women in STEAM
Diana Avila, alumna from Mexico, already co-founded a nonprofit and now won a Community Action Award for her initiative, SisterSTEAM. She aims to provide a community for women in STEAM to support each other’s goals and wellbeing through this initiative.
Malawi Alumni Organize Event With Harvard Surgeon
Aspire Leaders Program alumni and current participants joined Dr. Kiran Agarwal-Harding, co-founder of Harvard Global Orthopedics Collaborative and SONA Global, in Malawi this month to meet, network, and think about the challenges and opportunities when starting community initiatives.
Hein Oo ALP ‘22, Refugee from Myanmar, Found a Community at Aspire
Hein Oo fled Myanmar in 2021 and settled in the U.S. As he works to find community here, he continues to support his home community and the planet as a young leader and environmental advocate.
2022 Community Action Awards: Alumni-Led Social Impact
18 Aspire Leaders Program alumni pitched their social impact projects to a panel of entrepreneurs. Ten projects across nine countries will receive this award of up to $10,000 and begin their social impact journey. Projects solve problems from preserving post-harvest crops to providing awareness and greater service to those with disabilities.
India Alumni Field Day: Community Building Across Generations of Leaders
30 Aspire Leaders Program alumn gathered in New Delhi for the first ever India Field Day on January 24. Alumni and professionals from across generations came together as a community to share their ideas, experiences, opinions, and advice. Aspire Country Affiliate, Anil Nair, organized this exciting community-building event.
Peruvian Alumni Meet Aspire Programs Manager, Erika Sologuren
Alumni from Peru gathered in Lima with Programs Manager, Erika Sologuren, and discuss how their life has changed since finishing stage 5.
Nepali Alumni Gather at Nepal Leadership Academy
Alumni gathered at Nepal Leadership Academy and met Dr. Pukar Malla, Harvard Kennedy School graduate and nonprofit leader.
Alumni in Pakistan Connect and Learn From Industry Leaders
Aspire alumni in Pakistan met with industry leaders to network and open up doors for internships and other opportunities.
Jameson Pierre-Louis ALP ’21 from Haiti Feels Sense of Belonging after Aspire Leaders Program
Jameson Pierre-Louis learned that he is not alone in the difficulties he faces as a low-income student after the Aspire Leaders Program in 2021. Today, he works to make an impact and inspire other young leaders.
Şeyma Kara ALP ‘20 from Turkey Values Cross-Cultural Collaboration in Solving Community Problems
Turkish Aspire alumna and Aspire Alumni Ambassador values cross-cultural collaboration and research-backed solutions to community problems.
Shushanna Arakelyan ALP ’21 from Armenia Perseveres to Gain Valuable Experiences
With her zest for knowledge and desire to impact her community, ALP alumna from Armenia exemplifies the impact of perseverance.
Mariam Mohammad ALP ’20 Impacts Refugees and Street Children
Mariam Mohammad, a graduate student and Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon, gained the ability to think outside the box through ALP. This drives her success in mentoring youth and impacting the field of public health among low-income communities.
