Tarina Amaralikit is a rising sophomore at Carnegie Mellon University pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a Minor in Fine Arts. Tarina has gained valuable professional experience through her time spent as a design consultant for Inpsyphys, a consultant for Ohana Subleasing, and an intern for Etran Electric Motorbike. At Carnegie Mellon, she serves as the co-lead for the American Marketing Association Design Committee, where she works with real company clients. Previously, Tarina served as the Director of Outreach for The Simple Truth NPO, an organization that supports homeless communities, and the president of her National Art Honor Society. In the future, she hopes to work in the intersection of her main interests: marketing, business consulting, design, and law.

Hasya Atiyah (Tiya) binti Khairuddin is a rising junior at Stanford University, pursuing a major in Sociology with double minors in Human Rights and Data Science. On campus, Tiya is a research assistant at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. She is also a project lead at Stanford’s Cardinal Policy Group, where she spearheads a team of analysts in ideating solutions with local policymakers and legislators to address challenging social issues. Growing up in Malaysia, she is deeply interested in fostering cross-cultural dialogue, social cohesion, inclusivity, and participatory parity, all of which contribute to her overarching interest in deepening democracy through civic education and engagement. Tiya is excited to join the AYDP program this summer and looks forward to broadening her horizons in Washington DC.

Alya Lawindo  graduated in December 2023 from American University with a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Asia, Pacific, and Diaspora Studies. She has served as a Finance and Operations Intern at Asian American LEAD; a Student Guide at Driven 2 Succeed, Raising a Village Foundation; a webinar speaker for Minang in America, and the Director of Operations for the Southeast Asia Student Network at American University. To maintain her cultural roots as a Minang, West Sumatran, Indonesian-American, she has enjoyed playing traditional West Sumatran music on the violin and dancing traditional West Sumatran dance as a Lead Dancer and Violinist at the Rumah Gadang Group USA for over 15 years. Alya enjoys sharing her experiences as a cultural ambassador of the Indonesian diaspora and is passionate about reinforcing the significance of cultural connection in both local and global contexts.

Marc Makornwattana is a junior at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a degree in Political Economy with a minor in Data Science. He has previously worked as an intern at the Thailand Development Research Institute in Bangkok and a summer trainee at Baker McKenzie Thailand. At Berkeley, Marc is currently a writer for the Berkeley Political Review World Section, and has previously served as the Community Engagement Co-Chair of the Asian-Pacific American Pre-Law Association and an Academic Intern at the UC Berkeley Division of Computing. Raised in Bangkok, Thailand, he brings a global perspective to his critical thinking, research, and writing skills through the exploration of different areas of politics. Beyond this, he enjoys the outdoors, playing the piano, and photography.  

Kantapon Enzo Nakornsri is a rising sophomore at the University of Chicago studying computer science and economics. He is an avid programmer who aims to explore the intersection between computer science and the humanities. He enjoys using his skills through clubs, internships, and personal projects to contribute to technological advancements that improve the community's experience. Enzo was a Data Assistant for the Bangkok Solar Power Company, an intern at CMKL University, and a volunteer English instructor at the Mercy Center in Thailand. He is currently a member of the University of Chicago Student Leadership Advisory Council, the Paul Douglas Institute, the International Leadership Institute, and the HOPE Chicago tech team. In high school at Phillips Exeter Academy, he was awarded the Computer Science Upperclassmen Award and the Maurice R. Scharff Prize for excellence in mathematics.

Sam Tran will graduate in 2024 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a B.A. in Political Science. Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City (née Saigon), Vietnam, Sam seeks to bring a new perspective into discourses on social inequities and civic engagement. His experience on campus includes tutoring at the Writing Center and conducting research support for the UMass Amherst Poll. As a Committee Chair at the UMass Amherst Student Government Association (SGA), he navigated campus politics and bureaucracy to support over 300 student organizations from diverse cultural, academic, and extracurricular backgrounds. Sam hopes to bring his knowledge on Vietnam's checkered history, its vibrant popular culture, and his pen sketching skills to the AYDP program.