Global Activities Scholars Program Students

Ingrid (she/her) graduated cum laude from Amherst College in 2021 where she studied Psychology and Middle Eastern Studies. Her impressive background experiences include serving as a Community Advisor for the Amherst Office of Residential Life, leading collegiate recovery initiatives, teaching English to adult Arabic-speaking learners, and supporting refugee communities. After graduating, she worked as a case manager coordinating care for survivors of torture and as an office and intake specialist at Colorado Legal Services serving low-income Coloradans in need of legal services. In each of these roles, she has honed her mentorship, cross-cultural dialogue, and community-building capacities. She is currently doing her field placement in the Behavioral Health Department at ACCESS in Dearborn. During her time in the MSW program, Ingrid hopes to expand her understanding of global community-based approaches to social work. In her free time Ingrid enjoys reading, hiking, swimming, and spending time with her cat.

Kaisha (she/her/hers) was born in Muskegon, Michigan and spent much of her time as a child in Western Michigan and throughout Florida. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 with a degree in Psychology and International Studies. After graduation Kaisha worked at the University of Michigan School of Social Work as a coordinator for global programs, working with students to create their own global experience, incoming exchange students, and international visitors. Kaisha has also worked in Uzbekistan, as an English Teaching Assistant in a local public school and an after school program for under-resourced high school students. Kaisha is interested in resource equity, program development, centering community knowledge, and community organizing. Kaisha's current field placement is at Jewish Family Services working in the Youth Mentoring Program. In her free-time, Kaisha enjoys reading, watching the newest fantasy or superhero movie, and cooking (and eating) new foods.

Mackenzie (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Indianapolis and graduated from Indiana University. She graduated with highest distinction in 2021 with a Bachelor’s in International Studies, a certificate in Clinical Psychological Science, and minors in Arabic and Global Health Promotion. During her studies, Mackenzie spent time in Ghana and Ecuador understanding their health systems and practices, studying Arabic in Jordan, and working as an intern promoting mental health education and awareness. Upon graduation, she worked with neurodivergent children in a therapeutic clinic and volunteered in an after-school program working with Syrian and Sudanese refugee children. Mackenzie is an MSW Candidate in the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse and Global Social Work Practice pathways. She is currently doing her fieldwork with ACCESS in Dearborn, MI where she works in the Mental Health and Family Counseling Department. Throughout her time as an MSW student and GASP scholar, Mackenzie hopes to gain more insight into integrating trauma-informed, evidence-based, intersectional, and culturally-informed approaches into her practice working with refugee and immigrant populations in the U.S. and abroad. In her free time, Mackenzie enjoys reading, traveling, exploring new places, cooking, and baking.

Maryam Syed is a dual-degree student, pursuing an MS in Environmental Justice at SEAS and an MSW in the Global Social Work Pathway. Maryam is interested in the intersection of sustainability programs and social justice. Throughout her academic and professional career, she has worked on understanding the impacts environmental development programs have on local communities. She completed her BA in Anthropology at Albion College where she conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Southern Province, Zambia examining the violence towards communities living around national parks in the name of conservation. She then completed her MA in International Development at American University, where she was exposed to the inner workings of development programs and realized how flawed program design and evaluations are, regardless of how participatory they claim to be. In her current programs, she is focused on how ongoing sustainable development schemes in South Asia may produce violence instead of resilience. She has received a FLAS fellowship to support her language studies. Outside of the classroom, Maryam works for Uproot, an organization focused on transforming environmental education, and is also co-founder of the reading club, Feminists of Color in Environment. As a GASP student, she hopes to learn more about justice-oriented and participatory research in global settings.

Oliva Diaz Melgarejo (she/her/hers) is originally from Paraguay but has lived nine years in Columbus, Ohio. She attended The Ohio State University, graduating summa cum laude in 2021 with a Bachelor's in Human Development and Family Science. Oliva is eager to pursue her passion for social work and her goal to positively impact the lives of people experiencing vulnerability and limited social protection. Her work in Paraguay, where social protection is influenced by culture, class, gender, and geographical location, has fueled her interest in public policymaking. She has witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by impoverished and indigenous communities in the Chaco Region of Paraguay. She has worked with the government and international agencies to support their access to water, food, and housing opportunities. She also employs her practical expertise in child development, working with families, and collaborating on projects with UNICEF and the European Union to implement childhood-oriented protection policies in collaboration with the communities affected.

She is currently doing her field placement at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) in Detroit, Michigan. Oliva expects to have the opportunity to experience and analyze programs and policies designed to provide social protection to people in situations of vulnerability, their communities, and the natural environment.

After a decade living in Arizona, Reilly (she/her/hers) returns to her Michigan roots where she was born and raised. She received her BSW from Northern Arizona University, complemented by minors in French and Psychological Sciences, where she uncovered a profound passion for understanding the complexities of international systems, particularly those affecting refugees, immigrants, and vulnerable family dynamics. Additionally, Reilly’s wanderlust has taken her to diverse corners of the world, with extensive stays in Southeast Asia, Western Europe, and Central America. Her travels have driven her to investigate critical global social justice issues, including sex trafficking in Thailand, international human rights law in France, the practice of Chhaupadi in Nepal, and migration patterns from the Maghreb region in Africa. Reilly has social work experience with survivors of domestic violence abuse, and currently interns with an institute in their legal immigration program. As a Global Activities Scholars Program recipient, she desires to expand her skillset to effectively cultivate grounds for creating a network of opportunities to serve local populations, advance social justice, dismantle institutional oppression, and promote human equality. When Reilly takes a break from her studies, she enjoys backpacking, kayaking, teaching dance, discovering coffee shops, reading, and playing games with friends.