Applications for the house were selected with the intent of creating an environment that would promote intercultural awareness through diversity and action. We’d like you to be able to get to know the students of the house, so each student has provided their name, major, time in the house, and a short blurb about their interest in international affairs.
Allison McHayle ‘18
B.S Neuroscience
Second Year in the House
Being from Jamaica, a Caribbean island whose motto is “Out of Many One People,” I have always been intrigued by the background and customs of the people that surround me. Upon coming to Lafayette, I wanted to explore the culture of the many students and share my own story. The diverse atmosphere challenges my perspective on ideas and broadens my knowledge. There is no better feeling than walking away and being more aware about a specific issue or topic that is meaningful to someone else.
Lysa Diarra ‘18
A.B. Biology and Economics
Second year in the House
Coming from Mali and growing up right outside a cultural hub like Washington, DC, I always had an interest in sharing my culture and learning about others’. I’m excited about living in an environment with students who are committed to, and genuinely interested in global thinking, like me. I hope to continue learning about global issues, traditions, and experiences through both formal events, and day-to-day interactions/conversations with others.
Ashley St. John ’18
B.S. in Neuroscience
First year in the house
Through my personal lens of living and growing up in such a diverse city such as New York, it has granted me the opportunity to interact and connect with people who come from various walks of life. Upon arriving to Lafayette, I found myself on a mental journey continuously searching for moments to connect with people with different cultures and backgrounds from my own, in hopes of gaining and understanding new perspectives. In that respect, I believe that it will be a wonderful experience to live in such a friendly and comfortable environment that simultaneously seeks to engage with culture on an intellectual basis as well as celebrate its fascinating variety.
Ariel Jakubowski ’17
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Second year in the house
I have always loved exploring and have been curious about people and places unfamiliar to me. I have traveled across four continents and have loved everything I have seen and learned. Grossman provides me with a close community of fellow explorers and allows me to learn about other places, cultures, and ideas. Grossman allows me to have unique conversations and examine ideas and events through many diverse perspectives.
Ivan Evtimov ’17
B.S. Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics
First Year in the House, Resident Advisor
Having grown up in Bulgaria at a time when the country was becoming more open to globalization, has made me keenly aware of the advantages this process can bring. However, the past few years that I have spent studying and working in the United States and the United Kingdom have shown me that the increasing inter-connectedness of our world and the diminishing importance of the nation-state is not seen as a boon by all. I hope to be able to explore those issues in an intellectual living environment such as the Grossman House provides.
Scott Oliveri ’17
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Second Year in the house
After studying abroad and seeing such fantastic sights and meeting such wonderful people, I wanted to learn more about other cultures. I truly enjoy sharing human experiences as well as understanding new perspectives from those who are very different from myself. Grossman House provides the perfect platform for such interaction, and I look forward to fostering its unique community.
Elaine Huang ’19
Neuroscience and Policy Studies
First Year in House
While I grew up in New Jersey, my parents were both born in Taiwan, where I spent several summers throughout my childhood. I am excited to live in Grossman because I believe it will give me the opportunity to explore issues such as identity and culture while simultaneously learning new things from other residents.
Adam Valavanis ‘17
B.A. International Affairs, minor in Government and Law
Second year in house
In the fall semester of my junior year, I studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland and interned with a branch of the International Organization for Migration. Last summer, I interned with a human rights organization called Scholars at Risk, and I am the president of Lafayette’s Amnesty International chapter.
Ian Morse ’17
A.B. History, Mathematics-Economics
Third year in the house
Having spent high school abroad, I wanted to take advantage of every chance to maintain a multicultural environment. The house offers me the opportunity to be with students who feel the same way and a platform from which meaningful discussion can be made.
Sam Miller-Brown ’18
B.S. Mathematics
First year in the house
I don’t have the opportunity to go abroad and experience other cultures firsthand, so I joined Grossman as a way to experience them secondhand and live with people who have been to other places. I’m looking forward to seeing what the year brings!
Tomoki Sasaki ‘19
B.A. Religion & Politics and Philosophy
First year in the house
Multiculturalism has formed my identity and who I am today. I am Japanese by nationality, was born in Ethiopia, spent my childhood in England, lived back and forth between Rwanda and Kenya for ten years, and now am in America. Through this upbringing, I have come to understand the great value in other cultures, so it is a privilege to live in Grossman House, an environment that fosters the appreciation of diversity.