High School

Meet our Global Student Ambassadors!

Published on Sep 7, 2016

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Cogito’s Global Student Ambassador Program is a peer-advising support network for prospective international students who wish to study in the United States. Ambassadors are selected for their academic performance, involvement in the campus community, and commitment to advancing multicultural awareness.


Student Name: Akira
Countries Representing: Japan
School: California State University, Chico
Major: Communication Design, concentration in Graphic Design

Mr. Akira is a junior international student from Kumamoto, Japan. He started studying at California State University, Chico in 2014, majoring in Communication Design with a study focus on graphic design. Akira’s career goal is to make his own brand as a graphic designer. “The biggest reason why I decided to study in the US, not to go to a Japanese university, is that I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and learn more about the world that I didn’t know. I wanted to experience new things.”


Student Name: Ataullah
Countries Representing: Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia
Current School: University of Washington
Major: Chemical & Materials Engineering

Originally from Bangladesh, Ataullah has lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years and has connections in both countries. He was always an inquisitive person, and as a child, he would ask questions like “Where does candle wax disappear?” and “Why do leaves change color?” His curiosity increased with time and developed into a love of science and technology. More than anything, he wanted to study Engineering at an American university where the field has a legacy of excellence, but financial barriers always prevented him from pursuing his dream. He worked many jobs to earn extra money, and in 2014 he applied to several US universities. He researched various scholarships for international students and eventually received a generous merit-based scholarship from the University of Washington. He joined Cogito as a Student Ambassador to help students like himself overcome financial obstacles and pursue their educational dreams to study in the USA.


Student Name: Christine
Countries Representing: Germany, Switzerland, Austria
School: California State University, Northridge & Fresenius University of Applied Sciences
Major: Psychology

Christine first came to the US from Germany as an au pair in Boston, where she took a few classes at Harvard University Extension. She decided she wanted to continue her higher education in the USA and got accepted to the CSU Northridge “Semester at CSUN” F-1 Exchange Program. She studied for one semester at the California university before traveling back home where she is currently completing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg.


Student Name: Julia
Countries Representing: Sweden
School: Lindenwood University
Major: English Literature

Julia loves to travel and experience new adventures and cultures. She’s from a small town outside of Lund, Sweden. During High School, she spent a year as an exchange student in Michigan, USA, and is now completing her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature at Lindenwood University in Missouri, USA. After completing her major, and possibly a master’s, she hopes to work in publishing and/or editing at a major book company. It was her passion for reading that made her finally decide on her major and future career. Her interest in traveling has brought her to a lot of mesmerizing places and allowed her to meet people from all over the world. She hopes to one day visit every single country on this planet. Animals have also always been a major part of her life. She grew up with dogs and horses around her, and since starting college she’s dedicated about 4 hours a week at a riding center for disabled children and around 6 hours a week at a rescue center for dogs.


Student Name: Patty
Countries Representing: Thailand
School: Harvard College
Major: Environmental Science

Currently, in her first year at Harvard University, Patty is from Bangkok, Thailand. In high school, she served as Assistant Coach for the Junior Swimming Team, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and the Thai Red Cross, and participated in a field study with the National Science and Technology Development Agency to evaluate coral settlement in the Nai Yang Reef off the coast of Phucket. Having been a part of Harvard’s pre-orientation for international students, she realized even older, well-prepared students from foreign countries struggle with the sudden change in culture and lifestyle. Therefore, she would love to help international students like herself adjust to the new environment and stress of college.


Student Name: Lan
Countries Representing: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
School: Northeastern University
Major: Business Administration (Management concentration)

Ms. Lan currently works at a company headquartered in downtown Boston, focused on the educational development of international students. She graduated from Northeastern University with a Master’s degree in Business Management. Prior to that, she studied in China at Nanjing University and received her Bachelor’s degree focused on International Trade. Ms. Lan was raised in China and still maintains ties to her native country through associations with Boston-based Chinese organizations and frequent visits to her hometown. She aspires to become a partner at an international business firm with both US and China relations to continue her professional development.