Giselle Carreño

Giselle Carreño (‘25, Business Administration/Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature) is a first-generation Latina college student raised in a low-income Hispanic community in Northern California. She developed a love for building community through language by translating at clinics, churches, and her school district. Through this experience, she gave Spanish-speaking individuals access to free healthcare and educational resources. At Berkeley, she developed an interest in Portuguese to reach all of Latin America and connect cultures through her work as VP of Professional Development at the Latinx Business Student Association. This summer […]

Khephra Owl

Khephra Owl (’25, Educational Sciences) will be traveling to Okayama, Japan to study Japanese. She grew up watching Ghibli movies such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, which led her to studying various aspects of Japanese culture, such as Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, and Japanese ghost stories. In 2023, she studied abroad in Kyoto, Japan through UCEAP and discovered several stark contrasts between US and Japanese cultures, which showed her the value of learning from each other in areas such as self-expression and honoring tradition. As a transfer student, Khephra […]

Abigail Klein

Abigail Klein (’26, Russian Language & Culture / Psychology) is headed to Daugavpils, Latvia to study Russian. She was raised in Southern California, where she grew up around Spanish-speaking communities and saw firsthand the power of language learning. This appreciation drives her study of Russian, alongside her love for Russian literature. Abigail is an editor of Troika, UC Berkeley’s undergraduate Slavic journal. In addition, she frequents Russian Conversation Hour, where she and other language learners practice their Russian over tea and Russian candies. As Vice President of UC Berkeley Best […]

Alexandra “Sasha” Bergseid

Alexandra “Sasha” Bergseid (’28, EECS) is from San Diego. She will be spending the summer in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, continuing her study of Russian. As a heritage speaker, Sasha hopes to use these language skills to pursue engineering abroad in the future.

Utkarsh Dubey

Utkarsh Dubey (‘27, Political Science/History) was born in Mumbai. He immigrated to America at a young age and now resides in Dallas, Texas. He will spend the summer in Lucknow, India furthering his knowledge of Urdu. Utkarsh plans to use the linguistic skills gained from CLS to help create spaces of transparency and cooperation between South Asian and United States governments, working at the intersection of law and foreign policy. Utkarsh hopes to use his Urdu language skills to support South Asian communities in the United States and overseas through […]

Tiffany Mar

Tiffany Mar (’25, Society and Environment, Data Science minor) is excited to be a part of the CLS 2025 cohort to explore Bahasa Indonesia. She is interested in exploring how community-driven solutions can solve pressing sustainability challenges. In the future, she would like to use her Indonesian skills to pursue a career in geospatial research where she can advocate for both people and the planet. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys making music, exploring martial arts, and picnicking with friends on the Glade.

Roxana (Qinhong) Wang

Roxana (Qinhong) Wang (’24, Comparative Literature/Ancient Greek and Roman Studies) is deeply enthusiastic about cultural heritage in its diverse forms, from objects and sites to languages. At Berkeley, Roxana led multicultural publications and founded a translation award. She has worked with institutions including U Penn and the Bangladesh Forestry Department to advise on managing tribal cultural resources and world heritage sites. Roxana’s writing has been published by the SAIS Review of International Affairs, Center for Art Law, and Eurasianet, among others. She has worked with ICOMOS to launch a UNESCO […]

Eli Glickman

Eli Glickman (’25 Political Science and Public Policy) is interested in nuclear strategy and the intersection between national security and emerging technologies. He plans to spend his two years in the United Kingdom earning master’s degrees in history and war studies at the University of Oxford and King’s College London, respectively. Eli is a 2024 Truman Scholar and has been an intern for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, a Kissinger Summer Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, a 2023 Hertog War Studies Scholar at the […]

Julieth Lara

Julieth Lara (’26, Social Welfare & Public Policy), a transfer student from Mountain View, CA, is passionate about developing equitable sexual health systems at the intersection of public policy and public health. She is particularly driven to address disparities in reproductive and HIV care experienced by sexual and gender minorities. Julieth aims to build a career in academic research and policymaking, advocating for meaningful change within their communities and beyond. Through the Voyager Scholarship, Julieth will explore these interests further and forge connections to advance her vision.