2008 Thailand Delegates' Bios
Alim Chandani — Coordinator — Alim Chandani, deaf since birth, graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with a B.S. in New Media and E-Business and from New York University with a M.A. in Deafness Rehabilitation and Higher Education. He was an Internship Coordinator for United States federal agencies through ADNET Systems, Inc. Alim currently works as a Student Development Coordinator at National Technical Institute for the Deaf within RIT.
In 2005, Alim was a human rights delegate for Global Youth Connect, and conducted workshops with fellow delegates in Cambodia. Inspired by this experience, he conceived of providing cross-cultural programs for American deaf youth within developing countries. Thus the concept of GRO was born.
Presently, Alim has a specific mission and vision for the future of GRO, and carefully plans each trip in furtherance of GRO's goals. He constantly looks for ways to create and enrich global networks between deaf communities, and seeks the long-term success of these connections
Adrienne Morgan — Assistant Coordinator — I am working as a Student Program Coordinator in multicultural support at Student Life Team at NTID. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary with two concentrations, Social Work and History. I am continuing my education by receiving a Masters Degree in Professional Studies program at Rochester Institute of Technology. This is my first travel experience with GRO and outside of the United States. I hope to learn new things and expand my education further in the area of multicultural support. My goal involves to promote more opportunities for students overall who want to absorb new and challenging experience outside of the United States.
Buddha's Lucky Tree
Greg Beattie — Team Leader — I am currently a fourth-year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology, studying Business Administration. I aspire to become a teacher after graduation and hopefully I'll have more opportunities to travel around the world. I recently participated in GRO-Thailand in March of 2007 as well as GRO-India in June 2007. This will be my second time visiting Thailand and I will be one of the three Team Leaders for the program ' I'm looking forward to that experience! Some facts about me: I like to spend my spare time editing videos, and playing racquetball and Ultimate Frisbee. I also like to watch movies and to spend time with my friends. As a proud resident of Colorado, it is natural to presume that I love the outdoors: hiking and snowboarding are such examples of activities I like to pursue.
Kari Hoaglin — I am currently a third-year student at Rochester Institute of Technology studying Food Management. I travel a lot, but this will only be my second time flying overseas. I love to volunteer and have performed many different volunteer jobs, primarily with children. I also love to learn new things and meet new people. I am very involved with my sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma. Additionally, I love to read, take pictures, hike, socialize, and play volleyball and golf.
Shabnam Razmpour — I am currently a third year at Rochester Institute of Technology studying Biotechnology. I want to be a biology teacher at a deaf school. I also want to be a laboratory technician in many different fields. Since my trip to Thailand will be my first time participating in an international deaf leadership for children overseas. I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have been involved with a variety of activities for many years which have lent me a great leadership experience and knowledge. I have been a peer mediator at Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), a peer instructor for RITsign for the past three years and a member of RIT's Women Basketball team. In my free time, I love running, lifting and the natural outdoors: hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, snowboarding & surfing.
Ryan Harter — I am currently a fourth-year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology, studying Computer Aided Drafting Technology (Architecture). I aspire to work in an architectural firm after graduation. I am an active member and officer of my fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi. I am from Florida and enjoy the Florida lifestyle. Swimming and going to the beaches are among my favorite activities, as well as visiting many theme parks. When in Florida I spend time volunteering at the Humane Society. I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries with my family. I enjoy learning about the culture and history of the places I visit. I am excited to go to Thailand and to learn firsthand about our cultural differences and similarities.
Kwaab Fan Crew
Anthony Balogh — Team Leader — I am currently a fourth-year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. I am studying at the Center for Multidisciplinary Studies. Psychology, sociology and Deaf education are my areas of concentration. I was born in Queens, New York City and moved to Tenafly, New Jersey at the age of 10. Besides academics, I am the Asian Deaf Club (ADC) Vice-President, as well as a Team Leader for the upcoming GRO delegation in Thailand 2008. In my spare time, I enjoy playing sports, snowboarding, reading, watching movies and traveling. I have touched three countries so far and my goal is to travel to many more. Also, I have participated in three different programs under GRO: Thailand 2007, India 2007, and soon to be Thailand 2008.
Anita Kurian — My name is Anita Kurian, and I am a resident of Morris Plains, NJ. I was born in India and moved to North America for the purpose of obtaining a better education. I am currently a fifth-year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) studying Biotechnology. I have a degree in Laboratory Science Technology and in due time, I will receive a degree in Biotechnology. I have taken part in self-advocacy roles like becoming the Vice-President of the Deaf International Student Association in 2006-07, which ultimately improved my leadership skills. I was also involved in the Explore Your Future program in summer of 2007 at the National Technical Institution for the Deaf (NTID). This program assisted high school students in feeling comfortable and understanding the college lifestyle at RIT and NTID. Evidently, I enjoy being involved in many different activities, and still am to this today.
Anne Greener-Hage — I am currently a fourth-year student at the National Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology, majoring in Art Studies. I am from Baltimore, Maryland. I'm a member of the Alpha Sigma Theta Sorority, and love traveling, photography, computers, and the outdoors. I am looking forward to going to Thailand because I love to travel to new places and meet new people, and I especially love to learn about the lives and experiences of deaf people in other cultures. I particularly want to focus on learning how to help Deaf women and children improve their lives, and on documenting the work of GRO through photography. I recently participated in GRO-India in May-June 2007, and I am very excited to be going to Thailand!
Erin Garlock — I'm currently a first-year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology studying Laboratory Science Technology. I hope to become a marine biologist after finishing my academic career. I am from Northampton, Massachusetts, a small city in the western part of Massachusetts, as well as Alexandria Bay, New York, a tiny town near Ontario, Canada. I love to participate and help out in the community by collecting and giving food to the Survival Center for homeless people, as well as being involved in the Relay for Life. For the past four years, I have helped to guide younger Deaf/hard of hearing students who were in the transition of going into mainstream high school by doing student panels about my experiences and giving advice to them. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities such as snowboarding, sports, hiking, camping, boating, jet skiing, etc. I also enjoy photography, reading, watching movies, socializing with my friends, and meeting new people.
Maenam Bplaa
Katrina Cue — Team Leader — I'm originally from Colorado, where I was born and raised. I graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado in 2005 and moved to Rochester the following fall to begin my graduate studies. Currently, I am a third-year MSSE student, which means that I have all of the program requirements done except the certification exams and the capstone project. I plan to graduate this upcoming May. I was a videographer and blogger for the GRO-India 2007 trip to Bangalore, and I enjoyed the experience immensely. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, snowboarding, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Rachel Speranza — I am currently a third-year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the Multidisciplinary Studies program. It is my goal to be a counselor to Deaf high school students so this trip to Thailand is a great opportunity to get a taste of that kind of work. This is my very first time going to another country, so traveling to Thailand will be a new experience for me. I love to travel. I recently went to New York City for the very first time and loved it. It is my dream to go to Europe after graduation. I work as a student assistant for Student Life Team. I love to read but unfortunately don't have that much free time at RIT. Shopping is my passion. I like to watch movies and to spend time with my family and friends.
Nicole Utley — I am currently a third-year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology studying Laboratory Science Technology. I am aspiring to become a doctor after I graduate. I am a proud city girl from Trenton, New Jersey. This trip to Thailand will be my first time to see a different Deaf culture, and to understand the various aspects of their lives. In my spare time, I love to watch television, read magazines, hang out with friends, and play soccer. I always love to learn new things and just cherish the moments that I have in my life. I am a very motivated person; I am always willing to learn about different cultures that involve Deaf people because each person has a different experience. It's very interesting to me.
Mia Sanchez — My name is Mia Sanchez. I am a Caribbean woman from New York City. I will graduate in 2008 with a Bachelor's Degree. I describe myself as a very creative and friendly person. I like to read, write, and do artwork. I do both indoor and outdoor activities for fun. Recently, I went bungee jumping in Costa Rica! I enjoy meeting and helping people. For GRO, I am very motivated to learn something new from the Thailand students. Also, I look forward to making a positive difference while working with other delegates.
Peter Csiszar — I was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, and I am proud to be Canadian! I am a Biotechnology major. I have had intense experiences from traveling in Europe, but I want to travel through developing countries to learn more about the diverse cultures there. I collect chess sets from all over the world; I have 47 so far. I'm going to get more chess sets during my GRO trip! In my free time, I love playing any type of racquet sports, watching movies, going downhill skiing, and gaming. I have a great sense of adventure, so the GRO-Thailand program will be a good opportunity.