Anna Zhou

My name is Anna Zhou and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am part of the class of 2024, majoring in biomedical engineering with a biomechanics concentration. I am a first year academic fellow and I'm involved in clubs such as Rotary International, Archery, and Badminton. Outside of U of R, I'm an avid piano player and I love gardening.

Zaynab Khan

Hi everyone, my name is Zaynab Khan! I am a part of the class of 2026 and I'm majoring in Economics. I love learning about different languages and immersing myself in various unique cultures. Outside of school, I enjoy thrifting, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Khue Nguyen

Hi! My name is Khue (Katie), originally from Vietnam, and I am part of the class of 2025. I major in Business Finance and Data Science. I have studied French and Chinese and learning languages is one of my biggest passions in life.

Sarah Pirzada

Hi! I’m Sarah Pirzada and I’m from Queens, New York. I’m a part of the class of 2027 and I’m majoring in Economics.

Gabriel Plata

Hi, my name is Gabriel and I am part of the class of 2027. I love to study the intersection between language and culture, and as a result, I am double majoring in Anthropology and English. I speak Spanish and study French. Playing guitar, tennis, and traveling
are some of my hobbies.

Lorraine Tshamekang

Lorraine Warona Tshamekang is a rising sophomore at the University of Rochester, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Science but is considering making a switch to Optics. She completed her A levels at Maru-a-Pula High School in Botswana earning her a full merit-based scholarship from the Government of the Republic of Botswana. Her hobbies include dancing, running, and watching movies. Her current campus involvements are the Ma’Frisah Dance group, Student Alumni Ambassadors, the Pan-African Students Association (PASA), and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Lorraine is passionate about using the intersection between Chemistry and Physics and its application to integrated photonics and nanotechnology to solve problems.

Lissen Turner

Hi! My name is Lissen, and I'm in the class of 2026. I'm majoring in ASL and double minoring in psychology and political science. I am also involved with ASL club and Sihir Bellydance club!

To be announced
American Sign Language 

To be announced 
Arabic

Junwen Peng
Chinese

 Hi everyone, My name is Junwen Peng. I am from Shanghai, China, and I am part of the class of 2025. I major in Business Analytics, Economics, and German. In my free time, I love to spend time in nature and engage in various sports activities. I can’t wait to meet everyone in the language center!

Génia Abbey
French

Salut! My name is Génia, I use she/her pronouns, and I'm from outside of Buffalo, NY. I'm a sophomore intending to triple major in French, music, and comparative literature. In my free time, I enjoy reading, doing yoga, being in nature, and spending time with my dog, Riona.

To be announced
German

To be announced
Ancient Greek and Latin

To be announced 
Hebrew

 Areti Tsirikaki
Italian

 Hey! My name is Areti, and I am from Athens, Greece. I am a part of the 2025 class, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Italian. I am also a member of the varsity volleyball team, The Women’s Network, and Morgan’s Message. In my free time, I love spending time with my friends, watching romcoms, and playing beach volleyball! 

Hiroka Kurita
Japanese

Hello! My name is Hiroka Kurita, but you can call me Hiro! I use she/they pronouns and I am a sophomore intending to major in psychology and minor in Spanish. I am planning to be active in Rice Crew. I love cooking (although I'm not great at it) and origami!

To be announced
Korean

Julia Owsianska
Polish

Cześć! My name is Julia and I will be tutoring Polish. I was born in Poland but have lived in England my whole life and continued to speak Polish at home. I’m in the class of ‘26 at UofR, majoring in biochemistry with a bioethics minor. I love traveling and visiting new places as well as running! I’m also a big supporter of danford over douggie.

Natália Bigolin Groff
Portuguese

Hello!! My name is Natalia, and I am from Brazil. I am part of the class of 2027 majoring in Mechanical engineering with a Music minor. In my free time, I enjoy dancing and doing yoga. I am very passionate about the diversity of Brazilian cultures, and I love living in a culturally diverse community :)

Maria Vardanyan
Russian

Hi! My name is Maria (Masha) and I am from Armenia. I am in the Class of 2027 and I am majoring in Physics and Astronomy. I love learning phrases in different languages and impressing others with my immense knowledge;). Fun fact: the three languages I am fluent in have 3 different alphabets.

David Zarceño
Spanish

Hi! My name is David Zarceño and I'm from NYC. I'm part of the class of 2026 and am majoring in Computer Science. I'm looking forward to meeting more Spanish speakers and people who are looking to learn new languages!