Khadija Ahmed
Khadija was born in DC and grew up there as well as Northern Virginia later on. She enjoys reading, baking, and going to new places. Khadija is a sophomore studying environmental sciences and journalism. She is interested in fighting for environmental justice, bringing attention and action to how the climate crisis disproportionately affects marginalized communities.
Hana-Lei Ji
Hana-Lei grew up in a small town on Hawai'i Island (the Big Island). She is a second-year studying Social Policy at Northwestern and is completing the Civic Engagement Certificate. From growing up loving to learn but witnessing opportunity gaps between school systems, Hana-Lei hopes to foster equitable learning environments and spaces that feel safe and promote educational justice. Building relationships, listening, and reflection guide her through navigating systems of oppression. In her free time, she enjoys walking by lakefill (warm or cold, but not gnat season), crocheting, and facetiming her sister and cats.
Hannah Xu
Hannah is a second-year from Naperville, Illinois. She is majoring in Chemistry and Psychology on a pre-pharmacy track, and she is committed to improving healthcare and education accessibility. Hannah enjoys meeting and learning from people with diverse backgrounds. In her free time, she likes to draw, travel, and explore new cuisines.
Anand Choudhary
Anand was born and raised in Trumbull, Connecticut. Anand is committed to fostering safe and loving environments for young children and uplifting the voices of the youth to help them feel empowered. Currently, he is a freshman at Northwestern University studying Economics. Anand is involved with a cappella on campus, and is a part of the Northwestern Undertones. In his free time, aside from singing and acting, Anand loves to hike, read, swim, and play with his two dogs, Oreo and Biscuit. After completing his undergraduate education, Anand hopes to attend law school. Anand looks forward to building meaningful connections and relationships with his peers and mentors during his time as a DeBerry Civic Scholar.Freesia Tokunaga
Freesia is a sophomore who was born and raised in Kobe, Japan and she enjoys drawing, thrifting, and befriending cats. Uplifting others through encouragement and focusing on others mental health are central to how she interacts with her community. She is currently a research assistant at a pain and opioid addiction laboratory, volunteers at a local geriatric hospice, and is an ESL tutor for new families in the US. Freesia is majoring in Neuroscience and Global Health Studies with hopes of becoming a psychiatrist serving in underserved communities.Alessandra Valladares
Alessandra grew up in the small town of Gilberts, IL. She is a second-year political science student at Northwestern and is interested in pursuing a career in law after she graduates. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, walking by the lake fill, and playing tennis. Alessandra is excited to spend more time in the Rogers Park area in order to center the lived experiences of Chicago residents in social justice work.Toubby Chau
Toubby is a second year pre-medical student at Northwestern University, with a focus on healthcare accessibility and access. He loves all things cats and houseplants, and just about anything and everything. Content figuring life out with everyone.Sanjana Rajesh
Sanjana is from Schaumburg, Illinois and enjoys reading, calligraphy, and watching sitcoms. She's a sophomore studying Sociology and Economics with a minor in Global Health Studies. She's passionate about human rights, feminism, and justice, and is really excited to engage with the North of Howard neighborhood and connect with the community around her.Jeremy Ferguson
Jeremy was born and raised in the Chicago area. He is a sophomore majoring in Economics and Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS). He hopes to pursue a career in economic policy and economic research. In his free time, he enjoys biking, playing basketball, and acting in sketch comedies.Amy Kim
Amy was raised in Orange County, California and enjoys the beach, live music, and reading. She is a second-year studying Political Science and History, with hopes of going into law, and she is an advocate for educational equity and immigrant justice.Sophie Teitler
Sophie is from Gunnison, Colorado. She is a second year student studying dance and psychology, interested in the mind-body connection and movement therapy. Sophie enjoys listening to music, reading, and exploring the city in her free time.Lilah Goldberg
Lilah is a second-year student from Boulder, Colorado majoring in Human Development in Context, Global Health, and Environmental Science at Northwestern. She is interested in exploring the intersection between environment and health and the influences these two spheres exert on how we develop as people, to make change so that no one is unsafe in the spaces they occupy. She hopes to pursue law school after she graduates to advocate for individuals facing profound challenges and uplift people by helping create safe and healthy environments. Lilah is excited to further explore and ask questions about justice and equity as a public service scholar and build meaningful relationships with community members in the North of Howard Chicago neighborhood.Abhi Nimmagaddda
Abhi is a sophomore studying Comparative Literature and Gender Studies from Crown Point, Indiana. His hobbies include listening to music, rewatching the same five shows on Netflix, and writing. He has listened to so much Mariah Carey that he knows every single lyric in her discography. While uncertain about the future, he's interested in working and engaging with queer scholarship and activism.
