Global Community Ambassadors

Note: As of Fall 2025, this role has been combined with the Marketing Lead position. 

Global Community Ambassadors support the I-House Alumni Relations & Philanthropy team with content creation, video production, fundraising, and alumni engagement. In addition to sharing glimpses of I-House life on our blog, Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, our Ambassadors are adding fresh new content on our YouTube channel. 

Global Community Ambassadors occasionally serve as liaisons to VIPs, visiting alumni, and the media. Learn more about our extraordinary ambassadors below.

Previous Ambassadors

Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Ambassadors

Harini Voruganti

Hello! I'm Harini Voruganti, and I am thrilled to be a Global Community Ambassador at I-House! I'm currently a fourth-year Neurobiology undergrad at UC Berkeley and entering my third year as part of the wonderful I-House family. I am Indian-American, grew up around the monuments and memorials of Washington, D.C., and moved to sunny California for college. Having grown up in the U.S.—a true "salad bowl" of cultures—I have always celebrated diversity and strive to champion cultural appreciation and inclusivity through my creative passions: dance, art, photography, and music! As a Global Ambassador this year, I’m excited to capture and share the vibrant stories of the incredibly diverse I-House community!

Read my I-House blog posts: 

The Power of Community: How I-House Brought Bonnie and Peter Together

Legacy of Love and Lifelong Connections at I-House Berkeley

Unity in Motion: Bridging Cultures Through Dance at International House

Creating Harmony Through Music at I-House

Harini Voruganti

Eryn Su

Hi! I'm Eryn, and I'm honored to serve as a Global Community Ambassador at I-House this year! I was born and raised in Hong Kong until I was eleven and later moved back and forth between Thailand and Japan. I'm an undergraduate student at Berkeley, studying Economics and Data Science. In my spare time, I love exploring new places, enjoying nature, and photography. This is my first year living at I-House, and I’m already energized by the incredibly vibrant and diverse community here. I can’t wait to capture the unique memories we create this year as we bring the world a little closer together at our home away from home.

Read my I-House blog posts: 

Breaking Bread, Building Bonds: How Food Brings the I-House Community Together

From Bangkok to Berkeley: My Journey to International House

Eryn Su

Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 Ambassadors

Lucy Zhu

Hi everyone! My name is Lucy Zhu and I am ecstatic to work as a Global Ambassador at International House. I am currently a graduate journalism student and I will be organizing all sorts of fun events and capturing diverse cultural exchange moments here as a big international family.
A little bit about me: I am Chinese Canadian raised in Vancouver Canada. I studied Journalism and Communications in Beijing’s Tsinghua University and I will be continuing my passion at UC Berkeley. Growing up in a multicultural community, I love intercultural communication and I can’t wait to know more people in I-House to engage in intriguing conversations. Playing sports and learning new languages are what I like to do in my free time, if you have the same passion as me, feel free to hit me up!

 Global Community Ambassadors

Essenam Dorkenu

I grew up in the rural parts of the Greater Accra region of Ghana where I developed a passion for entrepreneurship, community, and sustainability. I majored in Business Administration at Ashesi University with a special interest in entrepreneurship and marketing courses. I am now in the Masters of Development Practice program at Berkeley with a focus on sustainability in entrepreneurship to promote food security and looking to engage in projects and organizations aimed at building and managing sustainable communities.

As a global community ambassador, I look forward to coordinating and communicating all events at the I-House, especially the can’t-miss opportunities, and making sure to record and report all the memories you make here.

Sanidhya Rao

Hi all! I'm Sanidhya Rao and I'm delighted to be a Global Community Ambassador. I'm looking forward to bringing you all the exciting news on events and experiences at I-House. I love capturing genuine memories and preserving them, as something to look back and smile about.

I’m from the culturally vibrant city of Delhi in India. I am a student at Berkeley Law, in the LLM course, aiming to specialize in intellectual property and technology laws. I’ve been passionate about law and technology since I decided to study law as an undergrad, and subsequently practice it as a litigator in intellectual property law in India for two years. I love to watch football (that’s soccer to some, I won’t say it), Formula 1 and tennis. In my spare time I love to walk around the city and explore museums, art galleries, bars and head out for treks. If I’m not outside I love to paint my sneakers, do origami and read non-fiction books. On a lazier day, I like to kick back and unwind with some good old Nintendo Switch gaming.

Excellence Anurika Joshua

Hey there! I'm Excellence Anurika Joshua, but you can just call me Excellence. Hailing from the vibrant South-Eastern part of Nigeria, I'm currently diving deep into a Masters in Development Engineering, focusing on Healthcare Transformations.

For the past five years, I've been on an incredible journey as an impact entrepreneur and gender inclusion advocate, empowering over 8,000 African women and girls with essential digital skills, spanning an amazing 35 countries!

As your Global Community Ambassador here at I-House, I'm super excited to get to know all of you – both residents and alumni. I'm here to help weave our diverse threads into a vibrant tapestry, celebrate our unique community, and make sure your time here is as unforgettable as possible. Do you have any cool ideas or need a chat? I'm all ears! Let's make some magic happen together!

Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Ambassadors

Bhawna Chowdhary

Hi, I am Bhawna Chowdhary from India. I am doing my LL.M. with a specialization in Business law at Berkeley Law. I have worked as a legal associate for two years in Delhi, India. My hobbies are photography and going on long walks. I will be working as a Social Media Ambassador (SMA) at I-House this spring. I took up the SMA position because I love creating happy memories for people. I believe pictures are a throwback to the reality we have lived, so let's make these memories worth having a throwback for during our time at I-House! 

Be sure to follow us on Instagram to see my posts and tag us in your stories @ihouseberkeley.

The Beauty of Culture and Diversity

A Night Full of Music: The Resident Benefit Concert

The Stars Aligned for I-House during Big Give 2023
Bhawna Chowdary

Leonor Trinidad

Hi! I am Leonor Trinidad, coming from Cáceres, Spain. I am currently a Junior double majoring in Journalism, Film, and Media Studies. This year at UC Berkeley is a great opportunity to continue my film studies and to meet and learn from the very amazing people here in International House. I love photography, writing, and filming, but mostly capturing moments for the future. I am very excited to share all these memories with you as a Social Media Ambassador (SMA) this Spring!		 Leonor Trinidad

Okechukwu Iroegbu

I'm a Folklore and Anthropology graduate student at UC Berkeley. I'm a member of the I-House Resident Council (2022-2023) and a Social Media Ambassador. I'm in the I-House Dining Committee. I'm a Mastercard Foundation Scholar from Nigeria. Here are some blog posts I wrote for the I-House Blog:

The Diary of an I-House Livermore Cowboy

Recipes from the I-House Melting Pot

Lunar New Year at I-House

Winter Break Memories

Sharing the Light, One Candle at a Time

Ubuntu – I Am Because We Are

Be sure to follow the I-House Blog to read more of my posts! https://ihberkeley.wordpress.com/ 

If you like to know more, follow my poetry blog at oiroegbu.com or my IG page @oiroegbuhalls.

 Okechukwu Iroegbu

Aneta Felix

Aneta Felix is a Nigerian journalist with almost a decade long experience in newsrooms, including at the BBC. Her work has been awarded and recognized in Germany, the US, the UK, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. She has also worked on the radio, TV, online, and print platforms as a presenter, producer, creative writer, editor, and media consultant.

Aneta is a documentary filmmaking major at the graduate school of journalism, University of California, Berkeley. She is a 2022 recipient of the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship, an awardee of the British Council, and the Girls in Tech category winner at 2020 Connect Her Film Festival for her film, Women in Tech. Aneta is also a new vlogger, sharing her international experience with the US community.  Aneta writes, "I’m happy we're building friendships and making fun memories so far, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to document them through videos, pictures and blog posts, as a Social Media Ambassador at I-House."

You can connect with Aneta on these platforms:
Youtube | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin | I-House Berkeley Connect

 Aneta Felix, SMA

Eric Assan (Fall 2022)

Eric was born in Ghana and is currently a Master of Education student at the Berkeley School of Education with a focus on Policy, Politics, and Leadership. He is one of the 20 MasterCard Foundation Scholars living at International House this year. 

He spent three years living in China, where I traveled to many cities: Harbin, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Yiwu, Shandong, and many others, before and after the pandemic. He is very passionate about educational equity and is always looking for ways society and the world at large can help improve access to education for people in low-income, developing countries, and marginalized and underserved communities. During his leisure time, he loves creating videos, listening to music, and taking pictures. 

Eric writes, “I'm very excited about the opportunity to experience the wonderful moments with you through my lenses while at I-House and the beautiful Berkeley community.” 

You can connect with Eric on these platforms:
Youtube | Instagram | I-House Berkeley Connect

Eric Assan, Social Media Ambassador

Spring 2022 Ambassadors

Jeanne Bloch, Louise Riche, Carina Samson

Jeanne Bloch

Hi all! My name is Jeanne Bloch. I was born and raised in France and am currently a junior studying international law and political science. I am particularly interested in the study and protection of Human Rights. I've also been working in a newspaper for three years now!I like living here, in such a rich cultural environment and would love to learn more from each one of our residents. In my free time, I enjoy any kind of sea-related activity (surfing, sailing, swimming) as well as writing in my journal and reading. I'm always up for a chat with residents and alumni, especially if you want to share your I-House stories and experiences! 

Louise Riché

Hello everyone! My name is Louise Riché and I am very excited to be one of the Social Media Ambassadors for I-House for this academic year! Along with Azza Chairannisa, I will be sharing life at International House and its incredible community on social media.

A little bit about me: I am a French exchange student staying in Berkeley for a year. However, even though I grew up in France, I have spent the last two years studying in London! People often ask me what my major is, and I always reply that it is a complicated question. That is because I study an interdisciplinary degree of Liberal Arts and Sciences, meaning that I study a little bit of everything. For example, at Berkeley, my classes range from Chinese and computer science to theatre and social entrepreneurship! In my free time, I love watching movies (my favorite being La La Land) and traveling.

Carina Samson

Hello everyone! My name is Carina Samson and I'm super excited for the opportunity to share the various diverse experiences and beautiful moments we have here at I-House with the rest of our Berkeley community!

A little bit about me: I was born in the Philippines and raised in Japan, and I'm currently a junior undergraduate student double majoring in Data Science and Psychology. Ever since I was really young I've been passionate about mental health, as well as a strong believer in the importance of service and youth empowerment, especially within the field of educational technology. In my free time, I love to write music, sing, play the ukulele, go on hikes and watch anime.

Fall 2022 Ambassador

Azza Chairannisa

Hello! My name is Mumtaza Chairannisa, but I go by Azza, and I have the great honour of being one of I-House’s new Social Media Ambassadors, and the greater pleasure of working with I-House’s communications team! My role as an SMA includes using various social media platforms to connect and share the wonderful cultures we have within I-House. Another way I intend to promote the diverse cultures of our residents is through an international cookbook where I will ask our lovely residents to send in recipes of the dishes that remind them of home! A little bit about me: I am Indonesian, but I grew up in the UK. Currently, I am a Junior majoring in History. I spent my previous two years in France as part of the Sciences Po Paris and UC Berkeley Dual Degree program, where I majored in Economy and Society. I can speak Bahasa Indonesian, English, and to a much lesser extent, French.

Fall 2019 - Spring 2021 Ambassador

Chan'Cellore Makanjuola

Chan'Cellore Makanjuola is an award-winning filmmaker from Plano, Texas. She studied film at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, where she got her degree in Mass Communication. She is currently a first-year graduate student at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, with her concentration in documentary filmmaking. She enjoys video editing, watching documentaries (and making them), and is always looking for a great story. Her favorite thing about living at I-House was experiencing a wide range of cultures and backgrounds from the people she met, particularly in the Dining Commons. 

Read her blog posts:
Alumni Spotlight: Kathryn Anthony (IH 1976-79)
A Semester Like No Other: An I-House Berkeley Spring 2020 Recap
I-House Residents Fighting COVID-19, One Care Package at a Time
Big Thanks for Big Give!
Support I-House Berkeley for Big Give!
Celebrating Black History Month at I-House through Food
I-House, a Gateway to Love: Mexico Meets Bangladesh
Winter Holiday Traditions from I-House Residents
Listen to her interview on the podcast series, Under the Dome.
Listen on Google Podcast Listen on Apple Podcast

Host of Global Homecoming 2020

Global Homecoming 2020 Highlights

Watch videos produced by Chan'Cellore on our YouTube channel

Fall 2018 - Spring 2019 Ambassadors

Loyalty Traster-Lee and Juanan Perez

Loyalty Traster-Lee and Juanan Perez were the Spring 2019 Social Media Ambassadors. Loyalty wrote nine blog posts and Juanan wrote five blog posts. Together, they produced the wildly popular "I-House Connection" video with the collaboration of sixty residents.

Testimonials about the experience:

"Hello! My name is Loyalty and I'm from California. While I was a resident at International House, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a Social Media Ambassador, along with Juanan, during the Spring 2019 semester. Being a part of I-House's communication endeavors, via digital outlets such as Instagram and blog posts, allowed me to engage with so many amazing humans I would otherwise have not met. In particular, I loved filming, editing, and directing the music video, "The I-House Connection" with Juanan, to bring awareness to I-House for Big Give 2019. Throughout the semester, I was supported and encouraged by Laurie, and this commitment hit the perfect balance of having enough responsibility to feel impactful, without being stress-inducing. I'll always have fond memories of my time at I-House, and my time as a Social Media Ambassador."

"Hello everyone! My name is Juanan, and I am from Spain. I was a resident at I-House during the 2018-2019 academic year. I can say that it was one of the best places that I have ever lived. As a student in International Relations, it helped me broaden my mind about the beauty of the diversity of cultures all across the world. Being a Social Media Ambassador during the second semester was a great way for me to get experience writing in English. With the help of Loyalty, we were able to show future residents how I-House life is from inside and give advice about life in Berkeley. It was an experience I will never forget!"

Fall 2018 Ambassador

Francesca Ternullo

Hi! My name is Francesca and I am from Italy. I was a UCEAP student at UC Berkeley. While I was a resident at International House, I also had the amazing opportunity to be the Social Media Ambassador for the Fall 2018 semester. It was my first experience in the communication field but I was fascinated by social media and in how to engage large groups of people, such as I-House residents and community members.  I had the chance not only to learn from the communication officers how to effectively conduct a “giveaway” campaign and social media posts but also to live as a protagonist all the I-House main events. I was sharing my POV in the main I-House channels and sometimes I was reposted also from UCEAP channels. During the semester, I have always been assisted and trained by Laurie, and it was inspiring to learn from an expert. Laurie was a great mentor: she understood the most suitable task for me and she also allowed me to fully express my creativity. I will always have a great memory of my stay at I-House thanks to this experience (also because I see my Ambassador t-shirt every day in my wardrobe!)  I am happy to have been a Social Media Ambassador because not only it was a lot of fun but I have an additional experience to put in my resume since “communication” skills are in demand.

Fall 2016 - Spring 2018 Ambassadors

Spring 2018: Claire Liow

Fall 2017: Claire Liow and Laila Zouaki

2016 - 2017: Morgan Randall

Ambassador Manager

Laurie Ferris, Communications Manager

Laurie Ferris, Communications ManagerAs the Communications Manager for International House at UC Berkeley, I share stories online and in our I-House Times Newsletter. I developed the Ambassador Program so that residents can share the I-House experience with the UC Berkeley community and beyond. I enjoy working with these talented residents who have unique perspectives on life at I-House. Questions? Contact me at lferris@berkeley.edu.