Yasmin Kaiser - Professional Development Track
Internship: ESG Nonprofit Education, promoting campus carbon audits and curriculum integration
Through my internship I support middle school students in a project-based learning class focused on addressing climate issues in Taiwan.
I hope to promote independence and agency in students as they design, plan, and implement a climate action workshop on marine pollution in southern Taiwan.
Yasmin Kaiser grew up near Chicago, Illinois and attended Wellesley College ('23) where she graduated with a double major in Environmental Studies and East Asian Languages and Cultures. Her Environmental Studies major focused on sustainable development, environmental policy, and environmental justice using an interdisciplinary approach to study humans’ relationships with the environment.
Yasmin hopes to pursue internships that combine her interests in the environment and Chinese language study during the fellowship
At Wellesley she took on leadership roles in Wellesley College Freestyle, the hip hop dance company, and Wellesley Kapatid, the Filipinx cultural organization. She also danced with Wellesley College Dancers, volunteered with the Chinatown Afterschool Program, and worked various work study and part time jobs. Yasmin has trained in ballet and circus arts from a young age and plans to continue developing her aerial arts and acrobatics skills further in Taipei. In her free time she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and discovering new cafes and bakeries.
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Manuel Fors - Language Development Track
Manuel (Manny) Fors was raised in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania, and attended Middlebury College (‘24’) where he graduated with a major in Computer Science. His Computer Science Major focused on Applications of Computing, Algorithmic Problem Solving, and the Ethics of Responsible Computing. He also studied linguistics and continues to follow up with these studies in his free time.
Manny strives to develop his Chinese language skills. He hopes to be able to combine his linguistic ability with his technical skills during an internship while here. At Middlebury, he worked for the campus satirical newspaper, The Local Noodle, as a photo editor and peer-tutored for the Computer Science department. From a young age, Manny knew he liked teaching others and has worked a collection of teaching gigs, including being a ski-instructor. |
Eli Zlotowski - Language Development Track
Eli Zlotowski grew up in the town of Shasta, California and attended Williams College, graduating in June 2019 with a degree in Economics. He worked for more than three years as a data scientist at IBM, specializing in computational linguistics, and applications of data science and AI in international development in Africa and Haiti. Eli hopes his time at VELD will provide him with the education, skills, and experience to reach new heights in language studies, as well as bolster his career in technology.
Outside of his work in tech, Eli is an avid linguaphile, and has studied 6 languages. Prior to moving to Taiwan, he lived in Mexico City, where he organized and participated within the language exchange community. Eli also enjoys Latin Dance, the piano, long conversations about foreign affairs, and finding the perfect café to settle down with a good book. |
VELD GRADUATES
Asha Krishnan (Georgetown '21) - Language Development Track
"My most enjoyable parts of the VELD Fellowship were working with students to craft their narrative for college applications, as well as attending Mandarin courses at NTNU's MTC.
As an EE [Essay Editor], I got to meet the same students over the year to hone their personal statements. While it was exciting to put together the final essay, I actually found the first couple meetings where we parsed out the student's inner reflections and life learnings the most moving. These meetings felt impactful not just for creating a compelling personal statement, but also for helping these students make sense of their high school experiences thus far. At MTC, I got to make a lot of new friends from all over the world while also dedicating time to improving my Mandarin skills. Teachers are extremely experienced and patient with students, which made me feel more at ease as I pursued studying alongside working.
I'm thankful for the fellowship for allowing me to pursue both at the same time." |