All of us arrived safely! After a brief hands-on orientation, we have begun. This year, 12 Global SE students along with 3 Lilly students are in Bangalore working and learning in the social enterprise sector. 
We will tell you more about the projects in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here is a brief bio of all the Global SE students, organized by team. There is great diversity and activism in this group. They are well on the way to learning from each other and their host-learning partners Sattva, Hippocampus Learning Center, and PremaVidya.
Team Sattva
Varun Bhandari (Economics Minor in Mathematics): I received my primary and secondary education in India before coming to college in the U.S. At Wooster, I was part of the Local Social Entrepreneurship program. My team helped the Wilderness Center formulate a numerical decision making tool to start a sustainable forestry project. My math courses have helped me improve my analytical skills. I like to ask why something is done in a particular way and often think about more than one solution.
Matt Policastro (Sociology): Though I was born in the United States, I spent a great deal of my formative years moving around Europe because of my father’s work. At Wooster, I have had extensive experience with student leadership, grassroots organizing and social media campaigns for social and environmental advocacy. I became involved with the Global Social Entrepreneurship program to prepare for working in the social enterprise space after graduation.
Abby Rider (History): While growing up, I attended six schools in different parts of the U.S. This taught me to adapt easily to new situations and interact with all kinds of people. At Wooster, I coordinate a student volunteer house, which requires forming and strengthening bonds between the students, as well as with the Wooster community, keeping track of the operational details of the house, and facilitating reflection sessions with house members to evaluate our efforts and our goals. Last semester, I studied in Pune and lived with a host family, and I look forward to returning to India this summer to explore social entrepreneurship as a vocation. 
by
Phu Nguyen Thien (Philosophy and Psychology): The seven years of living overseas in two countries (Singapore and America) and studying abroad/ doing community services in three (China, Malaysia and Italy) have brought me to many places and allowed me to meet, interact and work with people of very different backgrounds and cultures. Besides my academic and social involvements, these years are also characterized by the events I have helped to organize, most notably the Children’s Day festival for children infected with HIV in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2010 (as Director for Activities and Performances), and the two arts festivals in Wooster in 2011 (as Facility Director) and 2012 (as Artistic Director). Thanks to these experiences, problem-solving skills and people skills have become my greatest assets.
Team Hippocampus
Amanda Collins (Sociology Minors in French and Political Science): My favorite classes at Wooster are those regarding systemic causes of inequality. I have work experience developing and implementing educational programs for school-age children. I am the Captain of an academic team that writes and presents Constitutional arguments in national competitions. As the Chair of the Wooster Volunteer Network Board, I develop and support volunteer service on campus. I meet with faculty, students, and the board to develop programs that match the needs of the Wooster community with the interests and skills of college students. I hope to pursue a dual degree in law and public health or public policy.
Yoshi Fields (Undecided) I spent last year in Israel where I worked closely with Israelis, Darfur refugees and Bedouins, to better education and livelihood. I taught English at a Bedouin Village where I had to communicate without a common language. I also worked with refugees and was in charge of an event in Jerusalem to spread information about their plight. I learned to take initiative and to be confident in networking with others in the community. This experience furthered my desire to work with social enterprises and make lasting social change.
Samantha McNelly (Economics): Through my experiences at the College of Wooster and at home in Anchorage, Alaska, I have planned large-scale events, fundraised, written grants, conducted financial analyses, and learned various research methods. I have completed the Local Social Entrepreneurship program at the College, where I helped write a business plan for a sustainable energy non-profit organization. In the past, I have been employed as a daycare teacher, security worker, teaching assistant and research assistant, which have helped me gain valuable leadership skills, refine my research skills, and become an excellent team-member. I have an active interest in microfinance and will spend a semester in Kenya after Global SE. 
Maria Millan (Philosophy): I was born and raised in Mexico in a multi-cultured town surrounded by indigenous villages. I went to these villages shadowing doctors and social workers, assisting with spanish-english translations. I developed strong intra-personal and mediating skills and became passionate about understanding the interconnection of social problems. During a semester abroad in Bihar, India, I successfully designed and conducted anthropological field-research concerning the relationship between culture/religion and childbirth in Tibetan Buddhist communities.
Team PremaVidya
Naveeshini Chandran (Biochemistry): I was an exchange student for six months to Pipestone, Minnesota under the Youth Exchange and Study Program. From this experience, I feel obliged to educate people on the importance of intercultural understanding. I am currently a tutor in Lincoln Way Reads in Wooster Ohio. I help elementary school students with their reading. I am also fluent English, Malay and Tamil. My first aid volunteer experience for 5 years has motivated me to enter medical school in the future.
Kristen Connors (International Relations and Religious Studies): I studied in Rabat, Morocco for a semester where I interned with the national chapter of Transparency International. I conducted research and translations for a national conference on Access to Information. I have just completed my Senior Independent Study Thesis about the effectiveness of interfaith dialogue as a peace-building tool in post conflict settings. I plan on using the knowledge and experiences from college to pursue a Peace Studies related career. 
Madison Swoy (Undecided): I just finished my first year at the College of Wooster. Throughout my time there, I have developed a curiosity for Political Science. Traveling around the world, from a young age, has made me a more inquisitive learner. Going to Melbourne Australia, I met many influential people including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama; In Spain, I studied language and culture; throughout the Mediterranean I was able to delve deeper into my studies of art history; and by living in a rural town in Punta San Jacinto, Mexico I fully immersed myself into Mexican culture and traditions. I have developed a profound appreciation for diversity. I currently serve as the Event Coordinator for a Campus group called Brother’s of Diversity. Global SE directly aligns with my future goals and aspirations. It has helped me better understand poverty and given me hands-on experiences in inciting social change. Global SE will properly equip me for a future in working with social enterprises.
Parisa Ahmadi (Anthropology): I am a traveler. I believe that everyone has a story to tell. It’s not right or wrong, it’s their story. My travels and experiences—living in Iran, building homes in Mexico, teaching English to Somali immigrants, conducting research about the discourse around development in Kenya, and most recently, travel to Israel seeking to understand the Palestinian-Israeli conflict—have taught me that everyone’s life experience shapes their narrative. I love working and learning from people and I hope to sharpen my understanding of the inner-workings of successful social-entrepreneurship ventures.
To stay connected to us, please follow our Flickr account or read our musings here on this blog.
