My main interests are music (bossa nova, hip hop, R&B, soul, funk, etc.), visual and performance art, spoken word poetry, and movies when I have the time! I've lived around the US from California to Wisconsin to Virginia and was born in Brazil. San Francisco was a good place to grow up but too expensive, Wisconsin is beautiful in the summer but deadly in the winter, and Virginia is... a whirlwind of a state. I go the University of Virginia and am currently undeclared, hoping to study something with politics, architecture, or media studies.

I am a sophomore anthropology major and pre-med student at Southern Methodist University. I love hiking, camping, rowing, and exploring new places!

I am an elementary education student; with a Spanish minor, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) endorsement, and leadership certificate. My passions focus on exploring new cultures. Recently I explored Philippian culture through Tinikling (a form of dance) and Spanish through reading various Latin American authors. I also enjoy expressing myself through art, particularly painting. My mission is to become a dual language education teacher (with Spanish and English) so that I can spread a love and appreciation for culture and language to my future students.

Currently I am an International Relations and Global Studies major at The University of Texas at Austin. In my free time I enjoy exploring Austin with my corgi or curling up in bed with a good book. I am a very active person and I like to take advantage of school breaks to travel and explore the unknown. In the past year, I have been to Mexico, Thailand, Canada, and Turks and Caicos. When I graduate, my dream is to find a job which will allow me to travel and explore the world.

From rummaging through my backyard as a little kid, to traversing through Starved Rock (Illinois) in high school, to a week-long hiking excursion in Zion National Park (Utah) and the Flatirons (Colorado) just this past spring break, I have always been an adventurer. I am a strong believer that getting out of one’s comfort zone and experiencing new things are critical aspects of creating a well-rounded and informed individual. I hope that as an IES correspondent, I will be able to share what I have gained from my experiences in a way that inspires others to put themselves out there.

I am studying International Law with the hopes of proceeding into a government career. I love a good debate regarding politics and enjoy meeting people from all over the world. I am a huge fan of the outdoors and am very interested in other cultures - I am minoring in Russian! I've always considered myself an old soul and love all things rock n' roll.

I'm a Senior studying English at IUB and will graduate in the Fall. A few things about me: I've played and studied music all my life, I enjoy the company of close friends, and I love being outdoors in the summer. Looking past graduation, I'm planning for a journalism career so this opportunity is great for me.

I’m 21 years old and just starting to explore the world outside the United States! Currently I attend Sarah Lawrence College as a junior studying Sociology. I’ve always enjoyed a good book, story or adventure and plan on collecting many new stories while I’m abroad. I cherish empathy, kindness and good listening. I’ve experimented with art, style and writing and am always looking for new ways to express and explore myself. I firmly believe that understanding yourself also means understanding your context and the world around you and I am looking to continuously do that through travel. As an IES correspondent I hope to provide content that both tells a story about the places I’ve been and show chases a my perspective as someone whose black, LGBTQ and disabled.

My name is Amaya Marcella Aguilar Diaz and I am a Junior Music Education Major studying at Texas Christian University. I am actively involved on my campus by singing in the University's choral ensembles, Concert Chorale and University Singers, and by singing with the Reformed University Fellowship's music ministry as well as TCU's Opera Studio. I also serve the TCU community by being a second year Resident Assistant in King and Wright Halls.

Growing up, I always loved sharing my story through singing and writing poetry. This gift carried on through my college life. One of my poems, "Life without You", was used in one of TCU Concert Chorale's programs and even inspired a fellow student, Kyle Barker, to write music to her words. I also used this poem as inspiration to find the joys of life by taking videos every day for a whole year, editing them into monthly compilations, and posting them onto my personal facebook account. I wanted to share the joys of my life with friends and family and remind people that despite all the hardships, life is still beautiful and we have the pleasure of living in it!

My hope is that I can continue using my words and my art to touch people's hearts, help the world to see my life through my eyes, and to move others to love one another more.

I enjoy taking pictures, exploring, spending time with family and friends and I love animals.