STUDENT TEAM
SPRING 2018
Ilenia Ciccotelli
Writing
Ilenia is a Political Science student at the University of Florence, she is from Molise, one of the smallest regions of Italy. She enjoys tackling challenges and learning new things, she considers herself a “cultural omnivore”. She is a bookworm and she loves writing down everything, one of the reasons she joined La Pietra Dialogues as a writing intern.
Ilenia likes traveling around the world, learning new languages, and fitting into different cultures in order to discover new perspectives from which to look at things. She would like to become a university professor of politics, history or sociology. "With Beatles’ songs in the background, let’s fill the world with random acts of kindness and big smiles!" - Ilenia
Eng Sou Ea
Event Operations
Eng is a sophomore at NYU studying Hospitality Management with a minor in Economics. She is one of the Operations and Events Intern for La Pietra Dialogues this semester. Eng enjoys working with highly interactive human environments and the customer service field. She is passionate about the world of hospitality and tourism, and hopes to be part of this industry through all her travels. She has lived in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and after completing boarding school in Israel, Eng headed for the US and is now continuing her journey in Florence, Italy.
Mahgul Farooqui
Graphic Design and Photography
Mahgul is a sophomore majoring in Visual Arts with minors in Economics and Design at NYU Abu Dhabi. Her passion for visual arts led her to the photography and graphic design internship at La Pietra Dialogues, where she can further her interests and start her desired career path in photography. She spends her free time watching movies (one of her favorites being 'Dead Poets Society'), reading books like Kite Runner, and watching TV shows like Sherlock, Suits, and Friends. Mahgul is originally from Pakistan.
Tia Glista
Editing
Tia is a sophomore at NYU and her studies focus on the interaction between fashion, media and gender. She is from Toronto, Canada. Tia is currently the editing intern at La Pietra Dialgoues, as well as the editor of an online magazine for young people interested in discussing fashion. She's passionate about feminism and the environment, and someday hopes to run a fashion magazine and be a freelancee photographer and filmmaker.
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Ben Haller
Writing
Ben is a junior from NYU Shanghai majoring in Economics with a minor in Chinese Language. Before coming to NYU Florence, he was the op-ed writer for the NYU Shanghai newspaper On Century Avenue and wrote for Reason Magazine, a political publication based in Washington, D.C. He is a jazz enthusiast and loves to travel. His passions include economic policy and international relations. After he graduates, he would like to work for a public policy think tank or the U.S. State Department. He's currently working as a writing intern for La Pietra Dialogues.
Ward Hejazi
Event Operations, Coordinator Middle East Now Festival Project
Ward is a freshman in the Liberal Studies core program planning on studying international studies as she continues to pursue the pre-med track. Her aim is to become a surgeon, meanwhile remaining active in the politics of our world. She identifies as being Arab - having grown up in Saudi Arabia in a Lebanese and Palestinian family. In her free time, she likes to read, write, and hand letter posters. She is an active member of the NYU Florence community and is serving as an Operations intern for LPD and coordinator of the Middle East Now Festival project.
Veronika Jelenik
Writing
Veronika is a junior double majoring in Journalism and Social and Cultural Analysis (SCA) in the College of Arts and Science at NYU. She works at La Pietra Dialogues as a writing intern, and comes from Connecticut. She enjoys watching movies in her free time, with sci-fi being her favorite genre (but not Star Wars: think Donnie Darko). She does creative writing on the side, and is working on publishing a collection of personal essays. She also enjoys reading, saying that it improves her creative writing. Veronika is passionate about women's rights, with her SCA focus being in gender studies, and hopes to become a journalist who focuses on women's rights worldwide.
Vedika Kumar
Communications
Vedika is a junior at NYU double-majoring in Journalism and English. She has been published in the Gotham Gazette, covered college news and contributed commentaries to NYU’s college blog, as well as creating lifestyle content for NYU’s wellness initiative, Live Well NYU. She is passionate about writing and storytelling and wants to pursue a career in strategic media communications and public affairs. An international student born and raised in India who has traveled to more than 30 countries, Vedika has worked with news organizations on her native continent as an editorial intern at Harper’s Bazaar. In the U.S, she has interned with ICR. As a volunteer, she serves on the board of a dog rescue non-profit organization in India and in her spare time de-stresses through dance and photographs NYC street life.
Manan Pandey
Photography and Videography
Manan is a freshman at NYU Florence in the Liberal Studies program. After completing Liberal Studies, he wishes to transfer into NYU Tisch School of the Arts for dramatic writing. He is a photography and videography intern for LPD this semster. Some of his hobbies include watching films, watching basketball and other sports, and playing the piano. He is originally from Boston and will start his sophomore year in New York City this fall.
Jessica Purcell
Research
Jessica is an NYU sophomore studying Politics with a minor in Economics. She is interested in political economy and after graduating hopes to attend law school. Despite having originally been from New Jersey, Jess loves living in New York City and hopes to pursue a career that can keep her there. She is an animal lover and is passionate about animal rights. Jessica is a research intern with La Pietra Dialogues this semester. She provides the team with information on many of the pressing social and political issues on this spring's agenda. She looks forward to learning more about international politics this semester at NYU Florence.
Gabriela Sarmiento
Digital Manager
Gaby is a sophomore at the NYU New York campus majoring in journalism and sociology. She is a digital management intern at LPD, which she enjoys because she likes weaving digital elements into a smooth and cohesive identity. Gaby was born and raised in Miami with a strong Colombian identity and is proud to hold dual U.S.-Colombian citizenship. She is passionate about women's and animal rights and racial equality and came to NYU Florence to discover more about the overall social dynamics within Italian culture. Her future plans include working as a journalist or a lawyer with a focus on human rights. She is also a big cat-lover and enjoys cosplaying.
Melanie Sequeira
Event Operations
Melanie is a sophomore in the Stern School of Business at NYU, pursing the study of management and organizations. Her business major concentration is in data analytics, and she minors in social psychology. Her work history includes three semesters of behavioral management research, and an internship in the health administration field. In addition, she has competed nationally in two case competitions. Born in England, Melanie has since lived in France, Chicago, Minnesota, and recently Michigan. In her free time, Melanie enjoys outdoor adventuring, readings books and spending time with family and friends.
Emily Sheele
Research
Emily is a sophomore at NYU majoring in Economics. She is originally from Tennessee and loves the mountains and going hiking during her free time. She also enjoys reading, writing and playing the piano. She is very passionate about women's rights and environmental justice. Emily is a research intern with La Pietra Dialogues and provides the team with comprehensive material on the various dialogues she is so passionate about. After graduation, she hopes to remain in New York City and work in consulting or potentially pursue law school in an effort to continue exploring her academic and social interests.
Zoe Shields
Photography
Zoe is a freshman from Chattanooga, Tennessee, studying in the Core Program of Liberal Studies. She has spent her first year at NYU Florence and will return to New York campus for the first time this fall. Her photographic portfolio includes experiemental film and manipulated digital photos. She values traveling - some of her favorite locations include Santiago, Chile, and Kyoto, Japan - and spending time with her family.
Katia Taylor
Editing
Katia is currently the editing intern for La Pietra Dialogues. Originally from New Jersey, she is a freshman majoring in Global Liberal Studies at NYU. Her passions include film, women's rights, and history. During her spare time, she likes to read historical fiction novels and watch Oscar nominees. After graduation she plans to go into journalism, focusing on social and cultural issues ranging from race, gender and LGBTQ+ rights.
Giovanna Trabasso
Social Media
Giovanna is a sophomore at NYU currently studying Media, Culture and Communications at Steinhardt. It was her passion for old and new media, communications, and marketing that led her to pursue a social media internship with LPD. She loves TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Criminal Minds and Stranger Things and spent her first year in college reviewing different shows in her podcast 'Talking Series-ly'at WNYU. She spends her free time reading books like Call Me By Your Name and I Am the Cheese and looking at pictures of her dog 'Puck', named after the iconic A Midsummer Night's Dream character. Giovanna is passionate about women's rights and the evolution of the feminist movement and hopes to join the revolution through her experiences in media.
Tiffany Yong
Event Operations
Tiffany is a sophomore in the NYU Nursing Program. She came to NYU Florence to enjoy an experience abroad and to engage with Roman history and Renaissance art during her time here. She joined La Pietra Dialogues as an events operations intern to find the parallel between events coordination and her nursing career and enjoys the aspects of leadership and management. She has played the violin for nine years, enjoys reading quirky comics and watching horror movies during her spare time. Back home, she has a dog and a turtle named Turtle, who are both awaiting her return.