Instruction in the University of Iowa’s Department of Linguistics, she is proud to use her professional experience there and abroad in her work with global exchange as the Executive Director of Global Ties Iowa. Upon discovering this organization and the International Visitor Leadership Program, Amy knew she had found her people—her community—and could continue to maintain an international connection while living and working in eastern Iowa. Because of the profound impact her time abroad had on her academic and professional development, Amy Alice's driving vision is to build diplomacy one relationship at a time. ​

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Email: amy.chastain@globaltiesiowa.org

of Iowa he is the current Director of Academic Affairs in the Undergraduate Student Government, as well as an active member in Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity on campus. Outside of student organizations, he volunteers in the food pantry on campus. In his free time, he enjoys being with his family and friends and enjoys being active and outside. After graduating in the spring, he plans to enter a gap year before starting law school, where he wants to focus on international law. During his gap year, he plans to travel to Europe and Asia, in the hopes of using his experiences in his future career.

Berkley enjoys hiking and traveling, much like she did during her summer 2023 study abroad with CIEE in Japan. In Japan, Berkley studied religion, society, and modernization in Japan’s historical capital Kyoto. Outside of travel, Berkley enjoys volunteering with the Iowa Youth Writing Project and Catherine McAuley Center as a writing instructor and English tutor. Her work with these organizations earned her the Honors Fellows scholarship for outstanding civic achievement. Berkley also has experience researching incarcerated healthcare with the College of Public Health and is currently pursuing an independent research project within her major. Berkley looks forward to putting her passion for international studies and research toward a Fulbright scholarship in the future.

Russian languages. Ani was one of the editors of Exchanges, an online journal of literary translation. She was also a graduate assistant at the Center for Language and Culture Learning (CLCL), where her focal project among many was Iowa Intersections, a multilingual narrative project. For Ani, translation is a way to share amazing pieces of Armenian literature with wider audiences. Ani mainly translates comedies and plans to apply to the MFA in Dramaturgy program at the University of Iowa. In her free time, she enjoys reading, singing, dancing, and watching and performing comedy.

At the University of Iowa, Anna has been involved in numerous extracurriculars on campus, namely Dance Marathon, SWSA, and the Undergraduate Student Government. In her free time, Anna enjoys spending time with her family and friends, singing, musicals, watching sports, and traveling. She also loves music, especially Harry Styles. 

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Anna is currently studying abroad in Argentina during the Spring 2025 semester.

Philanthropy. Born and raised in Marshalltown, Iowa, she attended a Spanish/English bilingual school where her love for learning blossomed. With being fluent in Spanish came the opportunity to study abroad in Paraguay through the Youth Ambassador’s program during her sophomore year of high school. Coupled with her experience as a member of her high school’s philanthropic organization, Abbey's career goals shortly followed. Abbey hopes to work in the international nonprofit sector with a position focused on public diplomacy and English language literacy. Abbey looks forward to gaining meaningful experience and furthering my knowledge during my time here at Global Ties Iowa!

and minoring in Japanese. On campus, Brenda is a research assistant in Dr. Grazyna Kochanska’s Child Lab and a Japanese Program Ambassador for the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. In her free time, she enjoys historical fiction, spending time with family and friends, and hanging out with her cat.

Originally from Bettendorf, Iowa, Leila enjoys reading, thrifting, and listening to music. On campus, Leila is co-President and co-founder of Ethics Bowl and a member of the Middle Eastern and North African Student Association. She also worked as a research assistant for the Disasters, Migration, and Violence Lab in the Department of Political Science, and is currently a Peer Mentor for the Tippie Direct Admit Seminar and Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Honors. In the future, Leila hopes to attend law school with a focus in international law. 

Fluent in Mandarin, English, and Korean, she is passionate about exploring foreign languages and cultures and is currently teaching herself Cantonese on Duolingo. After graduating this May, Diana will advance her studies at the University of Southern California with a Master’s Degree in Communication Management. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, playing video games, and playing Mahjong with family and friends.