meet our inaugural cohort

aya elbaz

Aya Elbaz is a journalist who was born in Sudan and spent her childhood and career moving between Malaysia, Doha, and Istanbul before settling in the United States two years ago. Through the program, she is exploring what it means to feel that “home is everywhere and nowhere all at once,” using her own story to examine themes of immigration, belonging, and family separation.

Hannah Enserink

Hannah Enserink has had a very diverse career, both as an employee and running her own business. The common thread throughout her career has always been communication and presenting. She would now like to combine this experience with her passion for theatre. She has been doing improvisational theatre for over 15 years and regularly performs on stage. Recently, she gave her first solo theatre performance. Originally from the Netherlands, Hannah has been living in the United States for the past four years. Life in a different country gives her even more inspiration for her performances.

Radwan Ziadeh

Radwan Ziadeh is a Syrian scholar, human rights advocate, author, and longtime Washington, D.C. resident who has spent much of his life navigating the space between Damascus and the world beyond it. Since the Syrian uprising began in 2011, he has worked to document human rights violations, advance transitional justice, and help envision a democratic future for Syria. He has founded and led several organizations focused on human rights, civil society, and democratic transition, testified before the United Nations and U.S. Congress, and participated in international peace negotiations on Syria. He is also the producer of the award-winning documentary *Little Gandhi*, about Syrian activist Ghiath Matar. Ziadeh is the author of more than thirty books in English and Arabic and has held fellowships and visiting positions at universities and institutions around the world, including Georgetown, Harvard, Columbia, and the National Endowment for Democracy. Today, he continues his work as a Senior Analyst at the Arab Center Washington DC. Having lived between cultures and built a life far from where he grew up, Ziadeh brings a unique perspective on what it means to carry more than one place, history, and sense of home with you.

ruth boansi

Ruth Boansi has a passion for bringing order to chaos, most especially with public health projects that effect change through social good. A cross-functional team leader and problem solver, she’s never met a checklist she didn’t love. She is a Ghanian American and an aspiring playwriter, screenwriter, author, and storyteller. Ruth is interested in telling stories that explore the intersection between her culture and family, love, and relationships. In her spare time, Ruth enjoys expressing her creativity through baking, crocheting, and myriad of DIY projects.

sasha taylor

Sasha Taylor is a self-proclaimed history nerd. She loves writing complex, character-driven stories from the 1600s South Asia through the post-Partition era — weaving histories that continue to shape how the South Asian diaspora relates to itself and the world. Sasha is also a former FBI Intelligence official who built deep expertise in violence prevention and complex victimization. Today, she's one of the leading voices helping government agencies counter honor-based violence, forced and child marriage, visa exploitation, financial fraud, and trafficking in immigrant communities. Sasha authored the first legislative framework on honor-based violence drafted in the U.S. and is a lead advocate for the Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2026. Sasha serves on Virginia's Office of New Americans Advisory Board, the DC Human Trafficking Task Force, the Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking, among other roles. Sasha has a master’s degree from Michigan State University in Broadcast Journalism.

tania alfonso

Tania Alfonso was born in Venezuela of US-naturalized Cuban parents. She lived in five countries as a child - the quintessential Third Culture Kid - and lived and traveled to fifty-seven additional ones as a teacher, researcher, and international development professional. She and her family are constantly hosting exchange students, travelers, Peace Corps Volunteers, and anyone willing to sit down for a cup of cafe con leche in their home in Washington, DC. She has spent the last year researching the migration stories of her grandparents, who hailed from Poland and Spain, and is interested in hearing the stories of yours as well.