News
Mentor Spotlight: Jonathan Kempner Inspires Alumni to Broaden Their Horizons
During his Career Week session, Jonathan Kempner encouraged Aspire alumni to live a life full of integrity, exploration, and hard work to broaden their horizons.
Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Marvin Kanyike ALP ‘22 Tackles Community Health Problems in Uganda
A Community Action Award winner aims to make great strides in Ugandan healthcare. Through his community health plan for early hypertension detection and treatment, he hopes people seek care sooner and put less stress on the healthcare system.
Alumni Spotlight: Alumni Spotlight: Alejandro Ortiz ALP ‘22 Forges Beyond Adversity
The challenges that Alejandro Ortiz and his loved ones have endured in Bogotá, Colombia influenced his work in fighting gender violence towards women.
Aspire Global Partner: Universidad Mayor Drives Innovation Through International Exchange
Universidad Mayor, an Aspire global partner university based in Chile, aims to provide international experiences to open the minds of youth and help them reach their full potential.
Mentor Spotlight: Sangeeta Gupta Speaks On the Importance of Diversity in the Workplace
Sangeeta Gupta shared her story as a woman in STEM with Aspire alumni. She has dedicated her life to making the technology industry an inclusive place for everyone and felt inspired by the alumni as they all shared honestly about the importance of diversity.
Alumni Spotlight: Ally Li ALP ‘22 Seizes Opportunities as a First-Generation College Student
Ally Li is a Business Administration and Management student at Boston University's Questrom School of Business. In a meeting with Aspire Institute's Team, she described how her background and experiences as the daughter of Chinese immigrants and a first-in-family college student have driven her to pursue valuable opportunities.
Faculty Spotlight: Professor Sanyal Encourages Reflection Among Youth and Aspire Leaders Program Participants
Dr. Sanyal believes that youth are a key element to making cities better. He emphasizes the importance of motivating youth to help them achieve their goals and prepare them to lead change.
Aspire Global Partner: Nepal Leadership Academy Builds Capacity Among Young Change Agents
The Nepal Leadership Academy, a non-profit based in Lalitpur, and Aspire Institute collaborate to provide leadership development opportunities for youth in Nepal and around the world.
Aspire Institute Establishes a Presence in São Paulo, Brazil
Aspire Institute officially launched a Foundry in Brazil on April 3, 2023 in partnership with Insper. During the month of April we hosted multiple alumni events and information sessions.
Aspire Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Michael Vortmann Believes Young, Passionate Leaders Can Make a Difference in Healthcare Around the World
Dr. Vortmann has worked with diverse communities in nations around the globe and led a faculty seminar for the Aspire Leaders Program on basic emergency medicine skills everyone should know.
Aspire Global Partner: Crown Prince Foundation Shapes Young Change Makers in Jordan
Aspire Institute and CPF join together to enhance opportunities for youth in Jordan and around the world to discover their potential.
Alumni Spotlight: Akbar Kurniawan ALP ‘22 Expands His Worldview and Seeks to Reduce Inequalities in Indonesia
Kurniawan, a recent college graduate and 2022 Aspire Community Action Award (CAA) winner, seeks opportunities for global exposure and community impact. His initiative, The Mula Sasmita Project, provides sign language training to the entire community to support the Deaf community.
Alumni Spotlight: Diana Citlali Avila Padilla ALP ‘22 Paves The Way for Women in STEAM
Diana Avila, alumna from Mexico, already co-founded a nonprofit and now won a Community Action Award for her initiative, SisterSTEAM. She aims to provide a community for women in STEAM to support each other’s goals and wellbeing through this initiative.
Aspire Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Despina Sanoudou Cites Her Work with Youth as Her Most Meaningful Contribution
Dr. Sanoudou, a leader in the field of pharmacogenomics, feels honored to have had a role in the origin of genomics and hopes her story inspires Aspire Leaders Program participants to pursue their passions.
Aspire Institute’s Inaugural Distinguished Speaker Series: Giving a Voice to Youth
Our keynote speaker for the first Distinguished Speaker Series and Liberian peace activist, Leymah Gbowee, outlined how youth can be partners for peace and recognize their own agency as future leaders.
Malawi Alumni Organize Event With Harvard Surgeon
Aspire Leaders Program alumni and current participants joined Dr. Kiran Agarwal-Harding, co-founder of Harvard Global Orthopedics Collaborative and SONA Global, in Malawi this month to meet, network, and think about the challenges and opportunities when starting community initiatives.
Hein Oo ALP ‘22, Refugee from Myanmar, Found a Community at Aspire
Hein Oo fled Myanmar in 2021 and settled in the U.S. As he works to find community here, he continues to support his home community and the planet as a young leader and environmental advocate.
Aspire Global Partner, Office of Industrial Links at IIUM, Provides Opportunities for Young Adults to Make an Impact
Aspire Partner, the Office of Industrial Links at IIUM, supports a global group of students explore their next step, valuing collaboration between academia and industry.
Aspire Faculty Spotlight: Doris Sommer Encourages Balance Between Purpose And Passion
Professor Doris Sommer will return to lead two faculty seminars in the 2023 Aspire Leaders Program. She inspires young adults to harness their passion and find their purpose.
Aspire Faculty Spotlight: Can Erbil Strives to Create Value for the Next Generation
Can Erbil, Boston College Economics Professor and Turkey Regional Faculty Advisor for Aspire Institute, specializes in bridging the gap between developmental economic theory and applied practice.
2022 Community Action Awards: Alumni-Led Social Impact
18 Aspire Leaders Program alumni pitched their social impact projects to a panel of entrepreneurs. Ten projects across nine countries will receive this award of up to $10,000 and begin their social impact journey. Projects solve problems from preserving post-harvest crops to providing awareness and greater service to those with disabilities.
India Alumni Field Day: Community Building Across Generations of Leaders
30 Aspire Leaders Program alumn gathered in New Delhi for the first ever India Field Day on January 24. Alumni and professionals from across generations came together as a community to share their ideas, experiences, opinions, and advice. Aspire Country Affiliate, Anil Nair, organized this exciting community-building event.
Peruvian Alumni Meet Aspire Programs Manager, Erika Sologuren
Alumni from Peru gathered in Lima with Programs Manager, Erika Sologuren, and discuss how their life has changed since finishing stage 5.
Nepali Alumni Gather at Nepal Leadership Academy
Alumni gathered at Nepal Leadership Academy and met Dr. Pukar Malla, Harvard Kennedy School graduate and nonprofit leader.