News
CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, Inspires Aspiring Leaders to Create Global Impact
Moderna's CEO joined Aspire's Distinguished Speaker Series event where he encouraged future generations of young leaders to think big and change the world.
Tanzeel Rashid ALP ‘22 from Bangladesh Believes Young People Should Drive Societal Change
Tanzeel Rashid — with his passion for social impact and his organization, Ogrograhi — empowers young people in Bangladesh to drive societal change.
Isabela Sanchez Taipe ALP’22 from Peru Carries Her Family’s Dreams as a First-Generation College Student
An ALP '22 alumna, Isabela Sanchez Taipe overcame barriers in Peru and now carries the dreams of her family as a first-generation college student.
Aspire Mentor Rajkiran Kanagala Encourages Alumni to “Be B.A.T.M.A.N.”
Kanagala gave advice to alumni that he learned from his own journey and the stories of his favorite heroes. He encouraged them to "Be B.A.T.M.A.N."
Aspire Institute and FirstGenU Collaborate to Empower First-Gen College Students to Unlock Their Potential
America Needs You shares in Aspire's mission to enrich low-income, first-gen college students with the skills and confidence to achieve their full potential.
Aspire’s Global Partners Share Ideas and Inspiration to Support Young Leaders
Aspire Institute brought our global collaborators together to foster connections and brainstorm solutions to support first-generation students.
Faculty Spotlight: David Sanderson Listens to Local Voices to Make an Impact
David Sanderson emphasizes the importance of listening to local voices to make an impact in communities around the world.
Alumni Spotlight: Barsha Tamang and Anisha Prajapati ALP ‘22 Establish Support Systems for First-Generation Youth in Nepal
Aspire alumni work to address the hardships faced by first-generation youth, young girls, and students striving to learn English in Nepal through their nonprofit organization, Lokopakar.
Aspire Global Partner: Soul Bilíngue and Aspire Institute Join Forces to Boost the Development of Brazilian Youth
Through their partnership, Soul Bilíngue and Aspire Institute aim to offer a more comprehensive development pathway to underserved youth in Brazil.
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.