International Student Advisory Board (ISAB)

Mission

Students on the ISAB serve as advisors to Global & Experiential Education (G&EE) regarding orientation, programming and issues of significance to the graduate international student experience. Board members also provide feedback to other School of Business and GW offices upon request. The board is comprised of one student representing each of GWSB’s graduate programs that have significant international student communities.

Goals

To improve the international graduate student experience and encourage a sense of community at the GW School of Business from orientation through graduation
To serve as a forum for GWSB international graduate students to voice issues, concerns, and praise
To encourage collaboration with faculty, staff, and students to ensure a positive experience for all GWSB international graduate students

Current Members

Each member of the International Student Advisory Board is listed below, along with their country of origin and program of study. Expand the tabs below to learn more about each student!

Jay Thapa - MBA

Home Country: Nepal

Undergraduate Institution and Major: BA in Quantitative Economics from Dickinson College (Pennsylvania, USA)

Graduate Major: Global STEM MBA

Hobbies/Interests: I’m a passionate sports fan who tries to follow and watch as many sports as possible, although I tend to follow soccer and basketball the most.

Fun Fact: I have trekked to an altitude of about 5,200 meters (17,000 feet).

Work Experience: After completing my undergraduate degree, I joined ICF, a management consulting firm in Virginia that specialized in the Energy sector. I worked as an analyst in the energy department, working with the US Environmental Protection Agency and its regulatory decision-making process through the analysis and market modeling of the US power sector. Additionally, I contributed to the economic benefits analysis as part of socio-economic reports to determine the potential impacts of energy projects on the local communities in the northeast US.

Contact Jay! jaytgwu [dot] edu (jayt[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Zara Weston - MHRM

Home Country: United Kingdom

Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Brighton, Bachelor of Arts Honours in Music Business and Media

Graduate Major: Master of Human Resource Management

Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy playing Badminton. I’m a big fan of all things media, music, and photography. I also love spending my free time exploring museums and diving into history and geography. I’m always curious to learn more about the world!

Fun Fact: I love discovering new teas! I have an ever-growing collection of blends from across the globe and am always looking for my next favorite brew.

Work Experience: 1.5 years of experience in an HR generalist role. Along with various retail, stewarding, and university ambassador positions.

Contact Zara! z [dot] westongwu [dot] edu (z[dot]weston[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Yusuf Ozdemir Arslan - MSBA

Home Country: Turkey

Undergraduate Institution and Major: Hacettepe University (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) and Anadolu University (Business Administration)

Graduate Major: Master of Science in Business Analytics

Hobbies/Interests: I’ve been folding Origamis since kindergarten and watching Animes since I was a kid. I played on my high school table tennis team and love being a home barista. I also enjoy strategy-based trick taking card games or more geeky ones like MTG and Yu-Gi-Oh.

Fun Fact: I was using BTC to buy and sell things over 10 years ago as a form of international transaction; I didn't think it would be such a huge deal in the future.

Work Experience: I have diverse experience, including one year in AI and FinTech Product Management and nearly three years in E-commerce Analysis, where I developed strong skills in workflow automation, API integration, and product development.

Contact Yusuf! yusufozdemir [dot] arslangwu [dot] edu (yusufozdemir[dot]arslan[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Chiraura Trinity Mapendere - MSIBS

Home Country: Zimbabwe

Undergraduate Institution and Major: Midlands State University - Media and Communications

Graduate Major: MS Interdisciplinary Business Studies (Digital Marketing and Analytics and Environmental Systems Management)

Hobbies/Interests: Futbol, Philosophy, Cricket & Politics

Fun Fact: I can speak basic Chinese

Work Experience: Media Support Team - Pan African Parliament, Journalist/ Contributor - TellZim/MidWeek Watch, MEAL Assistant - CGEDZ, Customer Service Assistant - Amazon FC

Contact Chiraura! c [dot] mapenderegwu [dot] edu (c[dot]mapendere[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Jaehoon Rhie - MSIST

Home Country: South Korea

Undergraduate Institution and Major: George Mason University, Business Management

Graduate Major: Information Systems Technology

Hobbies/Interests: Running, board games, journaling, bass guitar

Fun Fact: I love listening to podcasts about psychology and counseling!

Work Experience: I have nine months of experience in the HR field; this was the first professional job I held after college graduation. I spent most of my time as an undergrad doing assistantships, internships, and student leadership roles to increase overall engagement with, and support for, students at George Mason University.

Contact Jaehoon! jaehoonrgwu [dot] edu (jaehoonr[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Emily Gonzalez - MSM

Home Country: Colombia

Undergraduate Institution and Major: EAN University – Business Administration

Graduate Major: MS in Marketing

Hobbies/Interests: I love art and theatre; I enjoy creating collages, practicing improv, meditating, and connecting with new people. I also enjoy trekking and traveling to natural places to deepen my connection with nature.

Fun Fact: I have four dogs, all of whom were rescued. My dream is to create a foundation for street animals someday.

Work Experience: Marketing and advertising professional with 7+ years of experience in creative operations, brand strategy, and client leadership across LATAM and the U.S., working with brands in CPG, retail, and healthcare.

Contact Emily! emilyg1gwu [dot] edu (emilyg1[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Dyson Murwira - MSPM

Home Country: Zimbabwe

Undergraduate Institution and Major: National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. I hold a BSc (Hons) in Journalism and Media Studies

Graduate Major: Project Management

Hobbies/Interests: Reading Sydney Sheldon and John Grisham books, reading newspapers, playing FIFA and watching planes land at Gravelly Point

Fun Fact: I love drawing. Growing up, I thought I would draw for a living for the rest of my life.

Work Experience: Worked as a Digital Content Manager and News Writer for 263Chat in Zimbabwe from 2020 to 2024

Contact Dyson! dyson [dot] murwiragwu [dot] edu (dyson[dot]murwira[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Pablo Dragnic Toha - MSSM

Home Country: Chile

Undergraduate Institution and Major: Universidad Diego Portales, Sociology

Graduate Major: Sport Management

Hobbies/Interests: Running, triathlon, and soccer

Fun Fact: I was almost eaten by a crocodile

Work Experience: I have diverse experience as a Community Relations Manager, a six-month Consumer Communication intern at Nestlé, and a Teaching Assistant for four years during my undergraduate studies, where I developed strong communication, mentoring, and organizational skills.

Contact Pablo! pablo [dot] dragnicgwu [dot] edu (pablo[dot]dragnic[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Jun Bum Kim - MSTHEM

Home Country: South Korea

Undergraduate Institution and Major: Yonsei University Mirae Campus, Business Administration

Graduate Major: Master of Science in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management

Hobbies/Interests: Discovering new places, cities, and people is always exciting for me, and planning trips such as choosing travel dates, booking transportation and accommodation, and researching what to do at each destination is one of my favorite hobbies.

Fun Fact: I love traveling, and so far I’ve visited 28 countries and 64 cities!

Work Experience: I worked for six months as a crew scheduler at a low-cost carrier in South Korea, where I collaborated closely with multiple departments to produce and adjust crew schedules, contributing to improved on-time performance. Prior to that, I served for 23 months as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force, where I strengthened my teamwork, communication, and organizational skills.

Contact Jun Bum! junbum [dot] kimgwu [dot] edu (junbum[dot]kim[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Contact ISAB

Do you have questions or concerns? Do you want to pass along feedback about your experience as an international student at GWSB? Connect with any of our ISAB members to discuss!

Jay Thapa (MBA) - jaytgwu [dot] edu (jayt[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Zara Weston (MHRM) - z [dot] westongwu [dot] edu (z[dot]weston[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Yusuf Ozdemir Arslan (MSBA) - yusufozdemir [dot] arslangwu [dot] edu (yusufozdemir[dot]arslan[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Chiraura Trinity Mapendere (MSIBS) - c [dot] mapenderegwu [dot] edu (c[dot]mapendere[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Jaehoon Rhie (MSIST) - jaehoonrgwu [dot] edu (jaehoonr[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Emily Gonzalez (MSM) - emilyg1gwu [dot] edu (emilyg1[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Dyson Murwira (MSPM) - dyson [dot] murwiragwu [dot] edu (dyson[dot]murwira[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Pablo Dragnic Toha (MSSM) - pablo [dot] dragnicgwu [dot] edu (pablo[dot]dragnic[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Jun Bum Kim (MSTHEM) - junbum [dot] kimgwu [dot] edu (junbum[dot]kim[at]gwu[dot]edu)

If you are interested in serving on ISAB, please contact your current ISAB member or Global & Experiential Education (G&EE) for more information.