Class of 2021 profiles - Harvard University

Meet the Class of 2021

Harvard Divinity School

Spiritual leaders dedicated to building a better world

Eboni Nash

Eboni Nash came to Harvard Divinity School to study Black liberation theology and prepare for a career of activism around issues of racial justice and mass incarceration.

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Khadija Ali Amghaiab

Khadija Ali Amghaiab says that of the communities she's been a part of, few compare to what she found at HDS. "I am grateful for the place it has been to me, and I know it will always be a place to come home to."

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Sarah Belflower

Sarah Belflower says she'd like to thank her grandmother. "I'm the most proud of myself when I see her influence in me. I treasured every single call, letter, and care package, and always kept a picture of her and my Papa on my desk, as a reminder of who I want to make proud."

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James Ramsey

Next year, James Ramsey will be completing a legal fellowship to pursue tenant advocacy and eviction defense. Long term, he hopes to do a combination of ministry and academic work.

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Reem Shaikh

While at HDS, Reem Shaikh says the diversity of perspectives of her classmates taught her to see the world from different lenses. "I hope to be remembered by my classmates and teachers as someone who was always willing to learn something new, and someone who they could also learn from."

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Emmanuel Josué Correa Vázquez

Emmanuel Josué Correa Vázquez hopes to become a hospital chaplain. As for other future plans, he says he hopes "to foster and cherish life-giving relationships across differences."

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Harvard Kennedy School

Leaders and civic innovators making a more just world

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David Cotacachi

Committed to protecting the land

Jeremy Ney

Helping others achieve the American dream

Jeremy Ney in a sweater outside a building

Jamaji and Onyema Nwanaji-Enwerem

Mixing medical training with public policy skills

Jamaji and Onyema Nwanaji-Enwerem talking at a picnic table

Ganchimeg Ganpurev

A mission to develop equality

Ganchimeg Ganpurev in a white outfit standing outside a glass wall

Raven Graf

Navigating the political landscape of climate change

Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Dentists and dental professionals dedicated to oral and systemic health

Zahra Aldawood

"I conducted research to examine the ‘nature versus nurture’ effect on characteristics of twins' teeth. It was my first time being exposed to the world of genetics. That work shifted my thinking from the simplicity of ‘hereditary versus environment’ toward the complexity of ‘genetic, epigenetic and environment.’”

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Kobie Gordon

After graduation, Kobie Gordon plans to move to Texas to begin serving in a dental public health role. “I hope to make an impact on improving the access to and quality of oral health care for individuals who are currently or previously incarcerated at the state and federal levels.”

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Laura Lin

Throughout her career at HSDM, Laura Lin has gone above and beyond to serve her community, giving more than 500 hours of her time to volunteer work and outreach projects.

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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Global health leaders working to improve the lives and health of people everywhere

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A student with views of trees and skies behind him

Ajay Kolli

Studying diet and vision impairment

Samantha Giffen

The making of a disease detective

Bhargav Krishna

The fight for cleaner air

Gabriela Borin Castillo

Understanding chronic pain

Woman in a white shirt talking with two women

Sneha Dutta

Understanding why individuals age differently

Lawson Ung

Finding a call to action in global poverty and blindness

A student wearing a mask stands by a brick building

Harvard Extension School

A global community of graduates and lifelong learners

Brett Dennis-Duke

The COVID pandemic and anti-racism protests in 2020 gave Brett Dennis-Duke’s ongoing thesis work both urgency and perspective.

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Marjorie McHenry Bride

Marjorie McHenry Bride went from taking a one-off class on the Constitutional Convention to pursuing a master’s degree in International Relations.

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Janelle Gray

"I crafted a program that taught me to write plays, teleplays, essays, feature films, and more. My portfolio is better because I knew why I chose Harvard, and I continually sought to fulfill my academic needs."

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Tanuja Korlepra

"After evaluating many management programs, I decided to apply at Harvard Extension because this is the only program that offered an exceptional education and the flexibility to balance it with my family and professional life."

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Anton Raneses

"My Harvard education grounded my learning of theories and concepts of environmental sustainability, particularly of how that relates to social justice and cultural sensitivity."

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Ebony L. Griffin

"In February 2014, after becoming a first-time mom, I realized that there was no way I could tell my daughter to follow her dreams if I did not lead by example and achieve my own academic and career goals. And in fall 2015, I took my first course geared towards achieving my degree."

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Carmen Beals

In spring 2022, the Nevada Museum of Art will unveil one of Beals’ latest projects, an exhibition on Paul R. Williams, the first African American architect west of Mississippi, affectionately named the Architect to the Stars.

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Harvard Medical School

Leaders and compassionate caregivers dedicated to improving health and well-being

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Mark Zaki

Connecting on a human level is important

Asmaa Rimawi

Researching the effects of discrimination on health, health care delivery

Troy Amen

Addressing socioeconomic inequalities from an administrative perspective

A man in a bulls jersey dunking a basketball

Jamaji Nwanaji-Enwerem

Investigating how airborne particles affect biological aging

Krissy Lyon

Understand the neuroscience behind behavior

Harvard College

Leaders and change makers ready to reimagine the future

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Eli Langley

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Joy Nesbitt

Joy Nesbitt devoted much of her time at Harvard to producing theater and music with a message. A Mitchell Scholar, Nesbitt heads to Ireland after graduation to study theater directing at the Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin.

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Christopher Altizer

An active member of Harvard’s Queer Advisory Council, Peer Advising Fellow, and coordinator and volunteer for Phillips Brooks House’s Mission Hill after-school program, Chris will be a Harvard Teacher Fellow in Chelsea, Massachusetts next year, while pursuing a master’s in education.

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Francesco Rolando

Inspired by a first-year human rights seminar, Francesco Rolando wants to help remove barriers to health care, especially for marginalized populations.

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Yoseph Boku

Yoseph Boku’s drive to make a difference started his first year at Harvard, when he realized he could help local disadvantaged teenagers and young adults.

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Samyra Miller

More than 5,300 people (and counting) follow Samyra Miller ’21 on Instagram, where she dispenses information and opinions on everything from how to choose a good Gen Ed course and strategies for navigating campus social scenes to where to get good coffee and her shopping hauls.

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Harvard Law School

Law experts focused on public service and the highest ideals of law and justice

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Zachary Weinstein

From actor to lawyer

Phebe Hong

Focused on healthcare law

A woman stands outside near a pink flowering tree

Iqra Saleem Khan

Finding resilience far from home

Frankie Troncoso

A tremendous role to play

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Dedicated problem-solvers using science to address the most pressing issues of our time

More profiles from SEAS

Daniela Villafuerte

Hands-on engineering challenges fuel Daniela Villafuerte to solve problems and help build a better world.

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Danielle Davis

When she came to Harvard as a first-year, Danielle Davis ’21 thought music was her focus … until engineering piqued her interest.

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Robert Malate

Whether building an aircraft or learning to break dance, Harvard College student Robert Malate chose his own path.

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Gayatri Balasubramanian

Growing up in central Indiana, Gayatri Balasubramanian focused on academics and music, but when she came to Harvard she wanted to take on new challenges — and she did.

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Harvard Graduate School of Education

Educators putting powerful ideas into practice for all learners

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Steven Chambers

Working to make connections

Jenny Portillo

The power of collective action

Samantha Fletcher

Focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion

Elena Milius

Dreaming alongside children and families

Elena Milius holding a photo of her brother

Yesenia Perez

Earnest curiosity and a culture of care

Shahara Jackson

Becoming a transformational superintendent

A student wearing a brightly colored dress stands on the Harvard campus

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Experts on the forefront of research and discovery

More profiles from GSAS

Kelly Brignac

Kelly Brignac grew up in New Orleans, immersed in customs that had deep roots in French culture. Now she is graduating with a Ph.D. that explores the exportation of French culture, and its roots in the slave trade.

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Hannah Sim

Sukin “Hannah” Sim develops algorithms and writes the computational stories that dictate how quantum computers tackle problems.

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Michael Mancinelli

When Michael Mancinelli was an undergrad he chose Harvard because he could pursue his interests in electrical engineering and astronomy while playing football. Now he’s back with a passion for entrepreneurship.

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Morgan Opie

“I think about math as a toolbox, where I’m creating all these tools, including all these theorems. Maybe 10 years from now some physicist or chemist will pick it up and say, ‘This is the tool that I need to solve this problem.’”

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Rajna Swaminathan

Graduate Rajna Swaminathan has spent the better part of her life exploring, improvising, and bringing together different worlds — in music and in life.

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Harvard Business School

Leaders inventing the future of business and making a difference in the world

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A woman stands outside a Harvard building

Laura Sandoval

Chasing your dreams

Thomaz Galvao

Learning through others’ experiences and perspectives

Joy Chen

Keeping people in touch

Brice Fodouop

Leadership in manufacturing

Harvard Graduate School of Design

Leaders in design, research, and scholarship making a resilient, just, and beautiful world

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Ayaka Yamashita

For Graduate School of Design student Ayaka Yamashita, studying design was a way to understand human difference through various perspectives and mediums.

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