Helping refugees and (im)migrants find home in New Haven.

Maheen Iqbal is a junior in Grace Hopper studying Global Affairs and Comparative Literature, with a certificate in Advanced French Studies. Born in Pakistan, Maheen is passionate about eradicating gender-based education disparities in post-conflict education reintegration programming. On campus, Maheen serves as Executive Director of the Yale International Relations Leadership Institute, where her focus has primarily lied in the study of foreign policy, democratic transitions, and post-conflict migration patterns. Maheen has previously served as a Yale President’s Public Service Fellow at the Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services of Connecticut (IRIS) and spent the summer in Paris, France researching migrant labor exploitation in the European Union. You can reach her at maheen.iqbal@yale.edu.

Selin is a junior in Saybrook College double majoring in Economics and History. She is thrilled to be serving as Co-President of the Migration Alliance at Yale for the 2023-2024 academic year. Last year, she served as the Co-Director of the Immigration Group for MAY, and she was a volunteer in the Immigration Group during her first year. In high school, she volunteered at various NGOs working with Syrian refugees in Istanbul, Turkey and was an ESL teacher for immigrants in Connecticut. Outside of MAY, Selin serves as the Co-President of Yale’s Phi Alpha Theta chapter and a chair for Yale Model United Nations. You can reach her at selin.nalbantoglu@yale.edu.

Daliya Ali El Abani is a sophomore at Jonathan Edwards College aspiring to study Global Affairs. Raised between Bulgaria and Libya, she immigrated to Winchester, Virginia when she was eleven. Her interest in migration advocacy and aid stems from her own experience starting over in a new country and her time in Libya during the civil war. Working with the women's group this past year, she was inspired by the perseverance of the young women and hopes to continue fostering interpersonal relationships between immigrant communities and their new homes. Besides MAY, Daliya is the outreach coordinator for YUCAI, shares her love for the outdoors as a FOOT leader, serves her spider community on the JECC, and dances with Rangeela. You can reach out to her at daliya.alielabani@yale.edu.
 

Kaylen is a sophomore at Yale College with a prospective major in Ethics, Politics, and Economics and pursuing an Arabic certificate. As a New Haven native, she is passionate about assisting and empowering under-resourced communities in the inner city, having mentored youth in low-income housing developments and tutored in programs promoting STEM education in New Haven Public Schools. She hopes to work in immigration law in the future and is excited to foster deeper relationships in Women’s Group, many of which similarly attend NHPS schools. Outside of MAY, she is a Communications Assistant for the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, a Dwight Hall Public School Intern, and a World Fellow Student Liaison with the Jackson School of Global Affairs. She is also part of Yale Students for Christ and Yale’s club soccer team. You can reach her at kaylen.yun@yale.edu.  

Michelle is a sophomore from Fulton, Maryland studying Ethnicity, Race, and Migration aiming for certificates in Korean and Human Rights. She hopes to pursue immigration law and is inspired by her parent’s accounts of their own tribulations during their immigration from South Korea. Beyond MAY, Michelle is a Peer Liaison for the AACC and is involved in the Asian American Student Alliance, the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project, and the Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association. You can reach her at michelle.lee.mel99@yale.edu.

Hi everyone! My name is Seung Min (first-name) Baik Kang (last-name) and I’m a sophomore in Branford College hoping to double major in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and Economics. I am an international student born and raised in Guatemala although both my parents are South Korean. On campus, I sing with the Yale Glee Club (Yale’s principal undergraduate chorus), play piano at the School of Music, am a board member of Korean American Students at Yale, and serve as a Peer Liaison for La Casa Cultural. I am an avid runner and love exploring different restaurants and coffee shops in New Haven. I’m beyond excited to be Co-Director of the Immigration Group. Growing up in Guatemala, I had the opportunity to work extensively with migrant communities and cannot wait to continue facilitating that work this year. Feel free to reach out at seugmin.bakkang@yale.edu if you have any questions!

Matthew Elmore Merritt is a senior (‘24.5) African American Studies major, Global Health Scholar, and pre-med from Bridgeport, Alabama. He strives to advance children’s health equity through clinical practice, research, and community partnerships, especially within rural communities like his hometown. Matthew currently serves as Co-Director of the Men’s Youth Group for Migration Alliance at Yale, in partnership with the nonprofit agency Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services. He is also a FroCo for Branford College, a congregational leader at Episcopal Church at Yale, a tutor for Yale Education Tutoring Initiative, and the founder of a mentorship program at his local middle school. Matthew recently returned from Taipei, Taiwan, where he studied Mandarin and tried scuba diving for the first time. You can reach him at matthew.merritt@yale.edu.

Mohamed is a sophomore from the Bronx, NY studying economics and African Studies. As the child of first generation immigrants, he is passionate about helping migrants adjust and ensuring educational equity amongst children who are first and second generation immigration. He looks forward towards forwarding the mission of MAY. Along with MAY, he is involved with Code Haven at Yale, Yale Model UN, and BlackGen Capital. You can reach him at mohamed.diallo@yale.edu.

Rohan Krishnan is a junior in Morse College double majoring in Global Affairs and Political Science. Rohan is particularly interested in understanding refugee/migrant issues in the Middle East and addressing the problems facing these communities. Rohan has volunteered for IRIS since his freshman year and he currently serves as co-director of the College and Career Readiness Program. He intends to pursue a career helping and supporting refugees. Outside of MAY, Rohan works with the Political Science Department and is currently writing a research paper on the Mubarak regime in Egypt. He also is a FOCUS leader and is a member of the Jackson Speaker Program at Yale. In his free time, he enjoys playing poker and table tennis with friends. You can reach him at rohan.krishnan@yale.edu.

Sophia is a senior majoring in neuroscience. As the daughter of Nepali immigrants, she is familiar with the challenges and isolation that can arise as a new migrant. She joined IRIS as a Cultural Companion in 2020 with the hope of understanding more about the nuanced experiences of other migrants and the desire to support them. Through IRIS she connected to MAY and has served as Director of College and Career Readiness for nearly four years. In this role, Sophia leads other Yale undergrads in their volunteer efforts with IRIS. Her own time spent as a volunteer has been a remarkable experience and she has been featured on Yale School of Medicine's Instagram page detailing her and her mentee's relationship. Outside of MAY Sophia is a Science Tour Guide for the Yale Admissions Office and a STARS I Peer Mentor. She is excited to continue serving this year with MAY and can be reached at sophia.silwal@yale.edu.

Christian is a sophomore at Yale majoring Statistics & Data Science and Political Science with a certificate in Education Studies. As the son of immigrants from Colombia and Mexico and a first-generation college student, Christian is particularly passionate about advocating for educational justice within immigrant communities. Outside of MAY, Christian serves as a Pedagogical Partner at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning and a YCC Senator for Timothy Dwight College. After graduating, Christian aspires to be a high school social studies teacher. He is incredibly excited to continue his work with MAY and can be reached at christian.baca@yale.edu.

Razel is an intensive Political Science major at Yale University and a Human Rights Scholar under the Yale Law School Schell Center. Her interest in refugee rights emerged from her experiences in her conflict-afflicted home, Mindanao, Philippines. Her work is focused on imagining peace-building and development in post-terrorist and insurgent-occupied states. She has held internships at UNRWA, ICTJ, and is currently working as a Congressional Policy Consultant for Peacebuilding. She previously served as the Co-President and Advocacy Director of MAY and is so excited to return to advocacy this year! In her spare time, Razel loves to travel and stay active. She loves free-diving, surfing, and paddleboarding in her free time. She is hoping to get her scuba diving certificate this year.

Isabela Alvarado is a Junior in Silliman College majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Economics. This year, she is serving as one of MAY's Co-directors of Advocacy. On campus, she is also involved with Yale's UP Fund and SUBE while working jobs at TSAI City and the Yale University Art Gallery. As a Venezuelan immigrant, she is super excited to continue her work with the Migration Alliance at Yale!

Aleena Gul is a sophomore in Timothy Dwight College, double majoring in Global Affairs and Economics. Originally coming from the northwest of Pakistan, where thousands of people have been affected and displaced by conflict and poverty, she is interested in studying international development, migrations, and displacements. Using her language and cultural background, Aleena is volunteering with IRIS to help integrate the newly arrived Afghan refugees in the New Haven community. Outside of MAY, Aleena is involved with the South Asian Society, the Foreign Policy Center of the Yale Policy Institute, and Yale Women in Economics.