Abdirahman Abdi
College of Arts and Sciences, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Abdirahman Abdi is a Somali Banti refugee raised on the South Side of Syracuse, New York. He is current senior at Syracuse University, majoring in African American Studies with a minor in Community and Civic Engagement. Shaped by lived experiences of structural inequality and under-resourced institutions, Abdirahman is deeply committed to advancing social equity through public service. His work centers on community-centered leadership, youth development, and addressing systemic barriers facing marginalized communities.
During his junior year, Abdirahman co-founded Sadaqa Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing food insecurity by supporting families in Dagahaley Refugee Camp in Kenya. He is also involved in local civic engagement initiatives, including youth literacy and refugee advocacy. Abdirahman aspires to pursue a career in public and nonprofit administration, with the long-term goal of shaping equitable public policy.
Malak Aljerari ’27
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Malak is a junior majoring in chemical engineering who is committed to supporting the community through service and engagement. On campus, Malak served as an events coordinator with the Muslim Student Association, helping plan programs and organize fundraising for charitable causes. Malak also volunteered at Upstate University Hospital, an experience that strengthened an interest in community wellbeing and the importance of serving others. Malak believes respectful, honest dialogue can bring people together, especially when it leads to action. As a Global Interfaith Leadership Scholar at Hendricks Chapel, Malak looks forward to learning alongside others, growing as a leader, and developing a civic engagement project grounded in empathy, dignity, and real community needs.
Clareese Bonsu
Undergraduate Student, School of Architecture
Clareese is a fifth-year student majoring in Architecture and minoring in Medieval in Renaissance studies. She grew up in a rich and diverse Christian community and still identifies as a Christian today. Clareese has served on the Executive Board for The Impact Movement – a Christian-based RSO and Hendricks recognized religious group – for three years and currently serves as the President. Other organizations that she is a part of on campus include Women in Design, National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS), and Future Designers of Syracuse (FDS), where she serves as the Communications Chair. As a Global Interfaith Leadership Scholar, she will utilize her expertise in leadership and Christianity as well as her passion for civic engagement to add to the success of the inaugural Global Interfaith Leadership Project.
Reed Cleland
Graduate Student, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Reed ‘RC’ Cleland works in nonprofit-driven transportation demand management (TDM) in Tompkins County, New York. He finished his degree requirements for his Master’s of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs in December 2025, and he holds his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science and Theater from Colgate University (Class of 2022). Reed is a lifelong resident of the Village of Homer, and he has the honor of representing his hometown (since age 23) in part-time elected office as a Cortland County Legislator. In his personal life, Reed enjoys volunteering in his community, practicing martial arts, and evening walks around Homer with the dogs!
Samantha Greenberg
Undergraduate Student, School of Architecture
Samantha Greenberg is honored and excited to participate in the beginning of the Global Interfaith Leadership Project at Syracuse University. Hendricks Chapel has been home to some of the richest parts of her education on campus. She has met incredible people, had impactful conversations, and learned about so many religions from a firsthand perspective. Samantha is looking forward to more of these experiences as well as facilitating them for others.
Samantha is a Senior, studying Architecture and minoring in Real Estate. She was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loves learning about other faiths and is always happy to talk about her because it has brought so much joy and perspective to her life. She is the President of the LDSSA group on campus as well as part of the Student Association of Interfaith Leaders at Hendricks.
Nia Griffin
Undergraduate Student, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Nia Griffin is an Industrial and Interaction Design student at Syracuse University, and the founder of Embold IN, LLC. She has many passions such as design, woodworking, music, media, psychology, sociology, advocacy and more. She has always been a problem solver, so of course that means she has always been a curious person. Her constant “whys” have always led her into deeper spaces where she comes to understand the purpose behind things, how things work, and learn what loose ends need to be pulled. She looks for the information she is missing, the wonder that remains to be found, and the issues that have yet to be addressed. Only then can she effectively impact others, make better judgements, and fully understand the way of the world. So, in her everyday life, when she naturally marvels at wood grain, analyzes music, studies human behavior, and contemplates social issues, she is reminded that it doesn’t hurt to be curious.
Mian Hamid
Graduate Student, Master’s School of Information Studies
Mian is a student in M.S. in Applied Data Science and serves at Syracuse University as the Interfaith Engagement Coordinator at Hendricks Chapel and the Convener of the Student Assembly of Interfaith Leaders (SAIL). He is passionate about building bridges across differences through dialogue, service, and relationship-centered leadership. Mian has helped organize interfaith days of service, facilitated dialogue spaces, and supported collaborative initiatives that bring together students from diverse religious, spiritual, and nonreligious backgrounds. As a first-generation college student, he is especially committed to making interfaith spaces welcoming and accessible to those who may feel unseen or unsure of where they belong. Mian believes interfaith leadership is rooted in empathy, and shared action for the common good, and he is excited to continue developing as a leader through the Global Interfaith Leadership Project.
Ronit Hizgiaev
Undergraduate Student, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Ronit Hizgiaev is a Sophomore in the Maxwell School studying International Relations and Law, Society, and Policy. Interested in a career in Law and Government, ensuring everyone’s voices are heard and accounted for is a crucial value she holds.
As Multi-Faith Chair for Syracuse Hillel, she has worked to bridge the gap between Jewish and non-Jewish students alike, supporting the planning of Hendricks Chapel’s Salaam Shalom program, where students meet to learn Hebre and Arabic languages and find commonalities. The work of Hendricks Chapel has brought joy that she only wants to develop. She is excited to continue to build interfaith relations with this cohort of scholars!
Mariya Tazi Hnyne
Graduate Student, Master’s College of Arts and Sciences
Mariya Tazi Hnyne is a master’s student in the Marriage & Family Therapy program. By background is Moroccan but she grew up in Connecticut. She is excited to be a scholar for GILP because she believes faith and spirituality can be meaningful for everyone, offering space for reflection, purpose, and connection in ways that honor each individual’s journey regardless of practice.
Naimul Islam
PhD Student, SUNY ESF
Naimul Islam is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry at SUNY–ESF, specializing in aquatic chemistry. His research examines how climate change impacts marine organisms, with the aim of advancing scientific understanding that supports more resilient aquatic ecosystems. Originally from Bangladesh, he came to the United States to pursue graduate studies. His academic interests are complemented by a strong commitment to interdisciplinary learning and global engagement. He looks forward to contributing to the Global Interfaith Leadership Program and further developing his communication and leadership skills.
Gianna Juarez
MPA Student, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Gianna Juarez is a dedicated public servant with federal government and non-profit experience. She served the Biden-Harris Administration as an Associate Director for Leadership Development & Appointee Engagement within the Office of Presidential Personnel, where she helped support and engage 4,000+ political appointees and advance inter-agency collaboration. Following her time at the White House, she served as a Community Outreach Manager at United Way Worldwide, engaging with local United Way chapters across the country.
Gianna is also actively engaged in social justice and community impact work, including her Graduate Research Assistant role with Syracuse University’s Lender Center for Social Justice, where she contributes research and analysis for the center’s “Closing the Wealth Gap” initiative.
A current graduate student in public administration, Gianna seeks to pursue a career in strategic implementation and community engagement, uplifting diverse voices while executing public policy initiatives.
Lillie Kochis
Undergraduate Student, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Originally from Scranton, PA, Lillie is a sophomore majoring in Magazine, News, and Digital Journalism with a minor in Religion. On campus, she is a SOURCE Emerging Research Fellow, a member of Zeta Phi Eta, and an active participant at the Catholic Center. In addition to being a Global Interfaith Leadership Scholar, Lillie works as a Hospitality Associate at Hendricks Chapel and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council. After graduation, she plans to pursue graduate studies in Theology with the goal of building a career in ministry. In free moments, you can find her writing on a whiteboard, crafting a boondoggle, or taking a long walk.
Gabrielle Lagatella
Graduate Student, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Gabrielle Lagatella is a graduate candidate in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University pursuing her Master of Arts in International Relations with a Certificate of Advanced Study in Security Studies. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting and Mass Communication with a minor in Global Affairs from The State University of New York at Oswego in 2025. Gabrielle currently works as a graduate assistant in The Qualitative Data Repository as a data curator on the Data Services for Indigenous Scholarship & Sovereignty project. As an active member of her parish, Gabrielle enjoys engaging with different domestic and international communities in ways that allow interfaith collaboration.
Avia Nahreen
PhD Candidate, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Avia Nahreen is a scholar and writer whose work focuses on spirituality, Bengali Sufism, and postcolonial social thought, with particular attention to gnosticism in South Asian societies. She is currently completing her doctoral studies at Syracuse University, where her research examines questions of injustice, pluralism, and the lived intersections of residents and water in everyday life. Trained across interdisciplinary traditions, Avia is especially interested in interfaith engagement that moves beyond abstraction toward embodied, and community-centered practice. Her work is informed by both academic inquiry and spiritual traditions, including Islamic and Baul mysticism, which shape her commitment to dialogue grounded in humility, empathy, love and moral responsibility. Through the Global Interfaith Leadership Project, she hopes to deepen her leadership practice while contributing to civic spaces that honor differences without flattening diversity.
Sandy Smith
Undergraduate Student, SUNY ESF
Sandy Smith studies Forest Ecosystem Science at SUNY-ESF. She chose this field because she is interested in the reciprocal relationship between people and the earth. She wants to use what she learns to grow food forests and design nature education programs for her community. She enjoys creating art and music, walking in the woods, and gardening. She came from a background of Orthodox Judaism, and she is on a journey of rediscovering her faith, with her spirituality deeply rooted in nature. Nature teaches us that diversity is our greatest strength, and Sandy believes that through interfaith collaboration, we will bring humanity to its greatest potential.
Sreshtha Thangaswamy
Undergraduate Student, College of Arts and Sciences
Sreshtha Thangaswamy is currently a junior majoring in Political Science (BA) and Economics (BS) at Maxwell College. She has lived in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) throughout the course of her primary schooling and was residing in Edison (New Jersey) for high school before attending Syracuse University! She is currently working in research and data analytics, with an emphasis on inter-state diplomatic and economic cooperation, state-corporate policy analysis, environment sustainability, and interfaith initiatives. On campus, she is a Global Interfaith Leadership Scholar, part of “The Symposium” as a Secretary and Social Media Manager, a contributing writer to the Daily Orange, a stylist and model for FADS and a part of the research team at SOURCE. She is currently a Japan Society and UN Youth Volunteer, holding an aspiring advocacy interest for social justice. She looks forward to new initiatives and to real change in our community!