Sophie Brown
BEAM Education Foundation – Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sophie grew up outside Philadelphia and then attended university at Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in Anthropology and Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience. She settled on these field in order to better understand the evolution of human behavior by coupling ordinarily separate biological and cultural perspectives. During this time, she worked at a medical clinic in Cusco, Peru helping to provide the local population with personalized, comprehensive, and quality care. She also spent a semester studying gender and sexuality in modern Greek culture in Athens, Greece. Through these experiences, she began to understand the power of cross-cultural relationships and connecting with individuals despite language or cultural barriers. This has motivated her to seek further global connections in Asia, where she is looking forward to working as a Program Associate at the BEAM Education Foundation so that she can gain a greater understanding of cultural identities in Thailand and beyond.
Sophie has also worked in healthcare in St. Louis, acting as an advocate for traditionally undeserved patients and is passionate about bettering the health and wellness of future generations through sustainable resources like education. She is excited to begin her work in Chiang Mai and build lasting connections with her students and coworkers. Sophie hopes her time in Thailand will better her cross-cultural communication skills in order to become a more compassionate healthcare professional. |
Anny Lin
Parami University – Chiang Mai, Thailand
Raised in China during her early years, Anny Lin emigrated to a small town in Vermont at the age of five. There, she spent her adolescent years navigating through the intricacies of being a daughter of immigrants, an ESL student, and a Chinese-American girl living in predominantly white, English-speaking spaces. For Anny, these early experiences fostered her hopes for creating social change through cross-cultural learning and connection-building
In 2023, Anny received a BA in International Affairs with a concentration in International Development from George Washington University (GWU), becoming the first university graduate in her family. During her undergraduate career, Anny took a course on equitable development in Southeast Asia, which spurred her interest in the region, and most recently, led her to complete a senior thesis that focused on the wellbeing of Rohingya refugee teachers in Bangladesh.
At GWU, Anny was heavily involved with First Gen United, where she supported first-generation college students through mentorship and advocacy. Recently, Anny completed a fellowship with Global Campaign for Education-US, where she supported advocacy strategies, and partnerships with U.S. government agencies, congressional offices and civil society to bolster support for international basic education programs.
As a Program Progression Advisor at Parami University, Anny is excited to build meaningful connections with her students, and to support them in leveraging their liberal arts education to shape their learning during their time at Parami and beyond! Throughout her VIA Fellowship, she is looking forward to expanding her understanding of Burmese and Thai languages, histories, and cultures. |
Lynn Travnikova
Parami University – Chiang Mai, Thailand
Lynn Travnikova was born and raised in London, but would say she’s from all the places and people that have impacted her over the course of her life. She received her undergraduate degree in International Studies with a Middle Eastern and North African focus from Middlebury College in Vermont.
Lynn is passionate about connection, and is always seeking to deepen her ability to connect with people across barriers, be they based on language, identity, perspective or otherwise. Recently she’s been enjoying the expression “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” She finds meaning in nature, engaging in and learning about spiritualities and religions, traveling, painting, reading, learning, and more.
Being a VIA fellow at Parami University, Lynn looks forward to helping students as they carve out their paths in life, supporting them in the liberal arts journey and the growth that comes with it. She’s excited to engage with new languages, cultures and perspectives in the process. Holding an interest in education/pedagogy and international education in particular, this role is an invaluable opportunity for her develop skills and knowledge in these fields. As to future plans, she’s just letting things happen for the moment. |
