Meet the 2009 Orientation Staff

My name is Ethan Archundia and I will be going into my sophmore year as a Political Science Major at the University of New Hampshire. Soccer, biking, music and traveling are my favorite passtimes. I have lived and backpacked through Mexico, have visited eastern and western Canada, and lived in Puerto Rico. I am in Europe right now. I speak English, Spanish and French. I enjoy meeting people who come with different perspectives. I joined the Orientation staff to help out because I remember when I moved to the United States.

Name: Yanni Chen
Hometown: China
Major: Math
Motto: With the opportunity given to me, I feel my future path is lying in front of me, all what I need to do is to work hard to lead to a bright future.
Most fortunate thing: a wise and respected father, pleasant and cheerful mother, accomplished and helpful advisor coming into my life.
Favorite hobby: Traveling, Watching Sports on TV
Favorite food: Chinese hot pot.
Favorite sports: playing Table Tennis.
Advice for new students: No matter where you are from, Just believe there is a warm group waiting for you, smiling at you! So are you ready to start your New Life in UNH?

Cassie Davis: I'm from Manchester, NH and I'm 21 years old. I live off campus, I am a junior, and a psychology major. My international experience includes studying abroad in Ireland for a semester, and visiting England, Italy, Germany, and Scotland. I love travelling and will surely continue to after I graduate. Work and school takes up most of my time but when I'm not at either, I enjoy reading, drawing, and spending time with my friends.

Matt Harding: I’m a mechanical engineering student in my third year at UNH. During the Fall of 2008 I studied in Budapest, Hungary and was able to travel to many areas in and around Central Europe. I love meeting new people and I look forward to meeting everyone coming here in August!

“Kate” (Xuehui) Li: I’m from Shandong, China, and this is my first year here at UNH and also in the US. I’m an undergraduate student, Theater major. I’ve been to Hong Kong and Thailand, and I like to live and study here very much. Indeed, going abroad is challenging and exciting, and I like this kind of experiences. As for what kind of person I am, I guess I’m more like an artistic person, because it seems that the biggest part of my life is about theater, movies, music and art.

My name is Xiameng Liu, my nickname is Michelle. I am an undergraduate international student from China, majoring in chemical engineering. This is my second year at UNH, and this fall I will be a junior. Coming to UNH has been a fantastic experience for me, and I'm always glad to meet new people and share with them my experiences. Chemistry, mathematics, computing studies, geography and biology are some of my favorite subjects, but I also like to discuss with people all sorts of things like history, the news, and anything really.

Faraz Mehdi: I am from India and have been a PhD student at the Department of Mechanical Engineering since Fall 2006. My international experience includes studying and working in Sweden for around two years and doing a short stint in France. In the US, I have been on a "Students without Borders" team which designed/implemented an animal-driven and easy to use and repair water pump to be used by the nomadic tribes of Niger. I have been a community assistant in Babcock Hall which is very international in character and been on the OISS orientation staff twice before. My hobbies include photography, painting, cooking and ping-pong.

Eduardo Miranda: I`m happy, I love being outdoors doing whatever can be used as an excuse to being outdoors, I love to eat (especially dessert) and some people like what I cook (especially my fiancée), I’m a country man with a love affair with the city (especially the big outfitters stores, Boston science museum, restaurants, and the movies theaters).

I’m from Brazil and inherited the traveling bug from my parents; I have endured 30 days of the sunny less British winter, went around France, Switzerland and the Netherland, did the mainstream Disneyland rollercoaster rides and visit family in Chile and Mexico. But the trip I liked the most was a bus trip from my home town near the border of Bolivia to Bolivia and up to Machu picchu in Peru.

Philip Nuss: I am currently a PhD student in Environmental Sciences at the University of New Hampshire. I studied chemistry in Germany and as an ERASMUS student in Scotland. Before coming to New Hampshire I spent 1 ½ years in Asia studying and working in South-Korea, China and Thailand. I love traveling, swimming in the ocean, music, and coffee and newspaper on a Saturday morning.

My name is Lea Petrovic and I was proudly born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, lived in Germany for about five years and moved the United States eleven years ago. In addition to returning to Bosnia several times in past years, I have done quite a bit of traveling. As I have taken Spanish for seven years and have decided to minor in it, I have traveled to Spain several times and made close friends there. I am fluent in both Spanish and Bosnian and hope to study abroad with the next year. I have been very lucky to be exposed to such a variety of cultures and am excited to meet and learn from the new incoming students! I am very happy to speak to anyone so please feel free to contact me for anything!

Name: John "Johannes" Rolfe
Hometown: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Class Status in Fall '09: Undergraduate Junior, majoring in Entrepreneurial Venture Creation
International experience: Traveled throughout Western Europe and North America (ranging from Yellowstone Park to the coast of Quebec). France is currently my favorite destination spot. South-East Asia is #1 on my wish list to visit.
What I'd recommend to new international students: Be yourself!

My name is Kirstin Striker and I'm a senior studying English. I am originally from the Netherlands but have lived in New Hampshire since I was nine. I love traveling and learning about different countries and culture, and I try to see as much of the world as I can. Some places I have been to are Russia, Iceland, Costa Rica, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, and Curaçao. My dream is to one day travel around Africa and the Middle East and write about the experience. I love being involved with the international community at UNH and meeting all the different people from around the world that come here!

Melanie Titus: "I am an environmental science major and I love the outdoors; hiking, camping, swimming, etc. I really like to talk about faith and hear about different religions/beliefs, I'm involved in Christian Impact here on campus and it's a lot of fun. I'll be traveling to Ghana, Africa this summer to teach for a month! I haven't really been out of the country very often (though I'd like to travel more) so I'm pretty excited to say the least."

Shelby Whittet: My International experience began a while ago, I traveled to Mexico a few times with my family, and later in High School I spent three weeks traveling through Spain, France, Italy, Monaco and the Vatican as a Student Ambassador. For the Fall 2008 Semester I studied abroad in London, and had an amazing experience traveling throughout the UK and Western Europe and meeting some truly wonderful people. Having traveled through most of Western Europe and the UK I’ve realized that I love meeting people from different countries and cultures. UNH has provided me with some incredible opportunities such as being an International Student Staff Member-- I am really excited to have the opportunity to welcome you to the University that I love!