Meet the 2023 Dwight Hall Student Executive Committee!

The Dwight Hall Executive Committee (ExComm) recently announced its election results for 2023 after a near-record level number of applications. Taking office beginning in the spring semester, the new members are excited to serve as leaders and representatives of Dwight Hall. Meet the new ExComm below:

William An ’24, Senior Co-Coordinator

William is a junior in Branford studying English and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Outside of Dwight Hall, he is involved with theater, the Yale Lit Mag, and virus evolution research.

What are you most excited for next year: “I’m excited to continue my engagement with New Haven and Dwight Hall and to work with the 2023 ExComm!”

Emily Zhang ’25, Junior Co-Coordinator

Emily (she/her) is a sophomore from Massachusetts who will likely major in Ethics, Politics, and Economics with a Statistics certificate. She is Timothy Dwight College’s biggest fan, a public transportation enthusiast, and lover of stone fruit.

What are you most excited for next year: “I can’t wait to work with this incredible team and learn more from New Haven community partners to restore traditional avenues of service after the pandemic!”

Kristen Meola ’25.5, Financial Coordinator

A native New Yorker, Kristen (Saybrook ‘25.5) is pursuing an Economics major and a certificate in Spanish. She is a proud member of the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project Board (YHHAP), the Dwight Hall Board of Directors, Women in Economics, and Asian-ish. On the off chance that she isn’t in Bass Library, you might find Kristen taking unusually brisk walks, improvising on the violin, or teaching herself to play the guitar. 

What are you most excited for next year: “I’m looking forward to expanding the Financial Coordinator role to include resource management and close partnerships with the Membership team and student leaders to ensure a transparent, equitable, and collaborative funding process.” 

Amadie Gajanaike ’26, Communications Coordinator

Amadie is a first-year in Ezra Stiles, an international student from Sri Lanka, as well as a sleep-deprived Electrical Engineering major! She loves to make art for the Yale Visual Artists Collective and engage with FIRST at Yale and the South Asian Society.

What are you most excited for next year: “I’m super excited to engage in editorial design for Hall Happenings and interact with the Dwight Hall website as part of the PR team with my fellow communications coordinators!”

Catalina Mahe ’26, Communications Coordinator

Catalina is a first-year from New Jersey living in Silliman College. She is thinking of Global Affairs as a potential major, but is still exploring options. Outside of schoolwork, she enjoys competing on the Moot Court Oral Argument team and going coffee shop-hopping with friends. 

What are you most excited for next year: “I’m most excited to interact with the Dwight Hall member groups through social media to spread the word about important events on campus and opportunities to get involved!”

Paola Flores Sanchez ’25, Institutional Service Coordinator

Paola is a sophomore in Morse College. In her new role, she looks forward to managing relationships between Dwight Hall and local community partners and planning and executing one-time service opportunities like the First-Year Day of Service and Spring Day of Service.

Saskia Braden ’24.5, Yale Engagement Coordinator

Saskia is a Global Affairs and Environmental Studies major from Washington, DC. A sophomore/junior in Silliman College, she is passionate about climate policy, NPR, and her fish, Piglet. Additionally, she serves as the Yale Student Environmental Coalition’s (YSEC) United Nations COP Chair, works part-time with the World Wildlife Fund, and is excited for her first season with the Yale Ski Team!

What are you most excited for next year: “I am so excited to meet all of you and learn from all the different ways you are already dedicated to service!”

Nikhe Braimah ’25, New Haven Engagement Coordinator

Nikhe is a sophomore in Branford majoring in History and hailing from the small town of Brentwood, California in the Bay Area. In addition to serving on ExComm, he is involved in First-Years in Support of New Haven and YHHAP. Outside of Dwight Hall, he also performs with WORD Performance Poetry and works as a Communication and Consent Educator. In his free time, you’ll find him searching for the Perfect Study Spot™, downing chai from Willoughby’s, and (re)watching Succession.

What are you most excited for next year: “I’m super excited to develop new ways Yalies can engage sustainably and meaningfully in New Haven and find opportunities to build lasting, positive connections to the city!” 

Rena Liu ’26, Membership Coordinator

Rena is a first-year in Branford and proud Tennessean (ask her about Southern progressive organizing or really good BBQ joints). Although she’s mostly undecided, she is considering Ethics, Politics, and Economics and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration which is such a mouthful that hopefully she never has to talk to anyone about her major. This year, Rena has worked with the Student Loan Fund and YHHAP; she also debates and is always on call as a pro-bono make-up artist for her friends. 

What are you most excited for next year: “Getting to know Yalies from Dwight Hall’s different member groups and helping them use Dwight Hall’s resources for the work they do, especially when the work is in a field I have no expertise in. (I personally don’t know much about education policy, for example, but I am so excited to hear everything about how you care about it!)” 

Hiroko Kawase ’26, Membership Coordinator

Hiroko is a first-year from Tokyo in Trumbull College. She is interested in exploring Education Studies, English and Global Affairs! 

What are you most excited for next year: “I am excited to meet and support all the member groups, create more opportunities for collaboration among them, and get to know all the people in the Dwight Hall Community!”

Rosa Anderson Barrera ’25, Membership Coordinator

Rosa (she/her) is a sophomore in Pierson College hailing from Chattanooga, TN. She plans to double major in Political Science and Latin American Studies and pursue a certificate in Spanish (although she’ll be putting off declaring for as long as possible!). When she’s not kicking it around the Hall, Rosa can be found working at La Casa, organizing with community groups for MEChA, fearing getting tackled out at the rugby fields, or out in New Haven conducting legal translations through MAY. She’s also a big proponent of long walks, lover of well-curated Spotify playlists, and an appreciator of the Davenport library. 

What are you most excited for next year: “I’m so excited to continue the work we’ve done in membership last year and continue to build connections with students and community partners! I’m especially looking forward to increasing member group collaboration and coalition building.“

Josephine Cureton ’24, New Membership Coordinator

Josephine is a junior in Ezra Stiles, majoring in Sociology with a Data Science certificate. She is from San Francisco, and is also a Communication and Consent Educator and used to lead the Yale Education Tutoring Initiative (a proud DH member group)!

What are you most excited for next year: “Expanding the New Membership position to work with emerging initiatives in New Haven!”

Caitlin Monsky ’24, Alumni Engagement Coordinator

Caitlin is a junior in Davenport College and is from New York City. She is majoring in Political Science. In addition to her role as Alumni Engagement Coordinator for Dwight Hall, she is on the board of Yale Model Congress and plays for the Women’s Club Lacrosse team. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys making Spotify playlists, baking, and going to museums.

What are you most excited for next year: “I’m excited to continue the work we’ve done on ExComm and the engagement team this year. I’m especially looking forward to expanding the Hall’s alumni engagement!”