Brian Yang is a Research Scientist at Firefly Biologics, holding a B.S. in Microbiology from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology from UCSF. With extensive experience in various research groups across academia, government agencies, and industry. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys playing basketball, eating good food, and is passionate about mentoring international students to help them achieve their full potential.

Alvin Tan is currently a 6th year EECS PhD student at UC Berkeley. He received his bachelors at Northwestern in Computer Engineering, Economics, and Mathematics in 2020. He has taught classes, participated in the UC-wide GSI/GSR strike in 2022, experienced a wide spectrum of funding conditions and advisor-student interaction styles. Alvin is excited to share stories on how his expectations for research has been repeatedly challenged over the years by the reality of the PhD experience. 

Kevin is currently a Data Science Manager in the cybersecurity industry. He earned his bachelor’s degree in China and completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering at UC Berkeley. Drawing from his own academic and professional journey, Kevin is passionate about empowering international students to navigate and thrive in their Ph.D. pursuits in the U.S.

Vincent is a Staff Data Scientist at Figma. He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from UC Berkeley. With over 13 years of experience in data science, Vincent has worked across e-commerce, trust and safety, networking, and cloud infrastructure. He has led data teams, mentored more than 10 interns, and conducted over 40 interviews throughout his career. Outside of work, Vincent provides career coaching through educational organizations, helping international students sharpen their interview skills and successfully land job offers.

Andrew is a Sr Manager of Business Intelligence at Yahoo, based in Los Angeles. He earned his Bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and a Master's in Business Analytics from USC's Marshall School of Business. With an understanding of business and technology, Andrew has mentored hundreds of students, equipping them to thrive academically and professionally.

Ken is a Senior Lead Counsel at Confluent, Inc. and has been a technology attorney in the high tech industry for the past 15+ years. He holds a Doctor of Law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Film from UC Berkeley. Ken has over 10 years of experience mentoring international students at U.S. colleges, including assisting students in the adjudication of academic integrity cases, providing job search and career advice, and preparing recent graduates for the working life in the U.S. 

Jenn Soung is a mentor at International Student Fellowship at UC Berkeley. She graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor degree in Psychology. She works at a company called Exact Sciences a lab that provides tests for cancer patients to help guide treatment. She has found that knowing how to relate with providers across the nation over the phone and even with students in person has been vital to making the other person be at ease.

Jennifer Phegley is a volunteer mentor for the International Student Mentorship Program. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelors in Fashion Design. She currently works for a women’s apparel company that designs, manufactures, and sells to department stores like Kohl's, Macys, and JC Penney. Even though design was her major, she really enjoys fixing things and helping people. 

Clayton Coe graduated Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry. Formerly working for Behr Paint Company, he currently works for a small third-party benchmarking lab that compares raw materials used in paint and other coatings. During his time outside of the lab, he is a volunteer for the International Student Mentorship Program, finds language fascinating, enjoys baking, and playing the guitar.

Jacob Chi graduated from UC Berkeley and from UCSF with a doctorate degree in Dentistry. He worked as a dentist serving underserved communities for over 10 years. Now, he currently works as a dental consultant for the State of California. in his spare time, he volunteers as a mentor for the International Student Mentorship Program and is passionate about raising up future leaders and visionaries. 

Marissa Logan is a mentor in the International Graduate Student Ministry (IGSM) at UC Berkeley alongside her husband, Ben Logan. She received her bachelors in Integrative Biology with a focus on human physiology. She works at a medical device company in the Bay Area called Penumbra on the post-market analysis and quality compliance team. Her specialization is international communications and published literature review. She has been mentoring international students at UC Berkeley for the past 7 years.

Tiffany Yang graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Bioengineering and went on to complete her Masters in Translational Medicine (aka Bioengineering) at UCSF and UC Berkeley. Currently, she works as a Senior Pharmaceutical Engineer at Gilead Sciences. Although she loved studying science, math and engineering in college, her favorite class was actually history. She is always up for a book with a good story (fiction or non-fiction)!

Kimberly graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. She now works as a Production Planner for a BioTech Company. Her professional role requires her to build rapport, communicate clearly and effectively with various stakeholders in the supply chain and executive world. She enjoys cooking and serving her friends at the dining table.

Ana graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Math Education and while she would have loved to be a teacher, she now enjoys helping people solve their technical issues. She currently works as an IT Support Analyst at Airbnb and her favorite part of her job is problem solving. Aside from solving problems, she also enjoys volunteering as a mentor for international students at UC Berkeley, teaching kids how to play volleyball, and also tutoring in math. 

Kan Lee is a Data Scientist at Apple Inc., specializing in applying advanced statistical methods and machine learning to drive insights and innovation. He holds an M.S. in Statistics from National Chiao Tung University and a B.A. in Math & Rhetoric from UC Berkeley. With experience in both data science and engineering management, Kan has a strong track record in team leadership and talent acquisition, helping build high-performance data science teams.

Jack Zhu is a Senior Investment Analyst at UC Investments, where he manages public equity strategies for the University of California’s systemwide endowment and retirement portfolios. He holds a B.A. in Economics from UC Davis, and has extensive experience in institutional investing, portfolio management, and investment operations. He is also the co-founder of the UC Investments Academy, which provides investment training and career opportunities for UC students. Jack has been a mentor to international students for the past 6 years.

William Sio is a software engineer and a mentor in the International Student Gathering at UC Irvine, serving alongside his wife, Jessica. He holds a degree in Sociology from UC Riverside and recently returned from Taiwan, where he and Jessica mentored Taiwanese college students in Taipei — helping minds grow, one student at a time. With 8 years of experience mentoring college students, William loves diving into sociology and psychology research and podcasts, exploring how technology quietly shapes human behavior, and keeping active with basketball and lifting — because growth isn’t just mental, it’s full-body too.

Bing Zhang is a senior process engineer at a Forbes 500 company in semiconductor industry. He obtained his PhD in chemistry in Nobel Laureate, Prof. Omar Yaghi's lab at UC Berkeley. He is an expert in materials chemistry, and plasma etching process and systems. He has taken courses in seminary and is passionate about Bible studies. He has been a mentor for grad students and youth students for the past 5 years.

 Peter Kim is a Laboratory Consultant at Ensocell Therapeutics. He holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from UC Davis and a B.S. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley. With over a decade of experience in bioengineering research and development, he has contributed to advancing innovative solutions in the life sciences. Peter also serves as a mentor in the International Student Mentorship Program, where he enjoys guiding students and helping them grow in wisdom.

Chul Kim is one of the directors of the Acts2 network, and he and his wife, Sharon, oversee the International Student Ministry (ISM) of the network. In 1992, Chul came to UC Berkeley for his PhD in Biophysics as an international student from South Korea. While Chul worked as a Professor at California State University East Bay for the following sixteen years, he taught the Bible to international students at UC Berkeley and other campuses.  Since 2019, he has been serving ISM as a full-time campus minister.

Andrew is a software developer at Acorns, a fintech startup and a minister of the Gospel for over 20 years, currently serving international students in Madison, Wisconsin. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a M.S. in Information Systems, both from U.C. Berkeley. He sorely misses Chinese-Indonesian cuisine and his favorite sports teams include the Lakers, S.F. Giants, and Niners.

Roy is a mental health consultant at a non-profit organization in San Francisco. He earned his M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Bethel University and has worked in the mental health field for the past eight years. He also serves as a mentor with the International Student Fellowship (ISF) at UC Berkeley. As a former international student, Roy understands the challenges that international students often face—both in life and in their faith journey. Since becoming a Christian in 2012, he has enjoyed helping others come to know the Gospel of Jesus and experience the love of God.

Aidan is a mentor with International Student Fellowship at UC Berkeley. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Engineering physics, but isn't just a science nerd. He's also a lifelong history nerd, and loves to talk and think about the stories that shaped our culture (Starwars and LOTR for the win haha). For the last 7 years he has been a volunteer mentor teaching children, youth, and international students about the most influential man to ever live, Jesus Christ.

Edwin was an international student at UC Berkeley (BS 2005, MS 2006). He currently works as a supervising engineer for California's Department of Water Resources (DWR) where he deals with environmental and water supply issues. Edwin and his wife (Yooujin) currently serve as mentors at Berkeley IGSM. Edwin volunteered to teach this workshop because over the years he has come to see what a sinner he is, and seeing that has allowed him to understand more deeply what is so amazing about grace. 

Hui is a Neuroscience professor at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at George Washington University. She grew up in China, deeply shaped by traditional culture and education. It wasn’t until she came to the United States that she became a Christian. After that, she began reflecting on the relationship between Chinese culture and the Christian faith—and was surprised to find many meaningful connections. In this workshop, she will share how the wisdom of ancient Chinese thought helped guide her toward a deeper understanding of God’s creation and His purpose.

Jisup and Sara will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this year. A graduate from Harvard (B.S in Computer Science) and U.C. Berkeley (PhD in Linguistics), Jisup works as a Senior A.I. Engineer and has led international ministries at U.C Berkeley, Purdue University, and most recently, at U.C. Irvine. Sara majored in English Literature and graduated from Wellesley College (B.A in English) and Boston College (PhD in English), and has taught college writing classes at DVC, UC Berkeley, and Purdue University. Both Jisup and Sara love hosting international students in their home, hearing people's diverse stories, and by God's grace, getting to be a part of many people's spiritual journeys!

Gary graduated from UC Berkeley in 2001 and majored in Molecular & Cell Biology.  After 26 years of following Jesus, he is today a parent of a special needs teenage daughter, an attorney at the California Department of Public Health, and a covocational minister of over 20 years to postgrads, visiting scholars and international students.

Jacob has been a spiritual mentor to college and graduate students at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Riverside, and UC San Diego since 2000, and he is currently a mentor at Stanford, San Jose State University, and De Anza College. He has degrees from UC Berkeley (BS, Bioengineering) and UC Daivs (JD).

Susan started playing piano at the age of 7, has been part of worship bands since middle school and was the worship director of our Minneapolis church for several years. Whether it's just her and a piano, or singing acapella with a group of friends, Susan enjoys being able to connect with God and others through songs.

Jessie began leading praise through voice and guitar at her Minneapolis church after teaching herself guitar during the COVID years. Music has been a transformative part of Jessie’s spiritual journey, and she loves connecting stories to songs. One of her most cherished stories is how her grandmother came to faith after hearing a Christian song in the market.

Isaac is a Business Systems Analyst and former Lead Recruiting Specialist at DABS Inc and studied Biomedical Engineering at UC San Diego. He's been mentoring international students for more than 6 years at UC San Diego and the University of Southern California. Isaac first finished the entire Bible in high school and has enjoyed reading it almost every day for more than 10 years!

Mario is a high school science teacher and passionate about history. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Neurobiology and later got his master's degree in Education from Point Loma University. Alison majored in Biochemistry and Genetics at Texas A&M University and then went to UC San Diego for a PhD in Biology. She currently works as a research scientist at a biotech company in San Diego. Mario and Alison have been mentoring international students at UCSD for the past five years. 

Mark is a biochemistry professor at California State University East Bay. He earned his PhD in chemical biology from UCSF and currently runs a research lab studying protein-lipid interactions. He has served in the international ministry of our church network for almost 15 years, and is passionate about showing how careful scientific investigation points to the existence of a Creator God.

Jessica grew up in China and got her Master degree in Accounting at UIUC, where she also became a Christian. Jessica currently works as Senior Revenue Accountant at Instacart and also serves as a mentor at ISF (International Student Fellowship) at UC Berkeley. As an international student and having received the gospel herself, Jessica deeply resonates with the desire to share the gospel in Chinese with her friends and family, and all the barriers that comes with it. She wants to share her own experience and what she has learned to encourage others who also has a heart to share the gospel in Chinese