Who We Are

 Andrew Brown holds a Baccalauréat (Bachelors) in Philosophy and French Literature from Académie de Rennes (France), as well as a B.A. in International Affairs and a Master in Public Administration in Non-Profit Management and International Development from The George Washington University. Andrew founded The Global Language Network in September 2005. While Andrew is the Founder of GLN, he credits much of the organization’s growth and success to the many devoted teachers and other volunteers who have contributed and allowed him to build GLN to what it is today. 

 Charles Maslin holds a BA in Economics from Temple University, a JD in Corporate Finance from New York Law School, and completed an Executive Education program at University of Pennsylvania’s esteemed Wharton School. His focus in that program was Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law. Charles is the owner of Cayden Capital, LLC, and the founder of Tubz which develops ultra-high capacity, low weight, rechargeable energy storage technologies. Charles dedicates countless hours to help GLN strategically and GLN is privileged to have him on the Board.  

 Dr. Richard Sawaya is the Vice President of USA*ENGAGE at the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and has directed the organization since January 2009. Previously he was the Executive Director of the United States–Venezuela Business Council. He also served as Washington Representative for Devon Energy from 2009 through 2012. From 2000 through 2008, he was the Vice President for Government, International and Community Relations at the George Washington University. 

 Benn’s passion for community and language led him to work with GLN as early as 2006, while GLN was still centrally-located at The George Washington University. Benn formally joined the Board of Directors in 2008 and has been an active Board member since. Benn is Mayor of Morningside, Maryland and is the Director of Marketing at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.  

He has also served over twenty years in the business community in various capacities of management in promotions, marketing, and advertising for non-profit and for-profit organizations.

 Mr. Ilya Budik is the most recent addition to GLN’s Board of Directors. For the past 7 years, Ilya has served in various managerial roles in the life science industry, and over the last 4 years founded and grown Imagine Bio, a boutique consultancy which advises global strategic players as well as startups in life science industry with clients based across the US, Europe, and Israel. Ilya is a strong believer in the mission of GLN, sees great potential to expand GLN’s mission in the DC area and beyond, and is grateful for the opportunity to contribute his skills, experiences, and a diverse global network to help take GLN to new heights. 

Jeong Yong Park is a Leadership Fellow at the Global Language Network. He majored in German with a minor in Broadcasting–Film & New Media at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He has experience in media content planning, educational video editing, and cultural communication. At GLN, he hopes to contribute to cross-cultural engagement, support program operations, and strengthen his professional communication skills.

Eduardo Cisternas is a two-time Olympian representing Chile and a recent graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Political Science and Government. As a Division I student-athlete, he developed leadership skills while competing at the highest international level. Eduardo has worked with public officials, community organizations, and youth development initiatives in Chile, promoting sports, education, and public service. He is passionate about public policy, international affairs, and leadership development, and looks forward to contributing to GLN's mission of empowering communities through communication and respect. 

Molly is a graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in math. She is currently in a linguistics masters program at Georgetown. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, and she is learning Arabic with the GLN this summer! As a former medical and legal interpreter, Molly is passionate about resolving language barriers for the common good. After her masters in linguistics, she will pursue a J.D. with a focus on immigrant and refugee rights. 

Anthony Arcuri is a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a dual major in Political Science and International Affairs. Anthony’s academic work focuses heavily on international institutions and strategic foreign policy.

Driven by a passion for leadership development, Anthony has served in several key leadership roles, including Student Ambassador, Global Ambassador Representative, and Chairperson of the Campus Living Student Association. His dedication to academic excellence and community engagement earned him the prestigious NAU Blue & Gold Award for four consecutive years.

Complementing his domestic leadership, Anthony spent a semester studying abroad in Italy, where he focused on international business and policy, earning a minor in Italian Language alongside a second minor in Hospitality: Travel and Tourism. His professional experience includes policy and legislative analysis, highlighted by his participation in The Washington Center’s academic internship program in Washington, D.C.

Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, Anthony is an avid reader and an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and camping.

Betsy DiProspero is a junior at the University of Colorado Boulder, majoring in International Affairs and Religious Studies. She is working towards a certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies. Betsy hopes to go into academia after she graduates. She hopes to educate people on diverse perspectives in order to create a more peaceful global environment. Betsy wants to use language to learn more about different cultures in the world.  

Jacob Davies is a Junior currently studying International Affairs and Music at the University of Colorado, Boulder. With an emphasis on Middle East-North Africa studies, Jacob was drawn to the GLN's mission of fostering repair, initiating development, and building bridges between international communities through its unique language teaching model. Already familiar with Hebrew, Jacob has an affinity for languages and hopes to learn multiple, starting with Arabic at the GLN this summer! Jacob is also drawn to public and community service, and has served as a Representative-at-Large in his University's Student Government. In this role, Jacob has worked with City of Boulder officials and State Politicians to help create a better environment on his campus and in his community. Through this opportunity, and many others like it in his hometown of Houston, he has developed critical leadership, policy-making, and diplomatic skills as he continues to strive to better the world around him. 

Amrael is a Psychology major at the University of the Virgin Islands. She was a volunteer digital transcriber for the Smithsonian Digital Transcription Center where she learned how to adapt quickly to novel situations. She discovered her aptitude for technology while being a PA system coordinator and learned to balance multiple tasks at once in a high-speed environment. She serves as a volunteer office assistant at her university's Research and Extension Center, developing detail-oriented organizational skills. Amrael is interested in the intersection of applicable psychological research and effective advocacy for improvements in the treatment of the mental and behavioral health of vulnerable populations. 

Emma Zacharias is a junior President’s Leadership Class and honors student at Roger’s State University double majoring in English and Global Humanities. Emma has studied abroad in both Japan and Costa Rica, broadening her cross cultural competence and global awareness. She is currently a member of the academic internship program at The Washington Center and is taking a course in International Humanitarian Law during her time in DC. With professional interests spanning public service, communication, psychology, foreign policy, and government, Emma plans to pursue immigration law. She is committed to using her skills and leadership experience to better the lives of those around her.  

Lauren Foster is a Leadership Fellow with the Global Language Network. As a junior at The University of Southern Mississippi, she has one year of community building experience as a resident assistant and two years of customer service experience as a member of the food service industry. She has dedicated herself to the betterment of her local environment through both short-term volunteer work and her long-term goal of helping children as a counseling psychologist.  

Piper Thompson is a recent graduate of Roger Williams University, where she earned a degree in International Relations and Political Science. Through her travels to India, Costa Rica, Canada, and Europe, as well as volunteer outreach work in the Dominican Republic, she has developed a strong interest in cultural exchange and international affairs. During college, she also served as a choreographer for the dance team and dance club, building leadership and teamwork skills. She looks forward to learning, growing, and contributing as a Leadership Fellow with the Global Language Network helping connect people through language and cross-cultural understanding.