Iona Volynets, form Washington DC, is currently working to obtain their B.A in International Relations, History with a minor in Museum Studies, Russian at Syracuse University. They have interned at the Council of Europe, where they created a report on the treatment of unaccompanied migrant children when they transition into adulthood. They have also served for two years on the Teen Council of the Smithsonian’s National Galleries of Asian Art. During their time at Syracuse, they have created a culturally sensitive fresh food bank in Syracuse’s Northside neighbourhood, a project which is being expanded to other neighbourhoods in Syracuse. Iona is currently interning at the Syracuse University Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service, where they connect students to volunteer opportunities, oversee service-learning classes, and create new initiatives to connect Syracuse students with the Syracuse city community.
As a Marshall Scholar, Iona will pursue an MPhil degree in Visual, Material, and Museum Anthropology at the University of Oxford.