Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Bio: Jennifer Ayarkwa holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University (2022) in Spanish with a minor in Linguistics, and a certificate in Latin American studies. She has taught English in Las Pedroñeras, Spain and served as a 2024-2025 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Cali, Colombia. Jennifer was also a 2025-2026 Alumni Ambassador for the U.S. State Department Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. In Ohio, Jennifer worked as an ESL Educator, helping hundreds of students with English language acquisition. She is passionate about education, cross-cultural exchange, and contemporary issues in Latin America. As a first-generation Ghanaian, her academic interests include Afro-descendant identity, social movements, the historical and cultural ties between Latin America and West Africa.
Concentration: History, Culture, and Society
Research Area – Substantive: Public Diplomacy, Education, Language, Culture
Research Area – Geographic: Brazil, Colombia, and the Caribbean