Bishishta Acharya
“Hi!! I’m Bishishta and I’m a rising sophomore at Stanford studying Economics and Data Science. I’ve moved around a bit: I was born in Nepal, moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and lived in Columbus, OH before moving to California for college. When I worked in Nepal, I did a project where I analyzed representation of underrepresented minorities in local Nepali governments throughout different elections. This project was a bit difficult, because many software tools aren’t built for digitally disadvantaged languages like Nepali, leaving so many communities behind in the modern world. This shaped my passion for technology and accessibility, and I’m excited to work in this intersection during my time at SILICON!”
Dawson Brej
“My name is Dawson Brej and I’m a sophomore studying Computer Science on the Visual Computing track. I was raised on the central coast in Monterey, where I grew up learning English and Spanish. In my years working as an Interpretive Guide and STEM Education Program Assistant at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I developed a deep understanding of the importance of being able to interact with the world in your native language, and naturally this must extend to the digital world. I’m honored to contribute to vital projects as an intern and fellow for the SILICON-Unicode program this summer to help bridge these gaps in digital equity.”
Jed Greenwald
“My name is Jed Greenwald. I am a rising sophomore at Stanford studying Economics. I grew up in Santa Barbara, CA, and spent the year before attending college studying abroad in San Juan, Argentina, where I learned Spanish fluently. Going someplace where I didn’t feel like I could speak my own mind, and slowly integrating myself into a language and community, helped me realize just how powerful languages are for defining what we can and cannot access, and how important it is for them to be present in technologies we depend on everyday. This has led to my passion for exploring how language technologies are made, supported, and by whom. It is an honor to be working with the SILICON team over the summer to create digital infrastructure that includes languages and communities that have traditionally been overlooked.”
Anastasha Rachel Gunawan
“I’m Anastasha, a recent graduate of the MS Design in Emerging Technologies program at Stanford, where I focused my research on building physical and embodied technologies to expand dominant technological imaginations beyond what it is today. I grew up in Indonesia and Myanmar, and all of my work is rooted in the desire to insist upon non-dominant communities’ agencies to shape our technological world. I look forward to doing just that alongside the great people at SILICON!”
Kuokuo Li
“Hi, My name is Kuokuo Li, I am a rising sophomore at Stanford. Growing up in Limburg and having Inner Mongolian roots has made me realize what it is like having a digitally disadvantaged language. I am looking forward to supporting unicode’s mission to support digitally disadvantaged languages.”
Ashley Mujica-Pinto
“I’m Ashley Mujica-Pinto, a transfer student studying Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University. I grew up in Oakland, California, in a family shaped by the experiences of immigration, cultural diversity, and community resilience. From an early age, I saw how language can influence a person’s sense of belonging, access to opportunities, and connection to their cultural identity. I also became aware that many communities and languages are underrepresented in digital tools and emerging technologies. These experiences inspired my interest in using artificial intelligence and human-centered technology to promote digital inclusion and expand access to language resources. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the SILICON team this summer, where I can apply my technical and research skills to support language digitization and help make technology more inclusive for communities around the world.”
Sriya Neti
“My name is Sriya Neti, and I’m a rising sophomore from Fremont, CA. I’m very passionate about language preservation and believe every language is a unique knowledge system that deserves protection. The experiences I’ve had with languages—I grew up speaking Telugu, learned Spanish in school, and spent a summer studying Russian abroad in Latvia—have made me deeply appreciate unique cultural perspectives. I’m very excited about applying computational methodologies to advance digitally disadvantaged languages through the SILICON-Unicode Internship.”
Leonardo Perez
“My name is Leonardo Perez, and I am a rising junior at Stanford University majoring in Symbolic Systems with a concentration in Human-Centered AI. Growing up in a Mexican household in Long Beach, California, where both of my parents only speak Spanish, I witnessed firsthand the challenges that non-English speakers face when navigating the digital world, particularly when their languages and cultures are underrepresented in technology. Those experiences shaped my passion for building technology that empowers people rather than excludes them. As we enter a new era of AI, I hope to help create more inclusive and accessible technologies that enable individuals from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds to fully participate in the digital world.”
Sandrene Sy
“I’m Sandrene and I’m a rising sophomore studying Data Science at Stanford. I grew up in Manila, Philippines, where I was surrounded by English, Filipino, and Hokkien from an early age. Living in such a linguistically diverse country exposed me to many indigenous languages that receive limited institutional support and lack of technological resources, causing many to decline as speakers shifted toward more widely-used languages. These experiences sparked my passion for language preservation and taught me that language is much more than a means of communication; it is a vital part of one’s culture and identity. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the SILICON–Unicode team this summer, where I can apply my technical skills to help make technology more inclusive for languages around the world.”
Hui Ying Yu
“My name is Hui Ying Yu, and I’m a rising junior at Stanford University studying Design on the Human Behavior + Multi-stakeholder Research track. I grew up speaking Taishanese, a language unique to the region of Guangdong, China, where my parents are from. While Taishanese has long connected me to my family and cultural heritage, it remains largely absent from many digital technologies and online spaces. That experience has shaped my interest in designing technologies that better support linguistically underrepresented communities. As our world becomes increasingly digital, I’m excited to help build inclusive digital infrastructure that ensures languages like mine will have a place in the future of tech.”