Five Columbia GS students have been selected for the Columbia IGP Student Scholars Program. Chosen from an applicant pool of hundreds, these five scholars will join peers from Columbia’s other undergraduate colleges, Columbia Law School, and Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) for extensive academic and networking programming related to addressing the most pressing global challenges of our time.
Elyse Demkiw ‘26GS is a student in the Dual BA Program with Sciences Po majoring in economics with a focus on the Middle East and Mediterranean. Demkiw, who grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine, has done significant work related to Ukrainian economic health and recovery, including working at an early-stage fund mandated by the Ukrainian government, serving as an intern at leading U.S.-Ukraine nonprofit Razom, and recently returning to Ukraine to work on attracting crucial foreign investments into Ukrainian ecosystems in the midst of war.
Hunter Doradea ’26GS is double majoring in computer science and film studies. A professional model and fencer on the Salvadoran National Team, Doradea is also a fellow with Equality California’s Leadership Academy, a Future Nobel Laureate Scholar, and a student fellow with the Trust Collaboratory, where he does work related to bridging political divides on campuses and addressing the impact of ICE raids in Los Angeles. Doradea currently serves as an assistant for Secretary Hillary Clinton and SIPA Dean and GS alumna Keren Yarhi-Milo’s co-taught course “Inside the Situation Room.” Long term, Doradea hopes to return to California and run for political office.
Garrett Gregor-Splaver ‘26GS is majoring in mathematics and has been extensively involved in GS student government, including serving on the General Studies Student Council (GSSC) as senior class president and senior class treasurer. For his leadership, he has been honored multiple times at the Student Leadership Awards, including with a Spirit Award and multiple Service Awards.
Sofia Houir ‘26GS is a student in the Dual Ba Program with Sciences Po majoring in political science with a focus on near and Middle Eastern studies. Born and raised in France in a Moroccan family, Houir is especially interested in political and social dynamics between Europe and the MENA region. At Sciences Po, Houir worked with a local refugee organization as a French teacher, and at Columbia, she served on the Undergraduate Committee on Global Thought. Houir recently studied Arabic at the Qasid Arabic Institute in Amman, Jordan and is currently an intern at a Permanent Delegation to the United Nations.
Tooli Shariah ‘26GS is double majoring in human rights and Middle Eastern studies. Prior to coming to GS, Shariah earned her associate degree from the Community College of Philadelphia and worked in early childhood education. A 2024-25 Oslo Scholar, she launched the Lunch with Strangers initiative at Columbia to foster cross-cultural dialogues. Shariah draws on her Bedouin heritage to advocate for indigenous rights and gender justice, including working with grassroots women’s cooperatives in Jordan, supporting Syrian refugee women in launching businesses rooted in traditional skills, and collaborating with historians to shed light on Ottoman-era records connected to Bedouin heritage.
Congratulations to all of our Columbia GS IGP Student Scholars!
