Meet the 2019 Team!

Brittany Garcia


Brittany Garcia is an ILR senior with minors in Latin American Studies and Spanish. During
her time at Cornell, she has focused on her work with the debate team and volunteering
with organizations that serve vulnerable populations. After graduation, she hopes to find a
job and will be applying to law schools in September. Brittany hopes to ultimately find a
career in policy.

Michelle Zhao


Michelle Zhao is a senior in the ILR School with minors in Asian American Studies and Law & Society. Her research project will look at the growing role of the ILO in Vietnamese labor relations and the potential ratification of ILO Core Convention No. 98. She enjoys reading essays and publications from all over the internet (most recently, “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life” by MLK Jr.), drinking green tea, and playing quizzes on Sporcle.


Daniel Kim


Hi! My name is Daniel Kim, and I am currently a junior in the ILR School from Okemos, MI. I am majoring in Industrial and Labor Relations and minoring in Business and Information Science. I am excited to be a part of the Vietnam program as I can understand labor relations in an export-oriented country with much of its economy relying on manufacturing. In addition, my research topic will be focusing on how technological advancements will impact labor relations within Vietnam.

Claire Ramirez


My name is Claire Ramirez and I am a sophomore in Cornell’s ILR school from Smithtown, New York. My major is Industrial and Labor Relations with intended minors in Business and Law & Society. On campus, I spend my time training as a cadet in the Army ROTC program and engaging in my social sorority.

I decided to participate in the Vietnam program to expand my knowledge of Asian labor relations, specifically due to my interest in the effect of industry and enterprise privatization in countries rooted in Socialism or Communism. I am also compelled to learn more about the dissonance between Vietnam’s progressive labor policies and the true practices used in their factories and workplaces. Additionally, I hope to expand my competence in diplomacy and cross-cultural collaboration through working with and learning from the students at Ton Duc Thang University.


Nicole Estess


Hi! My name is Nicole Estess and I am a sophomore in Cornell’s ILR school from San Diego, California.

I am intrigued by the Vietnamese labor structure and looking forward to learning more about worker management relations within it. I am particularly interested in focusing on conflict resolution among women workers and the role of different human resource practices in the global supply chain. I am excited to further engage with the TDTU students and faculty to forge new relationships.

Around campus I am involved in Cornell’s Society for Women in Business as the VP of Administration and Alumnae Affairs, the Society for Human Resource Management as a member of the executive board, and serve as the VP of Facility Operations for my social sorority. I also work as a student caller for the Cornell Annual Fund. In my free time, I enjoy running, spending time with my family and friends, and traveling.


Christopher Miller


My name is Christopher Miller and I'm a senior in the ILR School at Cornell from Chester, Connecticut. I have spent my time as an undergraduate focusing how policy and law can be leveraged in both domestic and international contexts to protect the rights of everyday, working people. I am also pursuing a minor in Italian in order to build on my passion for Italy's language and culture. On campus, I work at the Yang-Tan Institute as a student administrative assistant for the New York State Promise Project, and serve on the board of Student Management Corporation (SMC).

I chose to participate in the Vietnam Engaged Learning program in order to expand on these interests, further develop my cross-cultural competency and gain exposure to the greater Southeast Asian region. I plan on focusing my research while in Vietnam on the minimum wage policy and its impact on the country's economic competitiveness and ability to attract foreign direct investment, particularly in the garment sector.

Xavier Luna Orion Sabourin Eddy


My name is Xavier Luna Orion Sabourin Eddy and I am from a small town in rural Colorado. I'm currently a senior in the ILR school, with minors in English, the History of Capitalism, Inequality Studies, and Minority, Indigenous and Third-World Studies. My interests currently lie in Workers' Rights, Organizing, Activism, and Global Solidarity. At Cornell University, I am a lead researcher at the Office of Labor Education Research, and active in the Cornell Organization for Labor action, as well as Cornell Outdoor Education. I will be going into full-time union organizing in the spring following graduation.

I decided to participate in this Engaged Learning Trip because of my interest in cross-national solidarity and global labor struggles. I'm deeply excited to meet and learn from international students who also study labor relations. I am also very interested in the state of labor rights in Vietnam, especially in the shifting landscape around wildcat strikes and changes toward Freedom of Association. The main reason I aspire to continue my global career and studies is to demonstrate the power of solidarity, and class-consciousness, especially in a global climate that seeks to divide workers.

Paul Kim


Paul Kim is a Junior at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations studying Industrial Labor Relations and Business Administration. He is interested in conducting research in Human Resource Studies at Foreign Investment Enterprises, analyzing current issues and how businesses function within legal grounds. By expanding his knowledge on the subject, he hopes to one day go into human resource strategy and public policy to help strategize and devise solutions that is optimal for both management and labor. Paul has visited many countries in Asia, but he is especially excited to visit Vietnam because it will be the first Southeast Asian country he will visit. In his free time, he loves playing soccer, cooking classic Italian cuisine, and hiking. He looks forward to meeting new people and exploring the various opportunities that are available!