English Language Institute Notable Alumni

Notable Alumni of the English Language Institute

• During the May 1994 commencement, Ms. Satu Kujala, a valedictorian and an ELI alumnus from Finland, addressed the audience including the US President Bill Clinton.
• Ms. Larisa Aranbayeva, an ELI alumnus, was the graduate student speaker at the May 2006 Gallaudet University commencement.
• Ms. Haydee Carmen Garcia, an undergraduate valedictorian and an ELI alumnus from Cuba, addressed the audience at the May 2007 commencement.
• On May 13th, 2016 at commencement, Mr. Ardavan Guity from Iran was the undergraduate student speaker and Ms. Tong Song from China was the graduate student speaker. Both students were ELI alumni.
• Mr. Ardavan Guity, a graduate student in a combined master’s and Ph.D. program at Gallaudet University, was on the stage for the inauguration of President Roberta “”Bobbi”” J. Cordano on September 30, 2016. This is the first time that an ELI alumnus was picked to be an international representative.