Student Alumni Profile: Ria Mandal
The La Cañada Flintridge Sister Cities Exchange Program Inspires Ria Mandal's Global Health Journey
In an increasingly interconnected world, the power of international exchange programs continues to reveal itself in deeply personal and profoundly impactful ways. For Ria Mandal, a graduate of La Cañada High School and a 2023 La Cañada Flintridge Sister Cities exchange student, a formative summer in Spain has come full circle—blossoming into a global health initiative that now carries her back across the Atlantic with purpose and vision.
Ria first traveled to Spain in the summer of 2023 as part of La Cañada Flintridge Sister Cities’ student exchange program, spending time in Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain. Like many exchange students, she returned home with cherished memories, cross-cultural friendships, and a broadened worldview. But for Ria, the experience planted something deeper: a commitment to global connection and a growing awareness of health disparities that transcend borders.
Now a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ria is pursuing an academic path that weaves together public health, nutrition, and entrepreneurship. Her interdisciplinary focus reflects a drive to create meaningful change. That drive has culminated in a remarkable achievement—Ria has been awarded a fully funded fellowship through UNC to return to Spain and implement a custom-designed health and nutrition curriculum.
This summer, Ria’s journey will begin once again in Villanueva de la Cañada, where people she met through Sister Cities, particularly Randa Sayegh Hamati and her host family in Villanueva de la Cañada, will connect her with Spanish college students and elementary school students in the city’s Complemento de Verano Program. There, Ria will pilot her curriculum, drawing on her academic training and earlier experience as an exchange student.
From there, Ria will travel to Madrid, where her work will expand to underserved communities. Her curriculum is designed not only to educate children about nutrition but also to empower them with practical knowledge that can improve long-term health outcomes. It is a hands-on, culturally responsive approach—one that reflects Ria’s deep care for children and her belief that education is one of the most powerful tools for equity.
Ria’s long-term aspirations are equally inspiring. She plans to pursue a career in medicine, specializing in pediatrics, while continuing to develop nonprofit initiatives focused on health education.
What makes Ria’s story especially compelling is how clearly it illustrates the lasting value of Sister Cities programs. What began as a cultural exchange has evolved into a sustained partnership, one that supports not only friendship between communities but also collaborative solutions to global challenges. Through her experience, Ria developed a commitment to reducing health inequities through research and education—a mission that now defines her academic and professional trajectory.
In many ways, Ria Mandel embodies the very best of what international partnerships can achieve. Her journey reminds us that when young people are given the opportunity to connect across cultures, they don’t just grow—they give back, often in ways that ripple far beyond what anyone could have imagined.
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