I just graduated from UCLA with my Masters & moved back to DC after 2 years gone! I've lived and worked abroad in Barcelona, İstanbul, Yerevan, Los Angeles & Washington, DC. I've been actively involved with sustainable transportation projects in California and Washington, DC for businesses/schools since 2008. I just presented my capstone research for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) entitled, "Equity in Motion: Bikeshare in Low-Income Communities" (video/slides: www.slideshare.net/AyshaRyaCohen/equity-in-motion-bikeshare-in-lowincome-communities-ppt). Before grad school, I completed an Urban Development Fellowship at the Turkish Policy Center. I worked with an award winning Transportation Demand Management division. I have been a campaign organizer for the Democratic Party and the CA Public Interest Research Group & interned on Capitol Hill.

I am a Founding Member of the ''Olive Tree Initiative: Armenia-Turkey'', a university-based diplomacy program which sends an annual delegation of Armenians, Turks and Americans to directly learn from each other, politicians, scholars, journalists and business leaders who work across an often tense border. I assisted the Turkish Coalition of America's projects with Congress, academia, Native American tribes and other NGOs to foster improved business, cultural and political ties with the Turkish diaspora.

As a UROP Fellow, I worked as a lab manager, research assistant & webmaster on a grant-funded research project for the Mott Foundation on educational policy. I presented research at the Paulo Freire Institute. Under the Pearson Teacher Fellowship's guidance, I completed a 300 hour intervention program for a developmentally delayed child.

I am fluent in Spanish and proficient in Turkish. I enjoy graphic design and am proficient in the Adobe Creative Suite, Esri ArcGIS, SPSS, HTML, SketchUp & Wordpress. I completed my teacher training at the Global Language Network (GLN) in Washington, DC, and have taught classes since 2009. I've volunteered with the Disabilities Services Center & worked as a Community Event Planner for a wide variety of educational and social programs.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've hosted on CS before and keep in touch with them. They have also hosted me, so it is a nice exchange. I am currently looking to meet other couchsurfers in the city, and may be able to host depending on my roomates' preference.

Interests

Dancing (salsa, tango, forro, bachata), hiking, bicycling, art/crafts and cultural festivals.

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Favorite authors include Isabelle Allende, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Jeff Speck

Movies: Ekumenopolis: A City without Limits, Volver, Amores Perros, Ever After, Crash, Bend in Like Beckham, Pan's Labyrinth, Braveheart, Bridget Jones' Diary

Music: Tarkan, Shakira, Hozier, Karmin, Black Keys, Grup Yorum, Emir, Fado, Folk, Forro, Salsa, Bhangra, Bluegrass

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1st girl to get my black belt in Hapkido (a Korean martial art) from my instructor, Master Tae Jung! Hapkido is a great self-defense for grappling on the ground, weapons, grabs, strikes seated or standing - See: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyh4qd_fight-quest-s01-e07-hapkido_sport

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can show you some martial arts moves, cook some Turkish food, teach you some Spanish or Turkish, teach some origami (for dinner party napkins or out of dollar bills), help clean/cook

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, Turkey, United States