Advisory Board

Started in 2003, the OU Cousins Advisory Board is the programming body for the OU Cousins Program. This group is made of International and American students who have participated in Cousins or have an interest in international experiences and want to help make the program great for other students. They help to plan and execute all OU Cousins programs as well as provide insight on the program and support for OU Cousins matches.

OU Cousin Advisory Board members attend bi-weekly meetings to help plan and present programs for all OU Cousins to enjoy.

If you are interested in joining the OU Cousins Advisory Board, please email us at oucousins@ou.edu! We would be excited to have you!

Meet our Advisory Board Members

Gracie Silver

Where I call home: Detroit, Michigan

Major: International Business & Acccounting

Minor: Mandarin

OU Cousins Member: 3 years

Hi everybody! My name is Gracie Silver. I am a currently a junior at OU. The first organization I joined as a freshman was OU Cousins. I loved the idea of meeting people from across the world and getting to interact with new cultures. I never thought I would meet one of my best friends through OU Cousins. Now, I'm blessed with a best friend who lives in Japan. From OU Cousins, I realized how important it is to make international friends. It truly changes the way you see the world. I am so excited for you to experience this organization the way I have. It truly is an organization like no other!

Willow Arana

Where I call home: Norman, OK

Major/Minor: Industrial and Systems Engineering Analytics with a minor in Spanish

OU Cousins Member: 3 years

Hey everyone! My name is Willow Arana. I was born in Norman, OK, and have lived here all of my life. Having grown up surrounded by the OU community, I always knew that OU was the perfect place for me to attend college. Currently, I am a junior here at OU. I have always had a passion for learning about other cultures and expanding my perspectives. OU Cousins has enabled me to fuel that passion while supporting the international community at OU. My favorite memory with this program was showing my OU Cousin, Sakura, how to make a s’more at one of the first events of the year: s’mores night. She had never had one before, and it was fun to get to show her something new. We laughed together when her first one burned, but nevertheless, enjoyed the sweet taste of marshmallow and chocolate. I hope you have a wonderful experience with OU cousins, filled with laughter, learning, and new perspectives!

Eloisa Luzuriaga

Where I call home: Ecuador and Oklahoma

Major: International Business and Marketing

Years in OU Cousins: 3

Hi everyone! My name is Eloisa Luzuriaga I am from Ecuador and I moved to Oklahoma when I was 12. I joined OU cousins during my senior year because I wanted to meet more people from different cultures. One of my favorite memories I have from OU cousins was the matching party. I ended up matching with someone from Ecuador which was amazing since there is not a lot of Ecuadorians in Oklahoma! One fun fact about is that I love eating and I have tried so many different foods from so many countries. I just became part of the advisory board and I am so excited to be part of this amazing organization and can’t wait to see what this year is going to bring.

Launy Ohanina

Where I call home: France

Major: Master's Degree in Engineering Physics

Years in OU Cousins: 1 semester

Hello everyone! My name is Launy Ohanina and I'm from France. I just arrived in the United States in January 2021 for my master's degree and OU Cousins is the first organization that caught my attention. I like it because it connects people from the US with people from all over the world to help them adapt to the American life and make new friends.

I love meeting people from different cultures and learning new things. For example, I didn't know what s'mores were and it was great to meet people who taught me how to make them because they are delicious!

I also love organizing events, so being on the advisory board allows me to do that for the international community.

Aiden Smoot

Where I call home: Tulsa and Norman

Major: Computer Science

Years in OU Cousins: 2 years

Hey, my name is Aiden and I am from Tulsa, Oklahoma. One of my favorites hobbies is traveling, not only across the United States but also abroad. I have gone on a cruise to Mexico and Jamaica but, in high school I also studied abroad in Switzerland and Italy. I believe my passion for travel made me want to experience not only the sights, but also the culture, and people behind them. My favorite moment with OU Cousins so far would be going to Hey Day with my cousin and getting to bowl, play mini golf, and compete in a game of laser tag with him. OU Cousins has been a blast and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to make some new friends or experience new cultures in a unique and fun way.

Mohammed Alajmi

Where I call home: Oman

Major: Petroleum Engineering

Years in OU Cousins: 2 years

Hello everyone! My name is Mohammed Alajmi and I am from Oman. I moved to Oklahoma in January 2019. I joined OU Cousins during my freshman year and currently, I am a junior at OU. Meeting people from all around the world seemed to be an attractive idea for me, I always had the curiosity of getting to know about other cultures and traditions, so, OU Cousins was the best place for me. I'm blessed that I have made a lot of great friendships thru OU Cousins. My favorite moments with OU Cousins have always been going on hiking trips with such great people. OU Cousins was the perfect place for me on the campus and I would highly recommend it for every student whether you are an international or domestic student