Florida Institute of Technology

Terry Aking

Teri is a graduate student from Trinidad and Tobago. She’s just completed her first year in the environmental resource management program. She enjoys traveling, swimming, reading and has recently taken up piano.

Linda Condon

Linda is from New Jersey but now lives in Melbourne. She joined the program last year and has already been host to many students and is looking forward to meeting more people from around the world. She has hosted many a student for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thilina Fernando

Thilina is an undergrad mechanical engineering major from Colombo, Sri Lanka. He loves meeting new people, reading, tinkering with gadgets, Apple computers, languages and to travel when possible. He is one of six editors of the college newspaper, a Student Ambassador and former diplomat. Thilina is fluent in English, Sinhala and knows bits and pieces of French. Additionally, he is also trying to learn to speak Mandarin.

Kleber Garcia

Kleber is an undergrad computer science major from Ecuador. He spends his days programming, animating and playing the flute. Kleber loves meeting people and speaks fluent Spanish and JAVA. In addition to being in the friendship program, Kleber is a diplomat and performed at the International Festival.

Kevin and Jessica Hake

Kevin and Jessica have been living in Melbourne for 30 years. Kevin is an engineer and Jessica is a tax consultant. When they are not engineering or tax consulting, they enjoy meeting people from different cultures.

They are heavily involved with the ISSS and are frequent participants in many of the events.

Daniel Hedman

Daniel is a graduate from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and is originally from Washington state. In his spare time, this mechanical engineer enjoys playing board games, reading, exploring nature, soccer, coffee shops and trying new foods. Daniel is also very good with the guitar.

Jing Zhu

Jing is a doctorate student from Shanghai, China, majoring in marine biology. When she is not busy with her research, Jing loves meeting new people, traveling, animals, photography and painting. She is the vice president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association and was a former diplomat. She is fluent in Mandarin and English.

Ron Lorusso

Ron (pictured with his wife and son) has been working at Florida Tech with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship since 2002. He graduated with a degree in cellular and molecular biology from UWF in 1999. Whether with his family or with Florida Tech students, he enjoys soccer, surfing, biking, guitar and much more than can be listed in this space.