The International Student House of Washington, DC proudly hosted its 2025 Global Leadership Awards Gala on October 29, 2025, honoring distinguished leaders whose commitment to diplomacy, philanthropy, and cross-cultural understanding reflects I-House DC’s mission to foster intercultural dialogue, life-long connections, and global citizenship. Each year, proceeds from the Global Leadership Awards Gala allow us to sustain a welcoming residential community for graduate students, interns, and visiting scholars from around the world who live, learn, and lead together in the heart of Washington in pursuit of a more peaceful and prosperous world.
This year, the Gala brought together an extraordinary gathering of diplomatic and congressional leaders, philanthropists, and supporters and friends of I-House DC right here in our very own Meserve-Lloyd Mansion in Dupont Circle – the very place where our mission comes to life every day. View the 2025 Global Leadership Awards Gala event page for a full list of our sponsors and host committees.
This year’s Gala was chaired by Board Members Mr. Everett Eissenstat and Mrs. Janet Eissenstat. Serving as Honorary Diplomatic Chair was H.E. Shigeo Yamada, Ambassador of Japan, joined by Honorary Congressional Co-Chairs Senator Chris Van Hollen and Mrs. Katherine Wilkens, Board Member, and Representative Rick Larsen and Mrs. Tiia Karlén, President of the Board.
I-House DC was proud to present the 2025 Global Philanthropist Award to The Honorable Rafat “Ray” Mahmood and Mrs. Shaista Mahmood, in recognition of their enduring generosity and dedication to fostering dialogue and cooperation across borders.
“This award isn’t just for us. It belongs to every person who has supported, encouraged, and inspired us along the way, our family, our friends, our colleagues, and the incredible community that believes in the power of kindness and compassion. This confirms that when people come together with open hearts, change truly happens.” – Mrs. Shaista Mahmood
2. Tiia Karlén, Shaista Mahmood, Senator Mark Warner, The Honorable Rafat “Ray” Mahmood, and Lynda Webster
3. Stephenie Foster, Katherine Wilkens, Grace Li, Representative Rick Larsen, Natalie Castellanos, Senator Chris Van Hollen, and guest of the event
A Cocktail Reception in the Garden kicked off the night, with Tiia Karlén, Honorary Congressional Co-Chair and President of the Board, welcoming guests and introducing Resident speaker, Bharat Sharma from India, who is pursuing a Master of Arts in International Relations at Johns Hopkins SAIS.
“At I-House, I have been roommates with a German from Munich, a red-blooded Texan, and a Senegalese from Dakar, and have had the privilege to dine — almost every other day — with a Ukrainian, a Serbian, an Afghan from Kabul, and a Vietnamese. And let me remind you that my fellow scholars carry culture, history, and life experiences that I — someone from Delhi — would probably never know if I was still living 75 hundred miles away in South Asia … And, really, if I could sum up I-House in one line — It’s where my overpriced international relations degree from the School of Advanced International Studies starts making sense and stops being theoretical – because at I-House, the people from Kyiv, Kashmir, and Kabul are people I eat breakfast with, not read about.” – Bharat Sharma
The night continued with dinner in various rooms throughout the Mansion — the Dining Hall, Library, Study, and Ella Burling “Great Hall” — creating a unique and intimate experience as Residents and Board Members spoke of their time with I-House DC and the mission its embodied for nearly 90 years.
An International Dessert Reception closed out the evening with remarks by Daniel Bremer-Wirtig, Executive Director, who gave thanks to those who made the 2025 Gala happen — our Chairs, Awardees, Honorees, Partners, and Sponsors, along with those who joined the Diplomatic, Congressional, and Host Committees, those who purchased individual tickets, our vendors, and the I-House team.
“It is my absolute privilege and pleasure to do this work … This work is critical. We need your committed support – we need it early, and we need it often. We need your help to sustain this mission and this House,” he stated. “I invite you to return to this evening and let it fill you with hope. This is what we do in this place — we bring hope to the world by empowering the young leaders of tomorrow.” – Daniel Bremer-Wirtig, Executive Director
