ISS is available virtually and in-person Mondays-Fridays during business hours.
For Information about the Mastercard Scholars Foundation Program, please visit their team here.
Meet the ISS Team
Sarah Kalisa
Director, ISS and MCF Scholars Program
A first-generation student from Rwanda who studied in Canada, Sarah understands the challenges of beginning an academic journey far from home. Sarah is dedicated to ensuring that every international student feels seen, heard, and valued throughout their academic journey.
Leading the ISS team, Sarah is committed to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for all international students.
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Anastasia Koutouzov
Associate Director
Ana oversees Immigration and International Health Insurance portfolios.听She also provides advice on temporary resident documents.听
Ana began working at McGill in 2005 and completed听a Bachelor of Commerce at 香蕉视频.
She loves learning and growing as a person. She听loves her job because she gets to work every day with a unique, dynamic and most knowledgeable team that inspires her to be a better individual. And she also enjoys meeting with the most diverse international student population from over 150 countries.
Ana听hopes to empower students with essential tools and key information which will contribute to their academic success and well-being.听Ana deeply cares about the health and well-being of every individual. She lives by the following saying: 鈥渋f we cannot be clever, we can always be kind鈥�, by Alfred Fripp.
Immigration Advisors
Melissa Paulmier
Team Leader, Immigration Advisor
Melissa's passions for human and animal rights and environmental justice reflect throughout her career.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Law from Universit茅 de Montr茅al, as well as a Bachelor听of Science from 香蕉视频.
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Nicole Duong听
Immigration Advisor
Nicole is also committed to collaborating with colleagues in advocating for internal and external policy changes that will benefit students, staff, and their family members.
Before joining ISS, Nicole taught middle school in Philadelphia, did literacy development work in Kingston, Jamaica, and articled and worked as a staff lawyer with Legal Aid Ontario.
Christopher Haber
Immigration Advisor
Chris is a McGill Graduate, has worked at the IRCC Call Centre and is in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council.
Chris is also happy to have welcomed a new baby in Spring, 2019.
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Alice (Xiao Yuan) Nie
Immigration Advisor
Since 2004, out of the desire to emigrate to Canada one day herself, Alice joined an immigration firm which focuses on helping clients come to Canada through various Canadian provincial programs.
Her passion for international education led her to work for an International Baccalaureate school and later for Cambridge University, supporting schools offering Cambridge A-level curriculum.
Since 2017, Alice has become a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant serving international students in education and immigration matters.
Evangelea Toufexis
Immigration Associate
Since joining the team in 2017, Evangelea enjoys receiving useful travel tips from our international student body.
In 2022, Evangelea became a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and now advises our international students on immigration and health insurance matters.
In addition to her love for travelling, Evangelea enjoys culinary gifts from her Greek and Irish heritage, and completed a BA in Psychology from Concordia University in 2015.
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Programming
Emily Love
Manager, International Student Development and Communications
After a decade of work serving international students in the United States, Emily has returned to McGill where she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees.
In her role at ISS, Emily will organize events such as International Student Orientation and the International Buddy Program. She will also lead the team鈥檚 outreach and communications to students through social media, a monthly newsletter, the website and email.
Emily tends to travel to places that begin with the letter P. For instance, she has travelled to Panama, Peru, Paris, Provence, and would soon like to visit Poland.
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Local Wellness Advisor
Jos Porter (On leave until Spring 2025)
Wellness Advisor
As the Local Wellness Advisor for international students, Jos is an extension of the Student Wellness Hub. Her role is to provide tailored programming and individual sessions to international students in an effort to support their wellbeing while studying at McGill.
If you would like to meet with Jos for an individual session, you can book an appointment听with her.
As a licensed Social Worker, Jos brings over a decade of experience working in hospital and community health settings. She is passionate about social justice, human rights, healthcare access, and crosswords.
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Administrative Team
Daniela Marinelli
Service Representative
Daniela is responsible for front-line duties. She receives and responds to immigration inquiries as well as International Health Insurance injuries and requests.
She is a big foodie and enjoys watching movies on her spare time. She has also completed a BA in Psychology and Sociology at Concordia University, as well as a Secretarial Studies vocational diploma.
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Vittoria Gioia
Service Representative
Vittoria has completed her bachelor鈥檚 degree in Psychology at Concordia University. She loves travelling, animals and yoga.
She is responsible for frontline duties, such as responding to phone calls, emails, and scheduling appointments.
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Ashlee Gonsalves
Service Representative
Ashlee was thrilled to join the International Student Services team and move to Montr茅al in May 2023. She works alongside the other frontline staff as a point of contact for students, parents, and other McGill community members.
Before joining ISS, Ashlee completed a bachelor's degree in biology and has worked as an anatomical dissector, a forensic lab tech, and an assistant florist.
Samantha Parasuco
Senior Administrative Coordinator
Samantha is a born Montrealer who has been working at McGill since 2012. 听
She is responsible for the administration of the international student health insurance plan and the smooth running of ISS administrative logistics.
Sam is also a hairstylist when she has the time and she loves dogs.
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