Halloween Costume Contest Winners

The Global UGRAD team recently concluded our annual Halloween costume contest. Participants around the country sent us their best Halloween photos, placing them in the following categories for judging: Funniest Costume Scariest Costume Most Original Costume Best Ensemble Costume In addition, we also chose two “Staff Favorite” photos that we thought were great submissions but did not fit any particular category. We received so …

Fall Semester Site Visits

On October 20 and 21, World Learning Program Officer Will O’Roark had the opportunity to visit two of our host institution partners in Upstate New York. First on his travels, he spent time on campus at Keuka College, one of the newest universities on the Global UGRAD Program. While on campus, Will met with Sony Xang, the Assistant Director of Global …

Democracy in Action

Gulzari Tursunova, Kyrgyzstan, Mercyhurst University Fired up! Ready to go!!! Who came to the USA for fall semester during a presidential election period majoring in Political Science? Yeah…that’s me, the luckiest person in the world! Carpe diem! I’m doing everything to fulfill my time here. The USA and democracy are intertwined. All I wanted during my fall semester was to …

A Helping Hand

Melvin Enmanuel Cruz Molina, Honduras, Global UGRAD 2015-16, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Melvin had a successful exchange experience in the United States. He got good grades, made good friends, and experienced a wide breadth of what the U.S. has to offer. However, it was one class in particular that changed Melvin’s life: 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing. In this …

World Learning Presents at NAFSA

NAFSA: Association of International Educators held its annual conference for Region II in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the beginning of November. These conferences provide opportunities for institutions in the region to connect and learn from one another about the trends in international students and study abroad. The sessions this year ranged from Increasing Study Abroad Enrollment through New Marketing Practices …

Alumni Update: India

Daud Arif, NESA UGRAD 2014-2015, Wayne State University The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others – Mahatma Gandhi I always wondered what the above saying actually meant until I actually got a taste of it. During my time on the NESA UGRAD Program I got involved in various community service activities through …

An Update from Moldova – Ion Mocan

Hello, everyone! I send you warm greetings on behalf of Moldovan Alumni: Alina Gisca, Mihai Revenco and Angelica Petrov and myself, Ion Mocan. Six months ago, I came back from the States. In the beginning it was a struggle to adapt again to my country, to places and people.  I am working in a digital agency company and studying at …

Experiencing Community Work

Vanja Petkovic, Serbia, Global UGRAD 2016-2017 As a Global UGRAD participant I have a chance to spend one semester studying at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. Without exaggeration, I can easily say that this is the best experience that I have had in my life so far. Not just that I have a chance to attend one of the most …

Preview: End of Program Workshop

  On November 16th, 122 Global UGRAD participants will arrive in Washington, DC to enjoy three days packed full of programming to prepare them for their return home. The focus of this semester’s End-of-Program Workshop will be professional development, leadership, action planning, and alumni opportunities. Students will attend their choice of concurrent sessions, presented by professionals and experts in their fields, on topics …

Global UGRAD 17-18 Application NOW OPEN!

Know anyone who is interested in participating in the Global UGRAD Program? We are now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 program year. For more information and to apply, please visit our website. The application closes on December 31, 2016. In a recent Global Gazette article, alumni provided some advice that they had for completing the application. Check out what they …