Alumni Update – Venezuela: Peace and Conflict Resolution

Emmanuel Davalillo Hidalgo, Global UGRAD 2013-2014, Venezuela After heading back home and finishing my degree in Political Science at the Universidad del Zulia in western Venezuela, I faced that burning question so many of us recent graduates face: “Well… Now what?” Only one thing seemed certain: I was not done learning. I first discovered the field of peace and conflict …

End of Program Workshop

The Global UGRAD team hosted an unforgettable End of Program Workshop from November 16-19th in Washington, D.C. for all fall academic semester participants. The workshop included professional development workshops on themes like personal branding, advocacy, inclusion, and public speaking. This was the first time the 122 participants had the chance to meet their Global UGRAD peers from all over the world, …

Farewell to a Fantastic Fall Semester

The end of the fall semester is upon us and as always, the Global UGRAD team at World Learning is immensely impressed by the talent, drive, and kindness of our participants. For many, this semester marked firsts, both serious and silly – the first time attending a college football game, the first time seeing snow, the first time experiencing Thanksgiving, the first …

Thanksgiving 2016

Global UGRAD students who spent the fall semester at their U.S. host institutions had the opportunity to experience the Thanksgiving holiday. Some spent the day having a traditional meal with friends, friendship families, or classmates. Others took the opportunity to travel to U.S. cities or sites outside their host communities. All expressed their thanks for the Global UGRAD Program and all …

Global UGRAD 17-18 Application Update

There are currently over 16,000 open applications for the 2017-2018 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program! Keep ’em coming, but more importantly, make sure to complete your application and encourage your friends to complete theirs. They are due December 31st at 5pm Eastern Standard Time. As any Global UGRAD alumni or current student would tell you, it can be hard to find the motivation …

Hello From Kyrgyzstan!

On the 26th of November, a group of Kyrgyzstan Global UGRAD alumni from 2015-16 held a workshop for applicants who wanted to gain information in order to be eligible to participate in the Global UGRAD Program. More than one hundred excited students attended this session. The keynote speech was given by 2011-12 UGRAD alum Batyr Shabdanov, who inspired many in the …

My Newest Hero

Erisa Murati, Albania, Kansas State University My last but most significant volunteering experience was on Saturday, December 3rd at the Lighthouse Clothes Closet and Food Pantry center, which offers free clothes and food packages for people in need. My responsibilities there were almost the same as the ones at Encore Shop, organizing food on the shelves, cleaning the food pantry, checking and picking up …

Google+/YouTube Live Sessions

On Tuesday, December 6th, the Global UGRAD team hosted two Google+/YouTube Live Information Sessions for incoming spring participants. These sessions are an invaluable opportunity to make virtual introductions, explain the program in greater depth, and answer any last-minute participant questions prior to January arrivals. The most common themes throughout the discussions were: tips for international travel; what to expect at your host …

End-of-Program Workshop speeches

Christine Grace Catindig, Utica College A blessed evening to all of you! I’m Christine Grace, a Communication student at University of the Philippines and Utica College, New York, and it’s a pleasure to be one of the student speakers this evening. Even my most heartfelt words cannot express how thankful I am to the representatives of the U.S. Department of …