Alumni , American University , Guatemala , Latin America and the Caribbean , Professional Development
From the moment I started my first class at American University, to the time we took the stage at the End of Program Summit in DC, and through my very last community service hour I felt this amazing experience made me grow both personally and professionally. Of course coming back to Guatemala was nerve-racking and I have to say it …
Alumni , Fairleigh Dickinson University , Mozambique , Professional Development , Sub-Saharan Africa
Life can sometimes feel like a fight. From time to time we’re faced with punches, kicks, fish hooks or jabs, that come in the form of challenges, obstacles, and sometimes failures. Growing up in a low-income country, I made myself through education in our public schools, in a classroom with over 60 classmates, sometimes sitting on the floor or sharing …
Academic Exchange , Academics , american connections , American Host Institutions , Bangladesh , Career , Florida Gulf Coast University , Professional Development , South Asia
While studying Disaster Science & Management and as a Global UGRAD student at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) this past semester, I had the amazing opportunity to present my research paper at the American Geophysical Union Conference 2018 in Washington, DC. I was requested to present at the largest geophysical conference where people from all over the world gather to …
Alumni , East Asia and the Pacific , Philippines , Professional Development , Utica College
A Full Circle: Two Years of Paying it Forward Two years have passed since I received the Global UGRAD award from the Philippine Fulbright Commission and, although perhaps cliché, the program changed my life. In my opinion, Global UGRAD is unique because it is holistic. In addition to experiencing the rigor of U.S. coursework and the diversity of American culture, …
Academic Exchange , Academics , american connections , American Host Institutions , Bangladesh , Career , Fayetteville University , Professional Development , South Asia
“Coming-out stories are always fascinating to listen to, but unfortunately I don’t have a gratifying coming out story to tell. I haven’t come out to my parents yet. I don’t know when I will.” I paused and took a deep breath. In a big hall, I was speaking in front of over 30 people. I had never been a speaker …
Career , El Salvador , Professional Development , University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
As an exchange student of International Relations (IR) at University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire (UWEC), I decided to get involved with any possible organizations both on and off campus that could enrich my educational background and shape my professional path in IR. For that, I decided to join the Model United Nations Club, having taken a related course about International Organizations at …
Academic Exchange , Academics , American Host Institutions , Burma , Career , China , East Asia and the Pacific , Iowa Wesleyan University , Kent State University , Professional Development , The U.S. Perspective
As we wrap up the semester, Global UGRAD students reflect on their experiences exploring new subjects! Khin Oo, Burma, Iowa Wesleyan University Even though my major is Business, I have been very interested in art since I was little. I also had a dream of studying art abroad. The Global UGRAD Program finally fulfilled this dream. At Iowa Wesleyan University, …
Albania , Alumni , Career , Eurasia
Once a UGRAD, always a UGRAD! On 20th of October, Albanian Global UGRAD alumni organized a meet-up. Although we have been talking with each other constantly, it was the first time that all of us, two generations (2016-17, 2017-18) of Global UGRADs in Albania, came together to share our own experiences in the U.S. We found many similarities in our …
Academic Exchange , Academics , Augustana University , California State University - San Marcos , Career , Carroll College , Guatemala , Haiti , Laos , Palestinian Territories , Philippines , Professional Development , The U.S. Perspective , West Virginia University , Wright State University
To be an effective leader, it is important to challenge one’s assumptions of others and create spaces where traditionally silenced groups are given an opportunity to be heard. As part of World Learning’s Global UGRAD OPAL course module “Beyond Tolerance: Inclusion and Diversity Practices,” students were requested to attend an event or club meeting that serves as a space for …
Academic Exchange , Alumni , Kazakhstan , Professional Development , University of Arkansas
While I had been studying at the University of Arkansas in Spring 2018, my friends from Kazakhstan invited me to participate in “Student Energy Challenge – 2018” sponsored by Shell within the framework of the World Petroleum Meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan on October 2-3, 2018. Our aim was to scientifically and economically develop the solution to current ecological problems of …