From Where I Stand: December 2020 Edition

From Where I Stand: December 2020 Edition

Augusto Barón, Honduras, West Virginia University, Global UGRAD 2017-2018 Back when I returned to my country, I was just in time to retake my university duties. Quite literally, the next day after my landing I was in a health clinic working. Back to the old grind, but with fresh perspectives on what I could do and would do. A mindset …

Making Connections Through Religion  

Making Connections Through Religion  

Doni Rizki Akbar, Indonesia, Indiana State University: I have two local families around my campus who really care about me. One family is Muslim and the other is Christian, and they are both like my host families. The first is the Alam family. They are a Bangladeshi-American family who have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years. There …

Celebrating the Lunar New Year Across the U.S.!

Celebrating the Lunar New Year Across the U.S.!

Zihan Xu, China, Emporia State University: The year of the pig in the lunar calendar has just come. This is my first time spending the Spring Festival away from family and friends. The Spring Festival is the most important festival for Chinese people. This is when families reunite to enjoy meals and conversations. No matter how far people are from their …

Experiencing America: Thanksgiving

Experiencing America: Thanksgiving

This semester’s Global UGRAD students had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with their host communities, gathering with other international students as well as with American families. Enjoy these reflections by the Global UGRAD participants on their Thanksgiving experiences! Souksavanh Vongthongchit, Laos, St. Ambrose University “Thanksgiving is a special U.S. holiday when American people take this time to show thanks for …

Inclusion on Campus

Inclusion on Campus

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 …

Global UGRAD Fall 2017 University Site Visits

Global UGRAD Fall 2017 University Site Visits

This October, Will O’Roark had the opportunity to travel to the University of Connecticut – a new partner on the Global UGRAD Program. UConn is the largest university in the state and is home to over 23,000 students. The university is proud of its strong engineering program and its nationally recognized women’s and men’s basketball programs. In addition to meeting with university administrators and staff in the …

Through the Eyes of Our Roommates

The Global UGRAD Program is a transformative experience not only for its participants, but also for their roommates. Read on to learn more about how living with a Global UGRAD has impacted their lives! The roommate of Be Moua, Lewis-Clark State College: Be and I have been roommates for about eight months. Be is from Laos, and I am from Grangeville, Idaho. I …