Alumni , California State University Monterey Bay , Diversity and Inclusion , East Asia and the Pacific , Malaysia
Flashback to almost a half year ago, when I was sitting in the LGBTQ safe zone training class at California State University Monterey Bay. I saw people coming from different walks of life, but mainly young people coming together to learn about the LGBTQ community. But suddenly there’s an elderly man. He drags a chair and joins the class. To …
Alumni , East Asia and the Pacific , Myanmar , Saginaw Valley State University
My life was amazed amidst love and enthusiasm of students. Sharing an experience about a journey to a foreign country is a hot subject for students and youth in Myanmar. From a semester in a U.S. university, which lasted nearly four months, I learned a lot about the culture and the educational system of U.S. and gained many experiences to …
East Asia and the Pacific , Eurasia , Experiencing America , Latin America and the Caribbean , Middle East and North Africa , South Asia , Sub-Saharan Africa
Each year, it’s always an exciting and bittersweet time when we welcome the academic semester Global UGRAD participants to Washington, DC for our End of Program Workshop (for social media fans, #EoPinDC). This fall, from November 19th-22nd, 114 participants converged on our nation’s capital for three unforgettable days of learning, leadership, and camaraderie – and a whole lot of fun along …
Alumni , Bahrain , Bangladesh , Central Asia , Costa Rica , Georgia , Laos , Lebanon , Maryville College , Mauritania , Minnesota State University - Mankato , Tajikistan , University of Connecticut
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 …
Academics , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Carroll College , East Asia and the Pacific , Endicott College , Eurasia , Grand Valley State University , Honduras , Israel , Latin America and the Caribbean , Malaysia , Middle East and North Africa , Mississippi College , Mozambique , Panama , St. Catherine University , Sub-Saharan Africa , University of Minnesota Twin Cities , Zimbabwe
National Book Month may be over, but reading suggestions from our current participants and alumni are not! Check out what the Global UGRADs are into this month: Sibongile Hokonya (Zimbabwe), Carroll College, Global UGRAD 2017-18 Concrete Economics by J. Bradford DeLong and Stephen S. Cohen My room was very warm today and so I decided to sit outside and enjoy the cool …
Alumni , Philippines , Utica College , Venezuala
Christine Catindig, Philippines, Utica College, Global UGRAD 2016-2017 While it is true that the Global UGRAD Program helps its participants answer their questions about the world, the uniqueness of the program also lies in its ability to encourage and influence students to dare ask themselves challenging questions such as “What can we do to serve others?” The arTEA Project is …
Academics , Alumni , California State University - San Marcos , Central Asia , Guatemala , India , Latin America and the Caribbean , South Asia , St. Catherine University , Thailand , Uzbekistan
Happy National Book Month! We hope you’ll find time to cozy up with a book, maybe a blanket, and a hot beverage. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your booklist, our Global UGRAD participants and alumni are here to tell you which books they’re reading. Thongdee Thanyalak (Thailand), St. Catherine University, Global UGRAD 2017-18 God’s Bits of Wood – Ousmane Sembène This is …
Castleton University , China , Community Service , East Asia and the Pacific , Israel , Middle East and North Africa
The Global UGRAD students complete a minimum of 20 hours community service during their academic semester in the United States. While many are just beginning to think about how they’d like to spend their time volunteering, others have already started! Here is Aarif Badarny’s (Israel) account of his first experience doing community service near his host campus, Castleton University. On …
Albania , Alumni , American University , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Burma , Carroll College , Central Asia , Chatham University , Costa Rica , East Asia and the Pacific , East Tennessee State University , Egypt , Eurasia , Fairleigh Dickinson University , Florida Gulf Coast University , Haiti , India , Juniata College , Kansas State University , Kent State University , Kenya , Kyrgyzstan , Latin America and the Caribbean , Lewis-Clark State College , Lincoln University , Macedonia , Maryville College , Middle East and North Africa , Minnesota State University - Mankato , Nepal , North Dakota State University , Palestinian Territories , Paraguay , Philippines , Presbyterian College , Professional Development , Saginaw Valley State University , Tajikistan , University of Minnesota Twin Cities , University of Missouri , University of New Hampshire , University of Wyoming , Utica College , Vietnam
One of our favorite sayings is “Once a UGRAD, always a UGRAD”. Even when the U.S. portion of the Global UGRAD experience is over, alumni are always a part of this big and talented family of impact. The lessons learned and knowledge gained during the exchange live on as alumni share their stories and dedicate efforts to shine brightly in …
Alumni , Community Service , East Asia and the Pacific , Humboldt State University , Indonesia , University of Utah
Rizki Permatasari, Global UGRAD 2013-2014 , University of Utah When I reflect back on the three years since I have returned home, it is really amazing to see where life has taken me after Global UGRAD. I have taken several jobs, graduated, and participated in various volunteering activities. Since late 2014, I have been working as a part-time TOEFL instructor at …