Hello everyone! I’m Guisselle Celis, a Global UGRAD alumna from Nicaragua. During my Global UGRAD experience, I was lucky enough to attend Presbyterian College during the 2019 spring semester in South Carolina. I still can remember the day I received the email confirming that I had been selected as one of the program’s recipients, and I don’t think I’ve ever …
Academic Exchange , Academics , Africa , Alumni , American Host Institutions , Career , Community Service , Experiencing America , Professional Development , Sub-Saharan Africa , University of Montevallo , Zimbabwe
Hi all, I’m Leonard Mushunje, a Fall 2021 Global UGRAD student from Zimbabwe. I recently graduated from Midlands State University with a distinction in Mathematics and Statistics. When I was selected as a Global UGRAD finalist and was placed at the University of Montevallo in Alabama, I had mixed feelings. On reflection, being a Global UGRAD student was one of …
That moment when you get an article request from World Learning, you not only get to reflect on how far you have come over the past few years, but also get to delightfully remind yourself how you are “Once a UGRAD, always a UGRAD.” After getting my degree in Seoul, I moved back to the United States to work …
Alumni , Career , Latin America and the Caribbean , Panama
With the kickoff of the first Summit for Democracy this week, the U.S. Department of State and World Learning are celebrating human rights and democracy this December. We checked in with Global UGRAD alumnus Edison Broce who sees and practices democracy in action every day as a Member of Parliament in Panama. Edison elaborates on why democracy and human rights …
Alumni , Career , Latin America and the Caribbean , Nicaragua , Old Dominion University
One Career, Multiple Paths The Global UGRAD Program boosted my confidence and helped me to open up to multiple possibilities. My experience abroad made me realize how flexible my skills and abilities are, and I became aware of the value of adapting to different environments. After my Global UGRAD experience, I started to feel braver to explore beyond one strict …
Academic Exchange , Alumni , Grand Valley State University , Ukraine
It is December 2020, I am at my home in a small Ukrainian town called Kamianets-Podilskyi. It is hard to believe that almost one year ago I was studying in the United States of America. There are a few maps in my room from my campus in Allendale, Michigan, a Global UGRAD Post sheet, and some posters from Grand Valley …
Academic Exchange , Alumni , Boise State , Latin America and the Caribbean , Nicaragua
Thinking that it is 2020 already still impresses me. I turn back and realize it’s been two years now since my experience as an exchange student in the United States with the Global UGRAD Program and many things have changed since then. In 2018, I came back to my country full of new ideas and motivation. After finishing my degree …
California State University - San Marcos , Russia
My name is Victoria, I was born twenty-one years ago in the Republic of Tuva, a remote native community in Russia. And twenty-five years ago, in Sweden, Tuva Liisa Victoria was born. Fate has brought us together in San Marcos, California. I didn’t believe in fate before, but after our meeting, I know that everything is not a coincidence in …
Academic Exchange , Algeria , Alumni , Grand Valley State University , Middle East and North Africa , Old Dominion University , Professional Development , Wayne State University
Last month, the U.S. Embassy in Algiers hosted the DZ Alumni Summit. This one-day event provided exchange alumni from across Algeria with the opportunity to participate in various presentations, workshops, and leadership skills trainings. The Summit also provided participants the opportunity to network with each other and to brainstorm service initiatives for the future. Below, you can read the reflections of …
Alumni , Honduras , University of Arkansas
Ever since I came back, things were not the same for me here in Honduras. To be honest, at the beginning I felt weird and out of place because I’ve just had the best experience of my life and learned so many things that most of the people around me don’t really understand. Sure they have an idea of some …