Alumni at the 70th CIEE Annual Conference

CIEE is proud to have a number of fantastic alumni at the 70th CIEE Annual Conference happening this week in Austin, Texas. The theme of this year's conference is "Born Digital: Embracing Technology to Enhance International Education." The study abroad community, including our alumni, are engaging in thought-provoking conversation around the topic this week to share ideas of how 21st century learning approaches can be incorporated into the innovative global programs and experiences abroad that prepare today's students for the future. These are the alumni that will be taking part in this year's conference as session presenters, attendees, and more:

 

Session Presenter

“Turning to Technology: Emerging Access for Students with Disabilities”

Emma Verrill is originally from Yarmouth, Maine. After receiving a BA in Gender and Women’s Studies from Bowdoin College, she moved to Rennes, France, where she studied abroad, to teach English. Emma participated in the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) from 2010-2012. While living abroad, she worked for the local CIEE office evaluating the physical accessibility of the city and the program. Upon return to the United States, Emma moved to Austin, Texas here she obtained her Masters in Education from Texas State University. She is currently a second grade teacher at Trinity Episcopal School. Emma enjoys live music, warm weather, and the active/outdoor lifestyle Austin has to offer.

 

Session Presenter

“Uncovering the Digital Author Abroad: Reflection, Representation, and Authority in Digital Learning Abroad”

Hannah Milkie is a student at Northern Michigan University, with a graphic design major and double minors in political science and philosophy. She studied abroad at the CIEE Global Institute in London the fall semester of 2016. She's always been extremely passionate about political activism but studying abroad in London helped her begin to take her creativity more seriously. She is unsure what the future holds for her but she hopes to keep developing her skills in design and other forms of media. Additionally, she hopes keep traveling and gaining new cultural experiences at any given opportunity.

 

Session Presenter

“Once More with Feeling: Humanizing Technology in the Study Abroad Space”

Mandi Faulkner is a history major at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2015, she spent a year studying abroad at the University of Amsterdam. She wrote her honors thesis on women’s networks in seventeenth-century Amsterdam and hopes to return there soon.

 

CIEE Breakfast Presenter

Peiré Wilson is a junior at City College’s Colin Powell School of Civic and Global Leadership, located in Harlem New York. He currently is studying Political Science with a minor in International Studies, with plans to combine his passions for arts, technology, advocacy and law into a career in Intellectual Property Law. He was a member of the first cohort of Frederick Douglass Global Fellows to study at the CIEE London Global Institute, where he studied intercultural communications and leadership. His experience in London was a transformative one – after meeting with the living descendant of Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass, Ms. Nettie Douglass, he felt a renewed charge to push against conformity and instead fight for unity.

CIEE Breakfast Presenter

Chinwendu “Chi-Chi” Maduegbunam is a junior attending Fayetteville State University. She is majoring in psychology and minoring in biology with hopes to attend medical school afterwards. Chi-Chi was named one of the first Frederick Douglass Global Fellows and plans to use what she has learned to continue on her path to being a successful leader in the medical field. She wants to positively impact the people around her by becoming a pediatrician or pediatric psychiatrist. Later on in her career, she wants to develop a charitable organization in Nigeria to give medicine, clothes, food, and other necessities to impoverished areas. By having this study abroad experience, it has spearheaded her vision and goals.

Attendee

Mayra “Kahori” Vidana Sanchez a junior at University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), studying to become a math educator. There, she serves as a student ambassador of the university at various events and conferences, is a leader in the UTEP Honors Program, and works at the Contracts and Grants office at her institution. In these capacities on campus, Kahori highlights the importance of study abroad opportunities, by sharing her story from the summer of 2017 in Northern Ireland and at the CIEE Global Institute in London, as a member of the first cohort of the Frederick Douglas Global Fellowship. Kahori’s greatest determination is to give others the accessibility to educational excellence, because to her, education is essential for progress for a global society. Kahori’s personal narrative was featured in The Atlantic.

 

Attendee

Katherine Tran is a senior and Distinguished Business Student in the College of Business at The University of Texas at San Antonio. She is currently studying Management with a concentration in International Management, and is also a first-generation college student. She was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship at the CIEE Global Institute in London during the summer of 2017. Katherine loves to be involved on campus through many student organizations! Besides her academics, she enjoys going on hikes, trying new food, and hanging out with her family and friends.

Attendee

Lea Sandoval is a senior at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. She will earn a Bachelor of Science in Middle School Math Education with a minor in Social Work. Lea had the opportunity to study abroad with CIEE in Seoul, South Korea during the spring semester of her sophomore year. Her semester abroad allowed for personal and professional growth, which she has utilized since her return. After returning from Seoul, she gained a newfound passion for study abroad and now aims to become a study abroad advisor at the university level.