Alumni Update - November 2015
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NEWS THIS MONTH
Celebrate International Education Week with CIEE
International Education Week, happening this year from November 16-20, is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to celebrate international exchange experiences around the world. CIEE is working to innovate and expand opportunities for international education. In the past year, we have:
- Awarded over $5 million in scholarships and financial aid to high school and college students and institutions
- Challenged a group of 64 international students from 30 countries to be change makers at the third annual Civic Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
- Created a flexible curriculum model through our Global Institutes in Berlin, London, and Rome
- Discussed American diplomacy and intercultural learning with over 900 international students at Connect USA events held throughout the U.S. this summer
- Expanded our programming with new STEM courses and faculty development seminars
Learn more about other new initiatives at CIEE and about our Generation Study Abroad pledge.
We Love Berlin!
This month, CIEE is hosting our annual conference in Berlin, Germany, home of our brand-new Global Institute. We asked our alumni why they chose to study abroad in Berlin, a city known for its culture, history, diversity, and intellect.
What's Your CIEE Story?
For our new series, #myCIEEstory, we asked Teach Abroad and Study Abroad alum Katrina Boratko to share with us the impact of her CIEE experience, and how it led her to a career in international development in San Francisco.
Alumni Summer Internship Program
This year marked the fourth year of our CIEE Alumni Internship, a summer internship program open to CIEE study abroad alumni. Eleven interns worked on innovative projects in international education at our headquarters in Portland, Maine. We created this multimedia storytelling piece to highlight the experience of this year's interns. (P.S., if you're a recent study abroad alum: applications for our summer internships open on December 1st!)
The 2015 Alumni Summer Internship class with Alumni Relations staff.
WHAT IS REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK?
Reverse culture shock, or re-entry, is the emotional and psychological state of re-adjustment after a period of living abroad. Everyone reacts to re-entry differently, but the process generally follows this pattern:
Last month, we hosted re-entry events in two U.S. cities for alumni of our Global Navigator High School programs. Check out our our re-entry resources here.
ALUM OF THE MONTH
Elaine Capella, Study Abroad in Brussels, Spring 2013
Elaine's thesis project focused on re-entry and reverse culture shock. In her thesis, she proposes a new model of cross-cultural readjustment, titled 'The Acculturation Model.'Elaine argues that study abroad doesn't end at the reintegration phase. Read more about her research in our interview with Elaine.
ALUMNI VOICES
We love getting alumni submissions for our website. Here are a few excerpts from recently published alumni stories:
"My second visit to America was in the winter of 2005. This time I went to Stowe, Vermont - a drastic change from the 95F degrees in Brazil to the freezing temperatures of the Northeast! This time I was a veteran and already hit the ground running."
- Wilka Nascimento, How I Became a Global Citizen
"Animals with accents? I didn't believe it. That was something I expected to find in Looney Tunes (a la Pepe Le Pew) and Disney cartoons, not during my semester abroad at CIEE's Study Center at Murdoch University. There I was, however, in Perth, Western Australia, and there they were, crows with Australian accents."
- William Stone, Rude Ravens, Giant Rats, and Unappreciative Seagulls
"Traveling abroad builds character. You have to be patient, adapt to new situations, and learn how to live in an entirely different place. It also gives you a chance to hone skills you already possess."
- Bryn Rudy, 12 Reasons Going Abroad Should Be Your Next Step After College
Do you have your own story to share? Email us: alumni@ciee.org.
@CIEEALUMNI
What's it like to celebrate Halloween in the U.S. as a high school exchange student? Check out photos from our current USA High School students: #CIEEBestYearEver