Meet Danielle Strandson: CIEE’s Alumni Engagement Coordinator

Hello everyone! My name is Danielle Strandson and I am the new Alumni Engagement Coordinator for CIEE. That means I will be developing content and coordinating communications to the CIEE Alumni Global Network—YOU!

About Me

I completed undergraduate education at Clark University in Worcester, MA where I received a bachelor’s degree in International Development and Social Change with a double major in Studio Art/Photography. I met the requirements to stay for the special fifth year program and earned an accelerated master’s degree in Community Development and Planning. I love reading, tea and trying new restaurants. I recently moved to Portland, Maine to serve in this role—the perfect New England city for a foodie!

I am an alumnus of a CIEE program myself. In spring 2013 I studied abroad with CIEE's Service-Learning program in Cape Town, South Africa, where I was able to participate in an internship with a small youth development nonprofit in a nearby township. The experience was both challenging and rewarding, and it was the toughest semester of my undergraduate studies. Would I do it all over again? Absolutely!

I am passionate about international education, cultural exchange and community engagement. I am excited to learn more about the amazing alumni of CIEE’s various programs and expand the level of interaction you have with one another. Alumni everywhere are doing amazing things. Connecting through the CIEE Alumni Global Network allows cultural exchange to happen beyond the programs you’ve already participated in and opens a world of opportunity for making new friends, finding the old and networking both personally and professionally.

My CIEE Moment

My favorite CIEE moment was when, during my semester abroad, an especially fun RA started some group songs for us to sing while on the bus tours of the different internship sites around Cape Town. There’s something uplifting about a group song after a really overwhelming, exhausting day. Thinking about it always makes me smile!

Let’s Connect!

I look forward to engaging with you and getting to know you all better. As a start, COMMENT BELOW to share your CIEE moment!

Warm wishes,

Danielle