Students expand global horizons through summit

In an increasingly globalized world, leadership means not only mastering an area of expertise but learning how to thrive in international settings. Students often find that international experiences set them apart as they launch careers. 

But how do you find those opportunities? Enter the "Civic Engagement with Global Reach Student Summit." The goals of the summit: to connect students with opportunities, scholarships, dynamic FIU alumni and global employers that can help them deepen their civic engagement and jumpstart international collaborations. The summit, which took place on Oct. 24 at MMC, was hosted by FIU Global and welcomed students from FIU, Miami Dade College and Broward College. 

During a series of panel sessions, students interacted directly with representatives from the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Millennium Campus Network, Helios Education Foundation, the Fund for Education Abroad and the German Academic Exchange Service.

Students also learned about prestigious scholarships that can fund study abroad programs and a variety of organizations that can provide them with opportunities to collaborate with colleagues around the world. 

"Global learning experiences at home and abroad can be lifechanging, especially for students about to start their careers," said Birgitta “Gitta” Rausch-Montoto, director of FIU Global and a Fulbright Program campus liaison. "There are endless opportunities for students to engage with their global communities...fellowships at home, international exchange, study abroad programs, work on international research projects and internships and more. This summit was designed for students to learn about these opportunities and to remind them that they are the next generation of global leaders to shape our interconnected society and economy."

Some of the takeaways from the summit came from student leaders who shared the ways they engage in local and global communities, whether through research collaborations or through programs like the Millennium Fellowship, Peace Corps Prep or FIU's own Global Learning Medallion program.

“It was great to participate in the summit and hear how other young leaders are driving change in our community," said Agustina Garibotti, a political science and international relations major, who spoke on one of the summit's panels. "I believe that by highlighting student voices, we are giving a space for genuine engagement, where everyone can learn from one another.”

Students who attended the summit gained tips and tricks on how to overcome “imposter syndrome” when pursuing high impact opportunities such as scholarships through the U.S. Fulbright Program.

“The highlight for me was getting to hear from people that were either in the same boat as me [as a college student], or people who were way past that," said Raquel Monge, an international relations student and participant in the summit. "I really enjoyed getting advice from them on how to get active on campus and not be afraid to put yourself out there.”

Throughout the summit, student groups including the Vietnamese Student Association, Argentinian Student Association, Venezuelan Student Association, the Latin American Dance Club and students from the English Language Institute held cultural activities (including a Vietnamese fashion presentation and a mini Latin dance class). These activities offered unique opportunities for students to introduce others to their culture through social interaction and for students to learn about each other's traditions. 

“I hope [students] walk away with enrichment about a new culture," said Isabella Bello, who studies communication arts and is the outreach coordinator for the Venezuelan Student Association.

Justin Jean-Baptiste, another student panelist, said that the summit motivated him to further pursue international engagement. 

"This is going to inspire me to apply for not only the Peace Corps, but for Fulbright, for Boren, for the Critical Language Scholarship, for any opportunity that I can find to make a difference internationally,” he said. 

The summit acted as a special FIU precursor to the Fulbright Association Conference, which was also hosted by FIU that same weekend, and brought together more than 400 Fulbright scholars, leaders and international education experts from around the world to campus. Learn more about FIU's robust participation in the Fulbright program.