Global Experience Spotlight: Olivia Twa at RDC

For her Global Experience, GECP Junior Olivia Twa volunteered with Lansing's Refugee Development Center (RDC) over two semesters (Fall 2022 and Spring 2023). Olivia worked with elementary, middle, and high school students during her weekly volunteer sessions. Here, she shares about her experience and how it influenced her:

Would you recommend this experience to other students?

Yes! When I was looking for a way to fulfill my GECP Global Experience Requirement, I knew that studying abroad would not be feasible for me financially. Volunteering at RDC was the perfect option. I was able to immerse myself in an experience where I was working with and learning from students from around the world. I formed connections not only with the students I was working with but also with the incredible staff and other volunteers at RDC

How did this experience influence your thinking about what it means to be a global educator?

I learned through this experience that there is no one right way to be a global educator. The lead teacher in the RDC classroom could speak multiple languages and could speak with nearly every student in the classroom, a skill that I do not possess. However, the skills that I do harness, such as translanguaging pedagogies, were incredibly beneficial to the students as well. Each educator has different skillsets that benefit students in different ways.

Would you be open to other students in the GECP community contacting you about this experience?

Absolutely! My email is twaolivi@msu.edu

Attention GECP Students: If you'd be willing to share your Global Experience with the GECP community in upcoming spotlights, please fill in this Global Experience Spotlight Form. Thank you! And thanks to Olivia for kicking off this new section of the newsletter!

GECP Speaker Dr. Krystal Strong Presented Research at MSU

On Wed, Jan. 17, GECP students and others from across MSU engaged with Dr. Krystal Strong and her work. Dr. Strong visited MSU from Rutgers University, where she is an Assistant Professor of Black Studies in Education. In the above photos, she shares a presentation titled "Fast-Tracking Leaders: Contradictions of Africa's Youth Leadership Pipeline," with an audience in the International Center. Learn more about the African Youth Leadership Study, led by Dr. Strong.

Photos by Paige Haddas

Office of Ed Abroad Hiring Peer Advisers

Office of Education Abroad will begin interviewing students this semester who wish to become Peer Advisers next year. Peer Advisers are students who have already studied abroad and work in our office providing advising, outreach, and recruitment. They answer questions from parents, students, faculty, and staff and often serve as EA representatives at campus events.

Applications will open in early March with a deadline to apply by March 22, 2024. Visit Peer Adviser Position for more information.

Deadlines Approaching for Key Campus Opportunities

University Undergraduate Research & Arts Forum (UURAF)

Register to share your research or other creative activities at MSU's University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF)! The deadline to register is Feb. 9 to participate in this April 12th event.

**UURAF has been a wonderful forum for GECP students to share research emerging from class projects! Feel free to email GECP Coordinator Alyssa if you want to discuss any ideas.**

College of Education Scholarships

The College of Education offers an increasing number of scholarships for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students which have been funded by gifts from faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the college.

The application is currently open. It closes on Feb. 11.

Upcoming Campus & Community Events

The Middle East Today: A Conversation with Professor Juan Cole. Jan 31 (Wed), 3-4pm, Zoom. John Ricardo Irfan "Juan" Cole is an American academic and commentator on the modern Middle East and South Asia. He is Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. Register here.

Eye on Africa: "Never-ending Domination: The French Colonial School and Social Transformation in Africa." Feb 1 (Thurs), 12-1pm, Zoom. Presenter: Mohamed Kamara Department of Romance Languages; Program in Africana Studies Washington and Lee University presents. Register here.

Discussion and Book Signing of the Book, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant." Feb 1 (Thurs), 7-8:30pm, MSU Libraries Green Room. Curtis Chin’s memoir, “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant,” details his life growing up American-born Chinese and gay in Detroit in the 1980s. His family’s Chinese restaurant, Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, plays a central role in his childhood and adolescence. Chin founded the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and his writing for print, television, and documentaries has won awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, among other places. Join us for a facilitated discussion with Chin, reading, and book-signing. Register here.

Lecture Series: From Slavery to Freedom. Multiple Dates and Speakers:

Dr. Tanisha Ford: Feb. 1, 5pm (Wharton Center), M.C. Lyte, Feb. 8, 5pm (Kellogg), The Rev. Dr. William Joseph Barber II: Feb. 15, 5pm (Wharton Center). MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine presents the 24th Annual Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series. The series gives the community opportunities to interact with multicultural leaders from education, business, industry, entertainment and government. For 24 years, this series has featured living icons of the American Civil Rights Movement. Details here.

Education Abroad 101. Every Friday and Monday, 12-1pm, via Zoom. Description: Interested in studying abroad but not sure where to begin? Then attend an EA101 webinar! They are offered every Monday and Friday at noon during fall semester. Topics include benefits of education abroad, program types, and costs. Register here.

Ways to reach GECP Coordinator, Alyssa Morley

Visit during GECP Drop-in Hours every Tuesday 3pm-5pm, Erickson Hall Office 330 or virtually via Zoom (https://msu.zoom.us/j/95977332519, passcode: GECP)
Email morleya2@msu.edu to ask questions or schedule a meeting

Follow GECP on Instagram @MSUGECP

Learn more about the

MSU Global Educators Cohort Program