My experience as a Global Scholar

 When I first became a Global Scholar, I was ecstatic. A year later...and the excitement has yet to wear down.

This year has been filled with memorable experiences from leading a GIP event to writing a ten-page grant, all tied to my participation in the Global Scholars program. 

The most noteworthy part of my time as a Global Scholar, though, has certainly been doing my grant project. I worked with Young & Healthy, which is an organization that I have a strong relationship with, to create a mental health program. I appreciated not only practicing grant writing but also presenting my proposal to a panel of judges. I'm looking forward to working with Young & Healthy this summer to execute my project!

Another highlight of my time as a Global Scholar was leading the GIP event featuring Vishakha Desai. She is an inspiring woman that I appreciated learning about and speaking with before the event. I also enjoyed leading the event, as I got to connect with the larger Poly community and practice my public speaking skills, which I am certain I will be using plenty in the future.

I also enjoyed attending the first in-person GIP in April featuring representatives from Narrative 4, which was certainly more comfortable and familiar than the GIP events have been on Zoom for over two years.

Most recently, I participated in a GEBG global dialogue and an Envoys summit. The global dialogue was , about sustainable communities, and the Envoys summit was focused on climate change. They were both amazing experiences, as I engaged in deep conversations with students from across the country and world. I am also planning to attend another session of both to fulfill my GIP travel credit. 

I was supposed to go on the GIP trip to Belize in March 2020, but I was not able to because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why I am/have been participating in the virtual offerings. 

Although my experiences with the Global Scholars program started off rocky when I wasn't able to travel to Belize, I am beyond appreciative of the opportunities it has given me to practice being a global citizen and employing my passion and hard work to make my community a better place.