Congratulations to those who completed the Global Engagement Certificate Program (GECP) in the 2020-21 academic year. The certificate is an opportunity for students to enhance their Ohio State experience while becoming global citizens.
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Noa Breitman, biology major with history and Hebrew minors |
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Erin Brind'Amour, Juris Doctor degree "I would highly recommend the certificate to law students in particular. Law students, like other professional students, end up being cloistered in their own school and don’t get to enjoy the richness of the Ohio State student body at large. I think it would really help law students to engage with different cultures because as a working professional, knowing how to be culturally competent is essential." |
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Kelly Carmody, nursing major "Many different opportunities are offered so it was not hard to find many different webinars and lectures that often encouraged participation and questions being asked. I feel that I have been able to experience many new parts of other cultures that I was not familiar with and hope to continue learning." |
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Luke Ciminillo Delamotte, city and regional planning and economics major "If I were to recommend the certificate program to future students, I would say it is a great way to learn more about the world, especially the people who live in it. There are a ton of programs and events at Ohio State, and sometimes it can be hard to find the right one for you. The GECP helps students who are interested in learning more about different parts of the world do just that." |
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Delaney Connor, public management, leadership, and policy major "The event that stood out the most to me was the Global Engagement Night's program on the environment. They described how important local flora and fauna is to certain groups of people globally, and how with climate change and industrialization has been destroying those ecosystems. I found it very informative and has inspired me to take individual actions to improve my carbon footprint." |
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Maretha Dellarosa, multicultural and equity studies in education PhD "The most memorable moment for me was when I joined the English Conversation Program (ECP). This program allowed me to explore and learn about various topics with students who have different cultural backgrounds. I built communicative speaking skills that I can implement in class and other events." |
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Michaela Dengg, higher education and student affairs PhD |
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Qingyuan Dong, business and economics major "The certificate program helped me to achieve the goal of promoting my curiosity about and empathy towards others, developing the skills and confidence needed to communicate with others from different cultural backgrounds, and gaining knowledge about different cultures. I would recommend the GE certificate program by stressing how much knowledge I learned and how flexible the program is." |
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Lily Dung, finance major "I highly recommend the Global Engagement Certificate Program for students who want to expand their cross-cultural competency. This program has allowed me to engage in a different type of learning both in and outside of classroom and broadened my perspective of the world through meaningful interactions and sustainable relationships." |
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Cailynn Fox, anthropology major and Spanish minor "This program has aided me in exposure to intercultural understanding through interactions and has helped me learn about other cultures, which has therefore furthered my curiosity in these cultures. I will use the valuable worldview that I gained from the program to further my career in anthropology, as I now have more skills to do so." |
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Zarah Fulay, political science and international affairs major "With the certification, I was able to further accomplish the goals that were set up as I was able to learn about different cultures and my own culture as well. I was also able to meet more people that I hope to be able to continue to get to know. I would definitely recommend the certificate to future students as it is a fun way to explore new cultures and have the motivation to go further than what you would have without it." |
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Nate Grant, public policy analysis and political science major "Getting to participate in the LIT program really opened my eyes to the experience and viewpoint of an English learner and exchange student, a viewpoint especially interesting in the time of Covid. We certainly had a cultural exchange, and I walked away very interested in continuing to help English learners perfect the nuances of everyday speech. |
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Anna Grondolsky, biochemistry major "This program allowed me to explore other cultures that are different from my own. The skills and knowledge that I have learned from this program can be applied to my everyday life. I have also been able to grow towards the other GECP goals throughout the year. I would definitely recommend this program to future students. This program helped me to engage with diverse students at Ohio State and become more culturally aware." |
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Zachary Horwitz, chemistry major |
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Stephan Laboy, Juris Doctor degree "The events I attended and the conversations I had helped me move closer to the ultimate GECP goals of better understanding other cultures and the nuances of those cultures in a way that promotes curiosity and empathy. I've met some amazing students from all around the globe and I wouldn't have had a chance to make those connections without the Global Engagement Certificate Program." |
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Norah McKinley, international studies major and Spanish minor "I was able to attend many events that taught me a lot about how my culture both differs and has similarities to others, and I loved being able to talk to other students from different cultures and countries. I think that after completing this certificate, I am able to say that I have gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be a global citizen, and I look forward to continuing to learn as much as I can about different cultures around the world." |
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Mia Miller, international Studies major and Mandarin and business minors "Through the events and activities, I bettered my cross-cultural communication skills, met many people from different cultural backgrounds, and learned about other cultures and my own. Attending events like as OIA's Speed Friending enabled me to meet people from all over campus, which is hard to do safely with the pandemic going on. Overall, I feel as though participating in this program helped me to become well-rounded and culturally competent." |
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Helin Mirza Hasan, civil engineering major "I would highly recommend the GE certificate program to future students. It is an incredible opportunity to grow personally and professionally, as the events can help you prepare for a global workforce in addition to expose you to new cultures and perspectives from all around the world. This certificate program is engaging and the events are diverse and inclusive." |
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Alex Mobley, educational studies major "If you are interested in deepening your cultural understanding and learning about the world through different perspectives at your own pace, I would recommend this certificate program. My time in the program has allowed me to explore the curiosity I have for different cultures and gain a better understanding of my own experiences in the world." |
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Sana Murteza, accounting major and international business minor "My favorite programs throughout the year have been the Global Engagement Nights. They are led by peers on interesting topics each week and are not only informational but allow for discussion and engagement with other students from across the university. If you are interested in deepening your cultural understanding and learning about the world through different perspectives at your own pace, I would recommend this certificate program." |
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Emily Needham, history and philosophy, politics and Economics major "I would recommend the GE certificate to future students. Especially during these times of restricted travel, the GE certificate offered the opportunity to continue my efforts to become more globally engaged despite being unable to physically leave the country. I think the GE certificate is a great way to complement any degree program at Ohio State and is well suited for students looking to make new friends while honing their communication skills." |
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John Ocampo Garcia, electrical and computer engineering "Every talk concerning the economy, cultural changes, and social progress in remote countries like Bulgaria and Japan equipped me with new knowledge. I am convinced that the university experience goes beyond classes and research and relies more on the development of soft skills like the ones this program intends to offer. If you want to be an integral professional, build your communication, leadership, and networking skills with the GECP." |
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Grace O'Malley, political science and Spanish major "I really enjoyed more social justice-based events and discussions on actions or organizations that are making a difference in their communities. I think community building is invaluable and these conversations allow for outsiders to learn from these organizations and people about what actions we can take to help them. It has led me to have sustainable conversations and to ask the right questions of myself and of people around me." |
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Maura Porter, Chinese and biology major "By doing the GE certificate program, one can walk away with better communication and inter-cultural skills, as well as create lasting relationships. I really would recommend this program to future students. It was an excellent way to meet people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and it allowed me to improve my communication and inter-cultural skills. The ways in which one could earn points were greatly varied." |
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Jordyn Richardson, neuroscience major, clinical and individual differences and pharmaceutical sciences minor "The program that stood out the most to me was the Global Engagement Nights. It was a very informal event where I learned a lot about topics that I was interested in and I still got to have fun through games. I would recommend the GECP to future students who have a love for cultures, want to get to know people who are different from them and want to have a better understanding of who they are." |
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Kenna Rowley, international relations and diplomacy major "Over the course of the year while attending different OIA events, I was able to further not only my intercultural understanding but also my confidence when communicating with others from different backgrounds. This program also fostered connection and friendship among fellow Ohio State students, as I was able to meet other participants in the Global Engagement Certificate Program along with international students at Ohio State." |
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Celine Sahara, aerospace engineering major "Over the year, I was able to attend events that provided information and allowed connections of why events occur. It gave depth to the topic and left me with a deeper understanding of the reasoning behind decisions. Being exposed and learning about these things allowed me to be more aware of events that have occurred and how that relates to people today." |
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Victoria Sanders, social work major "Hearing personal stories from people with a vastly different perspective than oneself helps widen one's awareness and can humble oneself to perhaps some oversights in their own ideologies. I personally try to talk to as many different types of people as I can to further humble myself and to be more capable of reaching and helping people of different cultures and ways of life in my work." |
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Erica Thein, nursing major "I would highly recommend the program, especially those who find interest in learning about alternative perspectives and lifestyles. This program went beyond my expectations because of how broadly it branched out. I was able to gain new information about current topics and issues, but even more so I was exposed to places, cultures and identities that I didn’t even know existed, nor would I probably ever have accessed them on my own." |
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Elizabeth Thompson, linguistics major "Although I was disappointed that this year was virtual, the bizarre, inorganic environment of Zoom breakout rooms was excellent at forcing me to abandon my comfort zone and delve into conversations with peers from different cultural backgrounds. In speaking with students that I might not have otherwise met, I gained a more nuanced understanding of other cultures and was encouraged to consider my culture from an outside perspective." |
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Zijing Wang, environmental sciences major "Through the one-year program, I was impressed by these activities, which provided such a good opportunity for me to gain cultural appreciation, global awareness. I participated in ECP for two semesters, during which I got to know students of our cultures, developed understanding and connections. I found such interaction extremely important during this very special time when everything moved online." |
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Yifan Xu, arts administration, education and policy PhD "The Global Engagement Certificate Program introduces students to the similarities and differences among cultures. Your perceptions about how the world is constantly challenged and horizons opened by discussing historical events and contemporary issues faced by different cultures. It thus pushes you to reconsider your positions to develop a more critical understanding of your own culture and sympathy towards others." |
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Rang Zhang, nursing major "People from the same background tend to stay in their group and don’t have much active interaction with outside groups. To gain more experience in a global context, know more about other cultures, learn about diversity, inclusion and cultural competency, and promote personal development, we should get out of our comfort zone by joining the GECP for example." |