SUSI and Japan Programs Ambassador
"Is there anyone so wise as to learn from the experience of others?"
Voltaire
Overview:
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After I studied abroad in Denmark, I decided to get involved with FIUTS (Foundation for International Understanding Through Students) as a student ambassador for UW. As an ambassador I served as a cultural liaison, peer mentor, student leader, and a friend to visiting international students. I have served as an ambassador for the SUSI program for visiting students from southern Africa, as well as an ambassador for two programs for students from Japan. I wanted to get involved with FIUTS because after I studied abroad I wanted to continue to get to know international students and learn more about their cultures, even though I was no longer abroad myself.
Showing some students from the Tokyo Institute of Technology around the UW campus.
Personal importance of task or work:
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After my experience as an exchange student in Denmark, I really wanted to continue to get to know students that did not have the same culture that I did. I developed a much stronger global perspective on the world after I studied abroad, and I wanted to continue to develop that perspective after I had returned home to the U.S. I also wanted to help visiting students learn more about the U.S. because of the great experience I’d had with meeting locals in Denmark and getting to learn more about their culture from them.
With students from Ehime University at the end of their program. Photo Credit: FIUTS
Tasks Accomplished:
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Engaged in cross cultural communication and facilitated dialogue among the visiting international students and ambassadors
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Served as a peer mentor and cultural liaison to help the international students understand American cultural norms and topics
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Educated international students on Seattle culture and customs.
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Participated in activities and excursions at UW and in the Seattle area with the students.
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Collaborated with fellow ambassadors and FIUTS staff to plan additional excursions for the students.
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Received training in citizen diplomacy as a part of the program.
Leadership Competencies:
Others' circumstances
Productive Relationships
Empowerment
By serving as an ambassador, I was able to learn about the opinions and experiences of the international students in the program, just as I had done when I was an exchange student in Denmark. However, when learning about the experiences of the international students, I took great care to speak and interact in a way that would make them feel intimidated and isolated. For instance, I always tried to speak slowly when I was with a group of Japanese students that were still working on their English. I didn’t speak to them at the pace that I normally speak because I knew that they would have a hard time understanding me, which would cause them to feel left out.
As an ambassador, I was able to act as a diplomat to the visiting students by aiming to make connections between American culture and their cultures. I was able to answer questions from the students and give them insight on what life is like in the U.S., which is information that they may not learn in a classroom or from their instructors. The international students were able to get a much stronger sense of what the United States is like by connecting with American students who were their age, which was one of the main reasons FIUTS had the ambassador program. In addition, getting to know these students allowed me to learn about other countries without leaving the U.S.
By educating the visiting students and serving as a mentor, I was able to help them feel more settled into life in the United States. With the knowledge and mentorship I was able to provide, the students began to feel more confident about interacting with locals in the UW community and in Seattle as time went on. I gave the students advice on how to interact with their host families and how to ride the bus around the Seattle area. I also helped some of the Japanese students with their English skills.
Scope of competence
During my ambassador programs, I met other ambassadors that had backgrounds correlated to the countries the students were coming from, or they were studying those other countries as part of their majors. For instance, during the Japan ambassador program, some of the students needed some help with their English skills. There were several students in the program that spoke Japanese either fluently or at an elementary level, and they were there to help the students translate. Meanwhile, I did not speak a word of Japanese, so I knew that I was not the right person to help the students with their translations. In addition, with both the SUSI and Japan ambassador programs, I had never traveled to the countries the students were from, but other ambassadors were either from those countries or had traveled to them before. If the students wanted to know more about the specific differences between their home country and the United States, I knew that even though I could still educate them on American cultures and customs, they would be better suited to talk to an ambassador who had been to their home country.
Diversity
As an ambassador for FIUTS, I was not only able to learn about the background, beliefs, and experiences of the international students, but also about those of international students who are attending UW. Several international students who are involved with FIUTS also volunteered to be ambassadors. There were a few ambassadors who were from the countries the visiting students were from, but most of the international student ambassadors were from all over the world. This made the cohort of students and ambassadors in the program very diverse. In addition, together we were all able to learn about our different backgrounds and cultures.
With the SUSI students and ambassadors at a retreat to Snoqualmie Pass. For most of the African students, it was their first time seeing snow!
Lessons Learned and Future Oriented Statement
Serving as an ambassador for FIUTS was an incredible opportunity to engage with international students. I believe my experience from being an exchange student enabled me to be a better mentor to these students because I know firsthand what it is like to experience culture shock. Most importantly though, this experience made me further realize how much I enjoy working with students. It was great to be able to combine that passion with my interest in traveling and learning about other cultures. I am eagerly looking for opportunities to continue working with people from other countries.