International Scholars “Student Spotlight”

Grace Kern ’23
Majors: International Studies and Political Science
Concentration: Asia

Grace Kern is from Fort Mill, SC. She chose CofC because loves the city of Charleston, and was excited by the opportunity to join the Honors College here at CofC and to engage in exciting courses with small class sizes. She had this to say when asked why she chose the International Scholars program, “I already knew that I was interested in studying International Studies, and the International Scholars Program provided me with the opportunity to combine these studies with other interests of mine, all while gaining access to an amazing mentorship program. I was also excited to meet other internationally-minded students at the College; I have met some of my closest friends through the International Scholars Program!” And since being accepted into the program she has learned, “that there are many skills and traits that are important for a career in international affairs that extend beyond the things that you can learn in a classroom. Open-mindedness, flexibility, compassion, and strong communication skills can serve you just as well, if not better, than class content.” After graduation she plans to work for an international nonprofit that focuses on education and women/girls rights followed by joining the U.S. Foreign Service.

If you’re interested in learning more about the International Scholars program check out the website https://intlscholars.cofc.edu/ 

 

 

 

Mroz Institute Inaugural Convening “Leadership & Diplomacy”

You’ve likely heard already, but we have a major LCWA event this month!

The Inaugural Convening for the John Edwin Mroz Global Leadership Institute will be held March 20-22, 2022.

  • Monday, March 21 will focus on leadership and we have four of the top CEO executive coaches as presenters (Marshall Goldsmith, John Izzo, David Allen, and Randa Fahmy). Also included are Stephen Heintz (CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund) and Jonathan Fanton (past president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences).
  • Tuesday, March 22 will focus on international affairs and global challenges and close with a keynote address by Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary of NATO and the lead negotiator of the nuclear arms control treaty with Russia (New START).

But it’s not just about the speakers. There will also be about 50-60 highly connected internationalists with interests covering all regions coming to campus.


There is no registration needed for in-person attendance and we encourage in-person participation. For those who won’t be able to attend events in person, we have a webinar option. Most events will be live-streamed. Breakout sessions that are not live-streamed will be recorded and made available for viewing shortly after the convening.

You can register for both days of live-streaming here: shorturl.at/ouLWX.

After registration, you will receive in your email the zoom link and the passcode, which will be valid for live-streaming of all events on both days. You just need to follow the program.


To see a full list of the events check out the website mrozinstitute.cofc.edu

 

International Scholars “Student Spotlight”

Emilia Olson ‘22
Majors: International Studies and Public Health
Concentration: Latin America & the Caribbean

“I’m from Charleston, SC. I chose CofC because of the liberal art education and ample study abroad opportunities. I also was attracted to the International Scholars Program and the Charleston Fellows Program through the Honors College. I chose International Scholars because I am interested in global health and I wanted to have a diverse education about global issues and solutions. I have enjoyed the cohort experience, study abroad in Estonia, and mentorship opportunities. I have been able to study abroad in five countries across five continents, in part, because of the International Scholars Program. I’ve also been able to engage deeply with faculty and peers in the department.  After college I plan on completing a masters in Global Health at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden and then attend medical school. Ultimately, I would like to work as a physician in Humanitarian Aid.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the International Scholars program check out the website https://intlscholars.cofc.edu/ 

 

CofC Faculty awarded Alixa Naff 2021 Prize

LCWA’s very own Dr. Amy Malek, assistant professor in International Studies, won the Alixa Naff 2021 Paper Prize by the Khayrallah Center. The annual prize recognizes outstanding scholarly studies from any discipline focusing on Middle East migrations, refugees and diasporas. This year the Khayrallah Center selection committee awarded the best paper prize to Dr. Amy Malek for her paper Clickbait orientalism and vintage Iranian snapshots (International Journal of Cultural Studies).

To find out more about the Alixa Naff Awards and Dr. Malek’s paper Clickbait orientalism and vintage Iranian snapshots click the link below.

https://lebanesestudies.ncsu.edu/awards/scholarly/2021.php 

M.Ed. in Languages Fall 2021 Newsletter

Don’t miss out on the third issue of the newsletter of The M.Ed. in Languages Program at the College of Charleston!

Congratulations to the graduates this semester – everyone is so proud of all of your impressive accomplishments and all your hard work. Despite a global pandemic and all the additional challenges of teaching during the past 20+ months, you completed your degree! You did it! A special thank you to the M.Ed. in Languages Executive Committee: Dr. Shawn Morrison, Dr. Silvia Rodríguez Sabater, and Dr. Antonio Pérez-Núñez for their unwavering support and collaboration. Thank you so much to all who contributed to the newsletter and many thanks to Katie Agile, the Graduate Assistant for our program, for all her hard work in bringing this to fruition.

Students, alumni, and friends: if you have news or updates to contribute or if you’d like to be profiled in the next issue, please let Director Emily Beck know (becke@cofc.edu). She would love to hear from you!

 

International Studies Major Reads to Elementary Students

Dyllon Gunsolus an International Studies major, minoring in Russian Studies and a concentration in Europe, here at CofC, enjoyed a little bit of fame recently when The College Today published a story about his having won a national championship event in bicycling. Evidently, that story led to an invitation from a teacher at Sangaree Elementary School for Dyllon to read “Bonapart Falls Apart” to the primary school grades pre-2nd.  He also got to participate in a meet and greet with the parents that afternoon when they arrived to pick up their children and share his biking and activity initiatives with the Vice Principle and assist in coordinating a ride to school event in the spring.

We’re looking forward to watching Dyllon as he continues to excell in his academics and extracurricular activities!

 

Photography exhibition by Yulian Martinez-Escobar

We’d like to congradulate Yulian Martinez-Escobar, Adjunct Lecturer of Spanish in CofC Hispanic Studies for his upcoming photography exhibition!

https://www.publicworksartcenter.org/s/stories/november-5-december-30-passenger-in-transit-next-stop-cuba-east-gallery-exhibition

Passenger in Transit was inspired by the song “Pasajera en Trance” (“Passenger in Trance”) by Charly García, an Argentinian rock singer. This exhibition is a window to a beautiful and exciting island that has become a myth to the world during the last sixty years. A year after a normalization agreement between the US and Cuba, my wife and I decided to travel to the Island to take advantage of the newly opened direct flights between Miami and Havana. Bianca, our 10-month-old daughter, became our ambassador everywhere we went. We stayed in the homes of Cuban families who made us feel at home and who gave us a glimpse of how Cubans live their daily lives.

Yulian Martinez-Escobar is a Spanish professor and filmmaker based in Charleston, South Carolina. He is also a self-taught photographer whose work has been exhibited in Colombia and in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina. His avid interests include languages, traveling, and culture, which have defined his artistic style. Yulian first cultivated an interest in the fine arts in his native Colombia as an actor in his college theater company. As a photographer, he especially enjoys capturing candid portraits of people he meets in his travels, from Scotland to Peru, from Senegal to Cuba, from The Gambia to The Philippines. As a foreigner, he wants to explore and document the lives and diverse backgrounds of other people who have ended up in the United States.

15th Annual Nuovo Cinema Italiano Film Festival Kicks

The 15th Annual Nuovo Cinema Italiano Film Festival has been featured in the CofC’s College TODAY!

We hope you will join everyone for the 15th annual Nuovo Cinema Italiano Film Festival starting Thursday, November 4th through Saturday, November 6th at the Queen Street Playhouse. The festival will feature 10 award-winning films celebrating contemporary Italian cinema and culture. Students, Faculty and Staff can enjoy the festival free of charge, they will only need to show their college id at the box office.

Festival Website: https://nuovocinemaitaliano.com/

Article featured in The College Today: https://today.cofc.edu/2021/10/21/15th-annual-nuovo-cinema-italiano-film-festival-kicks-off-nov-4/

 

Wines of the World

Please join us at Fall Alumni Weekend for Wines of the World, hosted by the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs, on Friday, November 19, from 5-7 pm, in Randolph Hall.

Be transported by tasting wines from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Chile, and Argentina. Tickets are $40 per person and include a $10 donation to benefit CofC’s Study Abroad Program. Tickets will not be sold at the door. All guests must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

We hope to see you there!

Foreign Language Education Alumna Wants to Pay It Forward

Check out this outstanding article in the College TODAY about Foreign Language Education alumna, Martina Abbriano ’19.

“A talented individual with a love for languages, Abbriano knows Italian, Spanish, English and Sicilian fluently and has a strong base of Vietnamese and Ancient Greek. It’s clear the Italian native has a passion for foreign languages, which she decided to put to use when she began thinking about a career. She earned undergraduate degrees in foreign language education and Spanish from the College of Charleston in 2019, where she also minored in linguistics and Ancient Greek.”

“Since graduating two years ago, Abbriano has put those skills to use as a foreign language teacher at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, where she teaches Spanish.”

“Her passion for languages and her journey as an immigrant having to learn a new language in a new country has led her back to CofC to help the next generation of English-language-learners as they begin their lives in the United States. Abbriano is now a graduate student at CofC taking an English as a Second Language (ESOL) course to earn ESOL certification, which is available online.”