International Education Spotlight
Mozhda Radmanish
Graduate student in higher education administration and student affairs
Describe your international education experience.
I am from Afghanistan. During my undergrad, I had the opportunity to participate in the SUSI (Study of the U.S Institute for Student Leaders) Women's Leadership program at the University of Kansas, where I met with girls from different countries and explored new places. This experience allowed me to learn about the U.S. culture and to build my network of professionals. It was a life-changing program that shaped my worldview and equipped me with the knowledge and confidence to work with a diverse team.
Why do you think international education is important?
I think international education is important because it fosters cultural awareness and enhance learning experiences. As an international student, studying at the University of Kansas has helped me learn so much about different cultures. I have attended events organized by student organizations that enriched my learning experiences. It also provides invaluable networking opportunities. In my first year of graduate school, I did not have any friends. However, when I volunteered with the Student Union Organization, and participated in different events, I met with students from different countries and became friends with them.
Gabriel Nehrbass
Senior administrator of research development in the Office of Research
Describe your international education experience.
As a sophomore in college, I was able to study abroad for a semester in Buesingen am Hochrhein, Germany, which is an enclave completed surrounded by Switzerland. I had the privilege of studying German language and volunteering to help teach English. In addition, I was able to travel to several other countries in Europe as part of the experience.
Why do you think international education is important?
International education is incredibly important because it broadens one's worldview to emcompass a more global understanding. Studying abroad opens the mind to nuance, increases problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and helps develop self-confidence as well.
Amy Millet
Doctoral candidate in history
Describe your international education experience.
I received a Fulbright fellowship and then a scholarship from the Gerda Henkel Foundation to do research abroad in Vienna, Austria.
Why do you think international education is important?
International educational opportunities help students get out of their comfort zone, acquire broader perspectives, ask different questions, and dare to arrive at new conclusions. Students learn more about the world and more about themselves.
Matvey Tabakh
Undergraduate in accounting
Describe your international education experience.
I grew up and finished high school in the Russian Federation.
Why do you think international education is important?
I believe that this experience gave me a better understanding of different cultures and political systems which helps me in studying and evaluating them back in the U.S.
Mike Garnett
Applied English Center academic program associate & lecturer
Describe your international education experience.
My international education experience started when I was five years old. My family emigrated to the US from Peru to flee the terrifying civil unrest occurring there. I started to learn about diverse cultures in the United States at Nova Blanche Forman Elementary School, which primarily enrolled students from Central and South America. In third grade, I was enrolled in Tropical Elementary School, where mostly students from the US were enrolled and where I continued to improve my English. In Peru, I had been exposed to British English by my father, who got a graduate degree in Finance in Scotland, and from his father, who was raised in British boarding schools and who served as a British Merchant Marine during WWII. My international education continued when I took Spanish classes in high school to learn the grammar and writing instruction I was not receiving at home, although I was getting a lot of listening and speaking practice there. I also got more confident in my Spanish skills whenever I visited my family in Peru for months at a time, and I also took a deeper dive into learning about the culture as I spent weeks in places like Cusco, the Valle Sagrado, Nasca, Ica, and Huaraz. In college, I took two semesters of French and dreamed about living in French Polynesia. Instead, after college, I lived in Syria from 2005 to 2009, and I worked as an English, Math, and Science teacher, and later on as a Middle School Vice Principal, at the National School of Aleppo. Syria has a lot of French speakers, so I was able to practice it quite a bit, especially when I visited Lebanon. While in Syria, I learned Arabic and enjoyed traveling the country and the region alone and with friends. After graduate school, my wife and I lived in Saudi Arabia from 2011 to 2013, where we worked for the Saudi Electric Services Polytechnic. I’ve been fortunate to live in four countries in my life, and I have traveled to 25. I've been to almost every continent. Every time I have lived in or visited a country, I have made sure to learn about their languages and cultures.
Why do you think international education is important?
International education is essential for creating a more just and peaceful world. If you care about our planet and everything that exists in it, it’s essential that you travel and immerse yourself in other cultures and languages.
Derick Reid
Graduate student in educational psychology & research
Describe your international education experience.
In Spring 2024, I embarked on an international education experience in Yerevan, Armenia, studying at Yerevan State University for the semester, learning Russian and history of the region.
Why do you think international education is important?
I think international education is more important than ever because it helps you be more informed, open-minded, and empathetic. Studying in a different country immerses you in new cultures, traditions, and perspectives. If you have an interest in learning languages, it is a great way to immerse yourself and make leaps in your language use. International education can be a challenge that ultimately leads to greater self-confidence in surmounting that challenge. You can meet amazing people and open yourself to a different way of life.
Hollie Hall
Graduate student in educational leadership & policy studies
Describe your international education experience.
I came to KU as a study abroad student in 2012 and transferred for fall 2013 as I loved my study abroad experience so much! I graduated with my bachelors in American studies and history, then went on to get my masters in American studies focusing on the history of Filipino students at KU. I have served as President of ISA, IWA and the International Students Advisory Committee. My final experience in international education has been in my doctoral program. I served as graduate student body president 2020-23 where I led initiatives to advocate for the international student body such as a petition to rescind the doubling of the international student fee in 2020, advocate for Iranian students in 2022, and support our Ukrainian population in 2022-23. My dissertation focuses on how and why R1 institutions internationalize their campuses. I have also been a member of the international affairs committee board from 2020-2024.
Why do you think international education is important?
International education is important because we are in an increasingly globalized world. We have the opportunity to learn about other languages and cultures which enhances our learning produces students who are able to succeed in our ever globalizing world.