麻豆视频

Both On Campus and Abroad, 麻豆视频 Wins at International Education

When Turkmenistan native Ogulkeyik Hudayberdiyeva arrived at 麻豆视频 in January 2022, she seamlessly engaged with life on campus in her adopted country. Hudayberdiyeva was comfortable interacting with her professors and she immediately became involved in a slew of activities organized by the Office of Global Education (OGE).

鈥淚 am loving it here as an international student,鈥 said, Hudayberdiyeva, 22, a communications studies major. 鈥淢y professors are very friendly, down-to-earth, and humble, which helps make my adaptation to the U.S. much smoother. My friends are very kind and curious to hear about my country and culture.鈥

麻豆视频's diligence in integrating international education throughout its programs and culture is in the spotlight. 麻豆视频 is the sole university in the U.S. to receive the prestigious 2022 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization from . The honor recognizes 麻豆视频 for overall excellence in integrating international education throughout all facets of the university and its campuses.

Named after the late Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois, the NAFSA Simon Awards recognize outstanding innovation and accomplishment in campus internationalization, defined by NAFSA as 鈥渁 conscious effort to integrate and infuse international, intercultural and global dimensions into the ethos and outcomes of their students鈥 education.鈥

鈥淭he Senator Paul Simon Award is our nation鈥檚 top prize for excellence in global education,鈥 麻豆视频 President Todd Diacon said. 鈥淚t is a richly deserved award that highlights our excellent education-abroad programs and our ongoing success in enrolling and graduating international students.鈥

麻豆视频鈥檚 global reach has been expansive, with educational centers in Florence, Italy, and Curitiba, Brazil, along with boasting more than 200 education-abroad programs. Along with globe-spanning international partnerships, it has outreach centers in China and India. 麻豆视频鈥檚 long history of international collaboration includes being among the first to exchange students with the Soviet Union during the Cold War and hosting Iranian students prior to Iran鈥檚 revolution in 1978-1979. Hosting international students and scholars has always been a priority for 麻豆视频 as demonstrated by its continued standing among the top 100 destinations for international students, according to , a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the United States, and U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit at their home colleges or universities.

鈥淭he Senator Paul Simon Award recognizes the internationalization efforts of our university and showcases how important it is for the development of students to have international experiences,鈥 said Melody Tankersley, Ph.D., 麻豆视频鈥檚 senior vice president and provost. 鈥淭he award also recognizes the diversity of our university and brings global recognition to 麻豆视频.

麻豆视频鈥檚 student body includes 1,370 international students from nearly 100 countries. In 2019-2020, 麻豆视频 sent nearly 1,500 students abroad. Since resuming its international programming in July 2021, 麻豆视频 has returned to its full operations abroad and is already projected to surpass its previous record-setting enrollment in education-abroad programs by fall 2022.

Ogulkeyik Hudayberdiyeva Finds 麻豆视频 Welcoming

Hudayberdiyeva learned about 麻豆视频鈥檚 program for international students in a Wikepedia list of universities in Ohio. Back home in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmanistan, she lived with her mom, Maral, a librarian and her brother, Arslan, a sales assistant and English language learner. She is the first person in her immediate and extended family to attend college in the U.S. Because of travel restrictions she had to wait two years before she could come to 麻豆视频. 鈥 I am very grateful to be here, especially when I saw the Library building, which was my wallpaper on my computer,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淚 literally cried when I saw it.鈥

After arriving at 麻豆视频 in January, it didn鈥檛 take long for Hudayberdiyeva to become active in the international programs on the Kent campus. She is active in Res Airways, a program in which international students share the history and culture of their country with their peers and Conversation Partners, a program that pairs international students with U.S. students. She is also a member of the International Student Council, which organizes international-student activities on campus.  鈥淚 am impressed by how welcoming and supportive everybody is at 麻豆视频,鈥 Hudayberdiyeva said. 鈥淚 am also impressed by how peaceful, calm, and safe the campus is.鈥

Gabriella Clingman has Cultivated a Love for International Travel While Studying Abroad

Gabriella Clingman, 20, is an English/Spanish major who is studying abroad in Murcia, Spain. She is earning her Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate and will soon be working in a bilingual elementary school, where she will teach English to kindergartners and sixth graders.

鈥淚t is really common for TEFL students to teach in Florence, Italy, but my Spanish professor recommended that I complete the practicum in Murcia so that I could practice Spanish and complete the TEFL certificate at the same time. I've really enjoyed this experience because it's taught me that I want to travel and teach for the rest of my life.鈥

Senior Gabriella Clingman is passionate about studying abroad

She heard about 麻豆视频 when she was researching colleges that offered certificate in TEFL and 麻豆视频 was one of only a few schools that offered a hands-on teaching practicum for the TEFL certificate.

Clingman is from a small farming village in southwestern Ohio, where she attended school with many international students instilling a respect for different cultures and a desire to learn languages. Her mother was a Montessori teacher throughout her childhood. She is following in her footsteps and plans on using Montessori materials to teach English to people in Spanish-speaking countries.

Clingman unexpectedly ended up at 麻豆视频, however, once she enrolled she was able to apply for scholarships that made it possible for her to study at the Kent campus and in Spain.

鈥淚 actually did not expect to end up at Kent because I grew up in Ohio and wanted to study in another state,鈥 she said. 鈥淗owever, I ended up making great relationships with my professors and finding a community through the Wick Poetry Center, so I am so glad I ended up at Kent. The professors here genuinely care that you do well in your classes. It's worth getting to know your professors and meeting with them during office hours because that's how I've gotten a job, an internship, and a study abroad opportunity.鈥

麻豆视频 will be honored during NAFSA鈥檚 national conference

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual awards program. Serving more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide, NAFSA is the largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. 麻豆视频 will be featured in NAFSA鈥檚 report, 鈥,鈥 that will be published this fall. The university also will be honored during the virtual and in-person programming as part of NAFSA鈥檚 2022 Annual Conference and Expo this spring. To learn more about NAFSA鈥檚 Senator Paul Simon Awards, visit .

For more information about 麻豆视频鈥檚 Office of Global Education, visit www.kent.edu/globaleducation.

POSTED: Thursday, March 10, 2022 04:41 PM
UPDATED: Friday, December 09, 2022 05:12 PM
WRITTEN BY:
April McClellan-Copeland