The third annual Global Storytelling Competition event kicked off International Education Month this Wednesday in Stewart Theatre, with Mary Long, a fourth-year studying English who studied abroad in England, winning the overall competition.
International Education Month’s focus is to recognize the university’s global connections. Throughout the month of the November, there will be over 25 events hosted on campus to celebrate NC State’s commitment to “Think and Do Global.”
Global Stories was emceed by Student Body President Jackie Gonzalez, a fourth-year studying political science, who introduced each participant and gave background about what they were studying and where their international experience was focused.
The goal of the event was to help students to share their experiences from traveling abroad, whether they are an international student, a researcher or a student participating in a study abroad program. The students were also competing for a chance to win one of three Amazon gift cards being awarded.
Each of the 10 participants had two minutes and six slides to explain the impact their global experience has had on them. Topics ranged from seeing places they had read about in books come to life, to learning about refugees and the effects of poverty in other countries.
Long discussed how she got to see the stories in her books come to life as she studied in England and traveled throughout the United Kingdom.
“Studying in Lancaster, I made lots of international friends,” Long said. “Traveling to Egypt was also a highlight of the trip.”
Jonathan Schertz, a third-year studying psychology and first-place winner of the competition, discussed how “stagnation makes a person ignorant,” which encouraged him to go to Lebanon even though he had no background in the Arabic language.
Taking second-place, Sierra Dawson, a third-year studying meteorology and design studies, says studying in China took her perspective in life from “gray to all of the colors of the rainbow” as each new experience helped her find her place.
Other events will allow students to share their stories will continue throughout the month in a variety of ways, such as the Global Trekking event, which will allow students to dive into other countries using virtual reality software.
David Hawley, manager of Global Programming for NC State Global, says that the office wants to “highlight global connections” through a variety of avenues to give students an immersive experience.
He also discussed the success of passport services on campus, which allows students, faculty and community members to get passports in Witherspoon Student Center. There will also be a passport fair on Nov. 27, where no appointments will be necessary begin the passport process.
“There is also going to be a naturalization ceremony where people are becoming citizens,” Hawley said.
Hawley and the Office of Global Engagement encourages students to come out to the events being put on across campus this month to gain a new global perspective, whether it be through a virtual reality headset or sharing traditional coffee and tea from other countries.
