Faces of Exchange
In celebration of International Education Week 2018, Global Ties U.S. is launching a ‘Faces of Exchange’ social media campaign. Modeled after the popular Humans of New York Instagram account, the campaign will offer a 360-degree view of IVLP and other exchanges, from the hard work behind the scenes to the satisfaction and experiences provided by a successfully completed program.
Michelle Harpenau
Executive Director
During my childhood summers, my family would travel back to our family home in Innsbruck, Austria. I remember kicking the soccer ball at the garage or going to the public pool. I would look around and see the Olympic ski jump as I was playing. We drove as a family each summer around Austria, Italy, France. I have relatives from Germany, Austria, and Britain. Looking to those experiences, it truly made me think when I was older that there is so much diversity in who each person is/can be, but really all those “differences” only bring us closer together and allowed me to truly listen to all perspectives. When I had the opportunity following school to actually live out my dream to work in an international organization, which was the World Affairs Council, I felt I had truly found another home. Every day I get to learn something new about the world. Every day I am able to talk with people from different cultures. Every day I am thankful that this world is diverse, and I can give back through helping my community think more globally.
James McManus
Director of International Programs
In April of 2017 as a part-time Programs Associate, I had the pleasure of being able to welcome a delegation of locally employed embassy staff to Cincinnati. These amazing individuals were foreign nationals employed in U.S. Embassies across the world, working on behalf of the U.S. State Department to promote its Public Diplomacy initiatives in their countries. Being able to spend a week introducing these embassy workers to the Greater Cincinnati area was a highlight of my career and sparked a love for public diplomacy.
My favorite moment of this particular exchange was at the group’s final day. After a week of meetings and appointments, the group wanted to celebrate their time in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. We went for pizza and beer to toast a successful and productive visit to Cincinnati. Being able to spend time with them and talk about their lives in their home countries was so rewarding. That night we exchanged contact information, became facebook friends. I’ve stayed in touch with them ever since. It was that moment when I realized that this type of exchange was so vital and important. Those personal connections are the ones that have continued to inspire me. My goal with every visitor I welcome is to greet them as an esteemed professional and at the end of their time here say goodbye to them as a new friend.
Arnela Hepner
Director of Special Projects
As a child of an immigrant family, I have always been interested in learning and exploring the world which brought me to the World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern KY. I started as an intern and now working full-time with the staff to influence the next generation of learners to be curious about the world. In this field, we meet so many incredible people from all over the world through an exchange. Each one leaving an impact.
One exchange group, in particular, will always have a special place in my heart. In the winter of 2015, I spent a week with university students from Mexico. One by one I connected with the students learning our commonalities and differences. One difference that struck a chord with me is the lack of safety some of them had in their hometowns.
Nonetheless, the students were hopeful they could make a positive impact back home starting with what they learned and gained in Cincinnati. The positivity and grateful attitude of each student was and still is inspiring as I continue in this career.
Hannah Gerth
Manager of Communications and Programs
My first time out of the country was when I was 22 years old. I traveled to Chimaltenango, Guatemala through the nonprofit, Norse to Nations. This opportunity led me to the Agua Viva Children’s Home and School, an organization that provides a safe home and quality education for children in Guatemala. My mornings and evenings were dedicated to the children. During the day we worked on the infrastructure of the campus, helping to create a sustainable and safe campus. This is where I met, Michele and Fernando, siblings that studied at the school and lived in the home.
We became friends quickly, playing soccer, painting and sharing meals together. On the weekends we spent our time in the fast-paced, Chimaltenango, an environment completely different from the secluded children’s home. Later I found out these were the same streets police officers found Michele and Fernando alone. They never shared this with me, they didn’t want or need to. They were happy, together, and safe. I fell in love with Guatemala, the culture and country sang to a rhythm so different from my own home. Michele and Fernando will always represent that part of the country for me. About twice a year I receive a new letter and picture from them. Their handwriting improves each time, they never forget to draw a picture of the breath-taking volcanoes.
Prateek Srivastava
Scripps Howard Communications Intern
After my freshman year at the University of Cincinnati, I went back to my hometown in India, Jabalpur for a very important and fun project. I was working with an NGO in Jabalpur helping kids of slums which were run down by the government for development purposes. The small tactics from my Journalism and Communication classes at UC helped me to be comfortable in reporting and analyzing the ongoing situations.
These school kids who belonged to labor and vendor families who were full of hope for a better future and a spirit to do something different in life. I with my other NGO friends taught them basic English and math to cover for the days they missed in school. I ended up shooting their precious emotions and opinions and combining them to make a short documentary which was later screened at multiple international film festivals.
This three-week project was more than a trip to me, I learned about the lives of different people, their hope and dreams and was able to provide something from my side. I played games, watched movies and the celebration of local festivals.
Hillary Chidsey
Global Exchange Intern
When I was 22 years old, I accepted a position with Peace Corps in South Africa. My service included many ups and downs as I had traveled before, but nothing quite prepares you for spending two years in another culture. One of the highlights of my service was when my parents came to visit my “new home”. They were greeted by children dancing and neighbors rushing to welcome them. Sharing two such intimate parts of my life was extremely rewarding and showed me the value in not only experiencing a new culture for yourself but sharing that knowledge with others. As I move forward in my career, I hope to continue creating moments like this bringing people together who may never have met or taken the time to understand each other.
Amanda Brandner
Global Programs Intern
When I was 16 years old I traveled with my high school to Peru where we were to study Incan art and help build an educational center through the nonprofit Awamaki. I was excited but a little bit nervous because I had never traveled alone. However, once I stepped off that plane and my foot hit the South American ground, I knew I had made the right decision. While I was in Peru I learned so much and met the most amazing people. From Daniella our guide and translator to the Peruvian children in the mountains of Ollantaytambo I slowly fell in love with the people and the culture. When I started this journey, I saw myself as completely different from the people and places I was visiting but by the end I recognized that though we lived in very different cultures and locations, we still had so much in common and despite the language barriers, meeting and talking to these people was the most amazing experience of my life. Ever since then I knew I wanted to travel and work with people all over the world.
