Russian Studies /
Arts and Beliefs
Advising:

Janine Camara ('09) is in Liberia for a three month internship with the UN Fund for Women in Monrovia, which she is very excited about. It’s a great opportunity that will be funded by her fellowship program, the Institute for International Public Policy. Her fellowship will also allow her to study a foreign language abroad after she returns from Liberia.

Janine is looking forward to applying the passion for and skills in international affairs that she gained from UNCG to both of these upcoming endeavors. She is also in the process of applying to graduate programs in public administration and international development: Howard University’s MA in Public Administration and the New School University’s MS in Urban Policy & Analysis.

 

Hamid Benbella is an American-Moroccan citizen who majored in International/Global Arts and Belief Systems. His major helped him apply for different Federal jobs (State Department, CIA, FBI, and Foreign Embassies) and also helped him learn different languages, cultures, politics, economics, and religions of different countries.

 Jasmine Beard was born and raised in Greensboro, NC.  She started her career as a college student at UNCG in August 2003.   Since then, she has been awarded the Barney Scholarships and succeeded in making the National Dean’s List.  Jasmine has will be receiving two degrees in Spanish and International Global Studies with a concentration in International Affairs & Development. 

Jasmine is a multilingual student who is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese and semi-fluent in French.  At her leisure, she has also studied Japanese and mandarin Chinese.  In February of 2008 Jasmine studied macroeconomics and administration abroad at the Pontificial Catholic Universtity at Paranà in Curitiba, Brazil. 

Jasmine is now an active member of the Americorps volunteer program working with newly arrived refugee families from Latin America and Africa.  After graduation, Jasmine will be travelling to France, and upon her return she will complete her Americorps assignment and then seek membership with the Peacecorps program.  Her career objectives are to obtain employment with the United Nations and/or the U.S. Embassy overseas and become involved in the domestic and international real estate markets.

Ashley vonClausburg graduated from UNCG in 2009  with a degree in Dance and International Studies, and a minor in English. A month after graduation she was offered a job in Washington, DC with The German Marshall Fund of the United States, an international relations non-profit working with North America and Europe. As their communications assistant she helps with press and PR for small events within the organization, as well as large-scale international conferences. She is also in charge of GMF’s podcast and video series, where she sets up, conducts, and edits interviews with guests from around the world. Best of all she still gets to travel with the company!

“The diversity and flexibility of the IGS degree was one of the biggest things that prepared me for life after graduation. I can’t possibly thank the department enough. I was able to get a degree tailored to my exact interests, with the complete  foundation I needed to succeed in the international relations field. I  wouldn’t have changed a thing! ”

Lee Medlin graduated from UNC-Greensboro in May 2009, with a BA in International and Global Studies.

"I knew becoming a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army would be a challenging goal to achieve. What I did not anticipate, however, was the amount of diversity I would encounter during training. The officer path I took, had me completing basic training, then onto Officer Candidate School. During my half a year of training, I met future leaders with various cultural backgrounds including Filipino, Taiwanese, German, Spanish, Chinese, French, and Kenyan. I completed the important language requirement for my degree in Spanish. Because of this, it was the easiest for me to connect with soldiers of Hispanic heritage. Conversing with the Hispanics in their native language was, for them, a show of respect for their culture. I could relate, but only imagine, how hard it must have been to move to and adopt another country and not know the native tongue. They looked to the military for opportunity. I also became very aware of how important these immigrants are to our national defense. This realization was made possible through one of the requirements of the International Studies program."

 

Usman Baig graduated from UNCG with degrees in International and Global Studies and Political Science, and a minor in History.

"Model United Nations Club was the best experience. I gained experience about international affairs by working as a delegate and representing UNCG at the SRMUN (Southern Regional Model United Nations) conference in Atlanta . Various regional studies courses taught me lots of interesting things about different cultures, history, and politics.   I’m graduating from UNCG with a better understanding of International and Global Studies. Choosing International and Global Studies as a major was the best decision I made. I’m going to pursue masters’ degree in International Affairs at George Washington University next year".

 

Michael Shannon graduated from UNCG in the Spring of 2008 with degrees in both Theatre Education and International and Global Studies. During his senior year, Michael received the Student Excellence Award, the university’s top honor. He traveled abroad to Poland and Mexico, and was involved in numerous service activites during his time as an undergrad.

"I have been able to incorporate my knowledge and experience with international cultures and customs into all of the classes that I have taught in high school, middle school and elementary school. I have used my experiences and classroom knowledge to direct a Japanese Kabuki piece, to write numerous research papers on the anti-political nature of Mexican Theatre as well as see first-hand the infamous Poor Theatre which was created in Wroclaw, Poland and quickly spread all over the world."

 

Stephanie Gimenez grew up in France. By the time she graduated, she had studied German for 7 years, English for 5 years, and Italian for 2 years.  In 2002, she enrolled at UNCG. Stephanie is ready to pursue the field of transatlantic politics. Last year, she was accepted at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and is also applying to the Transatlantic Master’s program at UNC Chapel Hill.

"During my freshman year, while still working hard on my English, I could not make up my mind about a major. The truth is, I was reluctant to specialize in one area by fear of missing out on the vast body of knowledge the world has to offer.

To me, all fields are tied in together. Languages are the highly intricate arts of self-expression, and the blueprints of the various cultural perspectives, experiences and identities of the world. The International and Global Studies program, the broadest and most inter-disciplinary major offered at UNCG, has provided me with a solid and well-rounded understanding of the world.

I strongly recommend the experiences, the field trips, the possible studies abroad, and above all, the quality education provided by this dynamic program, to anyone with a broad vision of the world and interested in traveling, and in more than one field of study."

 

Christin Bird graduated from UNCG with degrees in European Studies and German with a minor in Hospitality and Tourism in December of 2007. After becoming TEFL certified, she spent a year teaching English as a foreign language in Prague. She is now hoping to attend one of various Masters Degree programs in Europe, ranging from a Transatlantic Studies Masters degree at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, to the Euromasters at the University of Bath.

“The European Studies program at UNCG enabled me to gain a wide array of knowledge about Europe and inspired my first experience living abroad. I spent the spring of 2006 studying in Klagenfurt, Austria. My studies and experience further fueled my desire to return, and prepared me for living in one of what I think is the most exciting and challenging cities in the world, Prague. Living abroad has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. With that and my education now I feel I have the tools and experience to be successful in completing a Masters degree which will hopefully lead me to a rewarding career in an international environment.  My dream is to one day work for U.N.E.S.C.O., and to help preserve the many cultures of Europe I have grown to love.”