Delaware Diplomats as global citizens
Delaware Diplomats celebrate inaugural year, open applications for new members
8:38 a.m., May 27, 2015--Fifty University of Delaware freshmen and transfer students took on the role of global citizen this year by joining the new Delaware Diplomats program.
Together, they totaled more than 500 appearances at global events, lectures and workshops around campus and collectively earned more than $29,400 in scholarship money to use toward UD study abroad programs during their undergraduate careers.
Global Stories
Fulbright awards
Peace Corps plans
In fall 2014, the program, spearheaded by the Institute for Global Studies, was launched as a means of creating greater access to study abroad. By engaging in global activities, diplomats have the opportunity to earn up to $1,500 in scholarship funds to use on one or more study abroad programs.
Participants this year were required to submit personal reflections after attending each global event. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the ‘big picture’ thinking that is developing, as well as their increasing global IQ,” said Maryann Rapposelli, co-director of the Delaware Diplomats program. “That is what this program is intended to do, so that’s been a real pleasure to witness.”
According to Abi Vanover, an honors energy and environmental policy major, attending events like the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) International Coffee Hour through the Delaware Diplomats program has challenged her perceptions of the world.
“I always thought that I was a pretty open-minded person, that I didn’t have many stereotypes in my head, and [that] I had a pretty good idea of what was going on in the world,” she said. “But when you actually start talking to international students and go to presentations, it made me realize that I know so little.”
Rachel Garcia, also a co-director of the Delaware Diplomats, has seen the program change campus dynamics over just a short period of time. “One of the most incredible aspects of this program,” she said, “is the level of growth that we’ve seen among the diplomat cohort and their increased level of dedication to global engagement. Diplomats have not only attended events enthusiastically, they have brought their friends with them to events. In this sense, the program is having ripple effects beyond just impacting those officially accepted to the program. It is creating a more globally-aware campus.”
Due to the overwhelming success of the inaugural year of the program, the Institute for Global Studies (IGS) has chosen to open the program to not only incoming freshmen and transfer students but also to sophomores and juniors who wish to study abroad during their time at UD. One hundred new Delaware Diplomats will be accepted for the 2015-16 academic year.
Applications will open for the coming year in early June. All incoming freshman, sophomores and juniors with an interest in international exploration, global cultures and education abroad are encouraged to apply.
IGS also looks forward to continuing to support the first cohort of students who have so actively engaged in UD’s global community and have paved the way for students to come.
Matt Drexler, study abroad coordinator and co-director of the program, said, “It has been wonderful to see a group of students grow from young freshman into engaged global leaders. This group took the first step by engaging with UD’s global community, and now they’ve earned themselves real support to continue their journeys through study abroad.”
For the coming year, IGS will also accept applications for UDiplomat leadership positions, whereby especially motivated students will have the opportunity to earn extra scholarship funds by planning Delaware Diplomat-exclusive events and other global programming for the University community.
For more information, visit the Delaware Diplomats webpage, contact Rachel Garcia or Matt Drexler, and engage by following @UDGlobal on Instagram and Twitter and by using the hashtag #UDiplomat.
Article by Nikki Laws