Building Bridges: Summer 2019 Newsletter

BUILDING B R I DG E S

SUMMER 2019 NEWSLETTER

From the Yellow Sea to the Tennessee River Advocacy, Academics, and Opportunity Study of the U.S. Institutes Cover: Gangneung Teens Take Chattanooga

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Building Bridges • SUMMER 2019 Edition

FROM THE YELLOW SEA TO THE TENNESSEE RIVER Written by Gussie Gaston

Gao Lu, who goes by Lucy, encountered cultural differences here that many Chinese and Americans might never consider. “When you buy something in China, the price is the same as the price,” she says. “No tax will show up on the bill.” Paying restaurant servers is also different, she says, since China does not have a tipping culture.

While in Chattanooga, the Yantai students got a taste of the American South. They explored downtown, North Shore, and the Riverwalk, and visited the Tennessee Aquarium and Chattanooga Choo Choo. They also day

Every year, students from all over the

tripped to nearby cities

world attend the University of Tennessee at

with other ESL students. In Atlanta,

Chattanooga to learn English. This summer, six

they toured the World of Coke, rode

students traveled all the way from China for three

the SkyView Ferris wheel, and shopped at

weeks of study in the ESL Institute. These students

Atlantic Station. In Nashville, they visited the

came from Yantai, Qingdao, and other cities in

Parthenon, toured the Country Music Hall of

Shandong Province. This northeastern province

Fame, and had lunch on Broadway Street.

juts into the Bohai and Yellow seas. It known as the birthplace of Confucius and home to Mount Tai,

For Andy, Lucy, and their classmates,

one of China’s five sacred mountains.

learning English is about forming social and professional relationships that cross borders.

Tailin An is a Yantai University student who

“As a widely used language in the world, I think

goes by Andy in the U.S. For him, the best part

English is a language that must be mastered

of studying in the ESL Institute is its positive

by contemporary students,” Andy says.

learning environment. “I like the atmosphere

“I study English because I want to

of class,” he says. “Everyone can exchange

communicate with more people [and] make

their ideas, and the teacher will not be [overly]

more friends, and learn[ing] to deal with my

serious. This makes me very comfortable.”

future work will be very helpful.”

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Mendy Calixte Major: Mechanical Engineering Graduation Date: May 2019 Hometown: Petite Rivière de Nippes, Haiti

ADVOCACY, ACADEMICS, AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITY Written by Thomas Wiegand and Sarah Anne Perry

In May 2019, Mendy Calixte graduated with a

His first workshop supporter was the Haiti

bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Ocean Project, which raises awareness of

from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

ocean conservation issues. Mendy was

His story, though, begins 1,362 miles away in

instrumental in developing the organization’s

Petite Rivière de Nippes, Haiti.

whale and dolphin watching tours, and he even devised a way to locate whale populations

Mendy grew up in this rural fishing village and

using sonar technology.

always loved creating. As a ninth grader, he built a remote-control tractor from scratch.

Thanks to his conservation work and creativity,

“I was really fascinated by the complexities

Mendy received a scholarship from the Adobe

of the mechanism and their workings,” so he

Foundation and Institute for Environmental

decided to become an engineer, he told Adobe

Education. He chose to attend UTC. “One of the

in a 2015 interview. In high school, Mendy made

main reasons I chose to come [to the U.S.] is

short ocean conservation films and led digital

because the education here guarantees practical

media workshops in his house.

knowledge in addition to a solid theoretical foundation,” Mendy said in a 2019 speech.

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Building Bridges • SUMMER 2019 Edition

“

UTC was an ideal place for me to pursue my undergraduate studies.

”

Mendy speaks at the 2019 CGE End-of-Year Luncheon.

Mendy moved to Chattanooga in 2014, first

Adobe’s Creativity Scholar Innovation Grant.

enrolling in the ESL Institute. “I could barely

PhotoKid teaches students digital media and

hold a conversation in English,” he said in his

environmental advocacy skills. “I think of my

speech, “but UTC fixed that really quick.”

country too much to not make this opportunity somehow beneficial to the development of my

After a semester of intensive English classes,

community,” he told Adobe that year.

Mendy passed the TOEFL and became a degree-seeking undergraduate student. “UTC

Mendy is still in Chattanooga — for now.

— with its excellent infrastructure, competent

He works for a sports medicine technology

faculty, and research-oriented training — was an

developer but also has large-scale plans

ideal place for me to pursue my undergraduate

for greenifying Haiti’s energy infrastructure.

studies,” he says. “[It] motivated me towards

Regardless of what he does next, he says he is

career excellence.”

well prepared: “I can say UTC has given me the

opportunity to grow a passion in engineering

In January 2018, Mendy relaunched his

and acquire significant knowledge to enter the

workshops in Haiti with funding from

working environment.”

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN CHATTANOOGA AND ABROAD Written by Sarah Anne Perry

“

We’re in a city where the willingness to work for the society and for each other — the sense of belonging — is really strong.

”

This summer, the University of Tennessee at

The students also experienced Chattanooga’s

Chattanooga’s Center for Global Education and

dining, arts, outdoors, and tourism mainstays.

Gary W. Rollins College of Business hosted 20

Pan didn’t expect to find much human

European students from 17 nations for the 2019

connection simply walking down the street.

Study of the U.S. Institutes. This five-week academic

“But I came to a place where strangers were

and leadership program is funded by the U.S.

smiling and [saying] ‘Good morning!,’” she told

Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and

Bassett. “And the places we’ve visited, we’ve

Cultural Affairs and administered by the human

seen the culture they have about improving and

development organization FHI 360.

developing the culture of a city.”

UTC’s SUSI participants studied entrepreneurship

The students learned about entrepreneurship

and economic development. Students attended

and community development efforts in

faculty lectures, leadership development sessions,

Chattanooga through talks with startup

and entrepreneurial engagement activities with

accelerator INCubator, economic development

local businesses.

nonprofit River City Company, and venture capital investment firm The JumpFund. They also

“Here, I realized the impact of social

toured Chattanooga’s Komatsu manufacturing

entrepreneurship,” Pan Polukarpou, from Cyprus,

plant and Amazon fulfillment center. All told, they

told WUTC-FM’s Ray Bassett. “We’re in a city where

visited eight local businesses and volunteered

the willingness to work for the society and for each

with four community organizations.

other, the sense of belonging, is really strong.”

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Building Bridges • SUMMER 2019 Edition

The SUSI students met with Chattanooga business, entrepreneurship, and economic development leaders.

The students attended daily lectures by Gary W. Rollins College of Business faculty.

They also joined UTC students for day trips to Nashville and Atlanta, two of the region’s biggest cities. “I didn’t know very much about the South or Tennessee, and I might have had some stereotypical images of it,” Aino Mäkelä of Finland admitted to Bassett. “But I think they’ve just broken down piece by piece.”

After four weeks in Chattanooga, the students flew to New York City for a study tour. Finally, they joined three other SUSI cohorts in Washington, D.C., where student groups presented capstone projects to FHI360 and Department of State representatives.

Now these students are back at home, but what they learned in Chattanooga will help them as changemakers in their own communities. “With globalization, there are a lot of new issues arising,” Renato Candeias of Portugal told WUTC. “We need people to be aware of those issues and to try to find new solutions… The role as a social entrepreneur is exactly that.”

The students visited Chattanooga’s must-see attractions, and experienced local culture.

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The Korean students explored Chattanooga’s most popular spots.

“

I have a strong feeling that this trip may bring some changes, big or small, in my life.

”

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Building Bridges • SUMMER 2019 Edition

STUNNING VIEWS IN A SISTER CITY

the Tennessee Aquarium. On campus, they

Written by Jisu Shin and Sarah Anne Perry

new,” says college student Haechan Lee in a

biked with UTC Outdoors, tried indoor rock climbing, threw a pool party, and completed the Challenger STEM Learning Center’s Mission to Mars. “The Ruby Falls was stunning, and the baseball game was definitely something Facebook post.

The students’ first culture shock happened

This July, the University of Tennessee at

in the bathroom. There, they discovered

Chattanooga hosted 19 high schoolers, one

huge bath towels they would need to use

college student, and four chaperones from

for multiple days. Whereas most Americans

Chattanooga’s sister city of Gangneung, South

use only small towels for their hands or

Korea. During this two-week summer camp,

face, Koreans use them for showering too, a

organized by the Center for Global Education

chaperone explained. Additionally, Koreans

and the Sister City Association of Chattanooga,

typically wash their towels after just one use.

the Gangneung Youth Center pupils studied

The students were shocked at Americans’

English language and American culture.

toweling habits, but they quickly adjusted.

The delegation flew into Atlanta on July

They encountered other cultural differences,

22. Moments after landing, they visited the

such as restaurant tipping and sales tax, neither

Consulate of the Republic of South Korea.

of which exist in South Korea. One pleasant

There, they listened to a lecture on diplomacy

surprise was how friendly Americans can be.

from Vice Consul Chung Jong-ho before

“I really love their smiles,” 15-year-old Boseul Kim

continuing to Chattanooga.

told UTC staff reporter Shawn Ryan.

Two days later, the students performed a

At home in Gangneung, there are few

K-pop dance number and traditional Samulnori

opportunities for the students to interact with

percussion piece for the UTC community

people from other cultures. But in Chattanooga,

at Global Spotlight: South Korea. This event

they tried new things, explored unfamiliar

featured speeches and gifts from Chattanooga

places, and made friends. “It was the people I

and Gangneung officials.

met here that made my days beautiful for the last couple of weeks,” Haechan’s post says.

Each morning, the students took English

“You guys taught me the joy of being

classes in the ESL Institute. In the afternoons,

connected with each other under the name of

they visited Chattanooga attractions such

English. I have a strong feeling that this trip may

as Rock City, the Hunter Museum of Art, and

bring some changes, big or small, in my life.”

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SUSTAINING SPECIES AND FAMILY TIES IN SCOTLAND

It’s taking “ your college

experience to the next level.

”

Written by Jamie Booth and Sarah Anne Perry Photos courtesy of Hannah Black

Study abroad is a great way to expand your

In Scotland, Hannah honed her research

worldview, experience new cultures, and learn

and technical skills. In addition to studying

about yourself. For Hannah Black, it provided a

endangered species for a conservation biology

rare opportunity to explore her own heritage.

course, she created a visual podcast while researching conservation triage. She also

Hannah spent fall 2018 studying environmental

experienced a new learning structure. “All of my

science in Stirling, Scotland. Her grandfather had

classes had three or four professors teaching,

passed away the previous January. “My relatives

and they went in rotation based on what their

had started to really look into our heritage… and

expertise was,” she says. “This was really cool

found out we’re from Scotland,” she says.

because you were able to see people talking about their actual fields.”

It turned out Hannah’s family originally hailed from the Stirling area. So while studying at

Hannah’s dormitory roommate was Swiss, and

the University of Stirling, she also explored her

Hannah got to accompany her on a trip to

own history. “I got to see a tombstone from

Switzerland. They attended the Descent of the

one of my descendants from the past,” she

Alpine Cows Festival and experienced other

says, “which was so cool.” While the link to her

aspects of traditional Swiss culture. “That was

family’s past was a major reason Hannah chose

the first time I had left Scotland, so that was

to study in Scotland, she also was drawn to its

the first place where they weren’t speaking the

commitment to environmental sustainability.

same language as me,” she says. “Having [my

“Scotland is one of the leading nations on

roommate] as a guide was really great.”

sustainability,” she says, “and one of the first ones to go to the UN to provide a sustainability plan and actually execute it.”

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Building Bridges • SUMMER 2019 Edition

Hannah Black Major: Environmental Policy and Planning Hometown: Springhill, Tennessee Semester Abroad: Fall 2018 Study Abroad Program: CISabroad Stirling, Scotland

Deciding to study abroad can be hard and scary, Hannah admits, but says her experience was worth it. “I was terrified, but I was also like, ‘I just need to go through the process, and once it happens it’s going to be great,’” she says. “It’s like a leap into something that, regardless of the situation, even if you have homesickness or hard times, it’s going to make you grow so much as a person. It’s taking your college experience to the next level.”

Scotland is setting new standards for environmental sustainability.

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Building Bridges • SUMMER 2019 Edition

BRIDGING THE GLOBAL ALUMNI GAP Written by Anna Pate and Sarah Anne Perry

community a little bit more, connecting with more and different people.”

Ben’s biggest task this year is to establish UTC’s first international alumni network. “As an international student, one of the biggest challenges is transitioning from school to work,” he says. “I have had to navigate this aspect and know it is not the easiest thing to do.” He hopes the network will help international students establish careers in the U.S. and abroad — with guidance from

Tafadzwa “Ben” Zimunya could write the

peers who have gone through the process.

book on life as an international student.

Originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, the

Ben will also promote graduate study

newest graduate assistant at the University

among international undergraduate

of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Center for

students and contribute to activities such

Global Education has studied off and on

as International Education Week, Global

since arriving in the U.S. in 2003.

Spotlight, and International Tea Time. “I have attended a few of the International Tea Time

In 2017, Ben graduated from UTC with a

events, and I feel like they are a great way

bachelor’s degree of fine arts in studio

to interact and meet other students and

art with a photography and media

faculty,” he says.

concentration. This wasn’t his first degree, though — or even his second. He first earned

Ben is in Chattanooga for the long haul.

a bachelor’s degree in accounting and

After graduation, he hopes to gain more

finance from Southern Adventist University

engineering management experience before

in 2007, followed by a master of business

creating his own business. “I’m interested

administration (MBA) in 2010.

in potentially starting something in the logistics field,” he says.

Now, Ben is in the second year of his engineering management master’s program

For now, he is ready to get international

at UTC. He transitioned toward engineering

students connected. “Having a community

management because of an “interest in

of people you know understand what it

creating and developing products,” he says.

is that you go through as an international student is extremely important,” he says.

Ben came to Chattanooga for a change.

“I’m excited to get started in this position

“Southern [Adventist] is kind of isolated,

and see where it goes and what it grows

kind of out of the city,” he says. “I wanted

into — and hopefully make an impact

a different experience…getting into the

somewhere.”

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WAYS TO GET I NVOLVE D EVENTS

Study Abroad Info Sessions

Global Spotlight

Learn about your worldwide study abroad options. Study Abroad 101 and 102 sessions occur throughout the semester.

Cambodia Tuesday, Oct. 22 5 to 6 p.m.

UC Tennessee Room

Session dates and sign-ups are available at utc.edu/studyabroad

Global Zone Training for faculty and staff

International Tea Time Thursday, Oct. 10 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.

Joseph F. Decosimo Success Center (Fletcher 2nd floor)

Learn how your department can support international and returned study abroad students.

Thursday, Nov. 21 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

UC Chickamauga Room

Monday, Oct. 21 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.

West Campus Multipurpose Room Thursday, Nov. 7 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.

Metro Building Lobby Monday, Nov. 18 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.

UC Tennessee Room

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Follow us on social media and stay up-to-date on all of our event announcements and reminders!

@UTCglobal

Building Bridges • SUMMER 2019 Edition

PROGRAMS

International Buddy Program • Pair up with a UTC domestic student who can guide you through your transition to American culture and academics.

• Attend events and activities with your buddy and other IBP participants.

For a full description and more details about the program, visit utc.edu/international, click “Get Involved” in the sidebar, and then click “International Buddy Program.”

Go Global Living Community • Live with U.S. students and other international students.

• Attend trips and events with the Go Global Community.

• Learn about new cultures.

• Develop your foreign language skills.

November 18–22 , 2019 Connecting UTC students to global education.

full list of UTC events at

utc.edu/global more about IEW at

iew.state.gov

Visit our website and stay up-to-date on all of our event and program information!

utc.edu/international

For a full description and more details about the program, visit utc.edu/ international, click “Get Involved” in the sidebar, and then click “Go Global Living Community.”

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CONTACT US Center for Global Education The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 648 Oak Street, Hooper Hall 203 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403, USA

utc.edu/global goglobal@utc.edu (423) 425-4735 UTCglobal

OUR TEAM: Takeo Suzuki Executive Director of the Center for Global Education

Laura Livermore Study Abroad Director

Anna Savary ESL Director and Assistant Director of the Center for Global Education

Jamie Booth Study Abroad Coordinator

Yvonne Dunham Slobodenko ESL Student Advisor

Amy Devan Graphic Design and Marketing Coordinator

Patricia Lin-Steadman Senior Coordinator of International Student and Scholar Services

Joyce Blevins Administrative Specialist

Eunice Davis International Undergraduate Student Advisor

Yumi Shimada Japan Outreach Initiative Coordinator

Lora Cook International Graduate Student Advisor

Tafadzwa “Ben� Zimunya International Alumni Network Specialist

Sarah Anne Perry Credential Evaluator and Immigration Specialist

UTC is a comprehensive, community-engaged campus of the University of Tennessee System. UTC is an EEO/AA/Titles VI & IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution.

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