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.” 4
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.” 8
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.” 12
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.” 14
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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