The Forge

66 Franklin Street @ Jack London Square, Oakland

Thursday June 1, 2023 - 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

ISEP alumni, students, and community,

Join us at The Forge in Oakland for a casual happy hour to meet and reconnect with other ISEP alumni and community members, and to learn what folks are up to in the Bay Area.  You'll also have a chance to hear more about what services are available to you for free through ISEP's Alumni Association.  

ISEP alumni are engaged in a broad range of careers and fields, but they all share core experiences that unites them on a deeper level. So come have some pizza and appetizers as we bring back your ISEP experience!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Opportunity from Global Ties for alumni considering a career with the federal government. 

Are you a U.S. citizen who participated in a U.S. government-supported exchange program, like NSLI-Y, CLS, Fulbright, or Gilman? Do you work with students who have participated in these or similar programs? We are hosting our annual Career Connections: Careers in Federal Government seminar at the U.S. Department of State for these U.S. citizen Exchange Alumni on Friday, June 23.

This is a great opportunity for alumni living in/near the DC metro area, and those here for summer internships, to learn about entryways into the federal government, and to interact with federal agencies and government HR professionals.

Learn more and apply by June 5 at our website (https://cvent.me/mkx871),  and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

Alejandra is an undergraduate student studying law at University of Murica in Spain. She participated in ISEP Exchange in Fall 2020 at Virginia Tech. In our recent chat with her, Alejandra shared her rewarding journey of leaning into discomfort and fostering new connections.

Alejandra’s love for traveling and joy of meeting new people motivated her to be independent and study abroad. To truly do so, she picked a destination outside of Europe and set out alone. However, being in a foreign country, let alone studying there, comes with challenges. Being independent entailed self-advocacy, which Alejandra found daunting at first. “It was scary. But you have to do it, and you’ll learn.” She followed through with this motto and went on to create one of the best memories in her college experience.

Alejandra was nervous about being the only Spanish student that semester and was very conscious of her accent. She would find that her accent was not a barrier, but instead served as a bridge to connect with others. Her college was in a small town, so everyone she met was eager to learn more about Spain from her. “Every time someone noticed I was not American, they became very interested,” Alejandra recalls, “They would go, ‘Oh where are you from? Wow, that’s amazing!’ My accent got me to meet so many new people.”

At Virginia Tech, Alejandra spent her time differently than she did in Spain. “I kept up with my work, but it was not always the main thing,” Alejandra says. She spent her free time engaging with the community. She would hit the gym with her workout buddy, go on a hike with her friends in the Appalachians, or attend the vibrant sports scene at the university. 

Alejandra found her “home away from home” with her South American friends. They spoke the same language, shared cultural commonalities, and had similar personalities. While she felt comfortable with the group, Alejandra did not want to “stay in a comfortable place all the time.” She says, “I knew I would be in the United States for only six months, so I also wanted to hang out with American friends and speak English.” Her courage to branch out boosted her confidence in having conversations in English. “Last year, I wouldn’t even imagine having an interview in English. I would be freaking out. Now I can chat just fine even though it’s been half a year since my exchange program.”

After the Fall semester, Alejandra went on a 2-week road trip with fellow exchange students. They had an exciting journey and connected with locals and other groups of international students who were also traveling. “I wouldn’t have traveled to these places if I hadn’t studied abroad,” Alejandra says.

Alejandra encourages others to study abroad, especially at a destination outside of their region. Her advice is to take advantage of opportunities that you do not have at home and step out of your comfort zone. “If you’re afraid to speak or do activities, just do it. No one really judges you, and you are only there for a period of time,” she says, “If you are struggling, reach out to others. Everyone is kinder than you think.”

Landing Your Next Job: Leveraging Your Storytelling Superpowers

Thursday May 25, 2023

3:00 p.m. to 4:00p.m. Eastern Time (UTC -4)

ISEP community,

You’ve created some remarkable experiences for yourselves over the course of your ISEP experience abroad.  And in the process, you’ve strengthened many of the career skills employer are seeking most in job candidates today.  The next critical steps are:

• demonstrating to others that you’ve strengthened or cultivated those skills;
• doing it in a compelling way that leaves your interviewers feeling both impressed by you and curious to learn more about you.

Join us for a workshop style program where you’ll learn to identify the skills you’ve developed in the language employers speak and share your experiences in a way that sets you apart from your competition.

This workshop will be composed of both lecturettes and breakout room work in pairs.  By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• Identify the skills employers are seeking most in new job candidates
• Identify the skills you’ve cultivated during your ISEP abroad experience
• Tell a story about how you cultivated and refined one of those skills for future interviews

Please plan to come with a pen and paper to brainstorm your ideas with your breakout room partner.  We’ll send out some additional information to help guide your thinking prior to the workshop once you’ve signed up.  We look forward to it!

A Zoom link will be sent to those who R.S.V.P. yes a few days before the event.  

Mercedes Roman Ruiz is a Junior studying industrial and electrical engineering at Universidad de Malaga in Spain. She is currently participating in a yearlong ISEP exchange program at North Dakota State University. We recently chatted with Mercedes as she shared her exciting first semester experiencing a new culture and being independent for the first time.

As an ambitious college student, Mercedes wanted to study abroad to broaden her horizons, but high tuition costs posed a financial barrier. She began searching for exchange programs and found ISEP through her home university’s website. In her own words, ISEP “stood out to her” because the program offers a year-long opportunity for her to fully immerse in American culture. In August 2022, Mercedes set off for Fargo, North Dakota, where she took a full dive into the American college experience.

At North Dakota State University, Mercedes designed her own class schedule, allowing her to manage her day more flexibly. Besides taking interesting classes, she has time for an on-campus job, working out at the gym, and hanging out with friends. Mercedes also likes to explore around her campus and the town of Fargo. Although she is used to commuting by car back home in Spain, Mercedes has come to enjoy the 20-minute morning walks to lectures and switching buildings for different classes. Her student pass allows her to hop on buses and commute around Fargo for free.

In just a semester, Mercedes quickly found her community at the university. She hangs out with her floormates, catching up in the dining hall, shopping at the mall, or watching movies. Mercedes loves that her friends are pursuing different majors. Back home, most of her friends are from the same class, where “everybody is studying and doing the same thing.” Here, she enjoys hearing diverse perspectives from her dorm mates, who come from varied backgrounds and take different classes. Mercedes is also a part of her university’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the skiing club, where she also signed up for the upcoming race in February. Back at the Universidad de Malaga, she rarely ever heard of clubs and did not participate in one. Now she plans to explore those clubs once she returns to Spain.

However, navigating new social scenes comes with its own challenges. Since her family is very supportive, Mercedes did not have trouble convincing them to get on board. Yet, as the only child and the first of her family to study abroad, Mercedes had to figure out many steps on her own. She traveled alone and self-advocated for credit transfers and course approvals between universities. Looking back, Mercedes says that she has “become more independent” after going through her first time alone in the airport, buying groceries, and doing laundry on top of other academic responsibilities. “It was a challenge, but I like changes. I like traveling, and that is why I chose to study abroad in the first place.”

When asked about her most favorite moment so far, Mercedes had a hard time picking out one. She enjoyed “every moment of experiencing a unique culture, meeting new people, and trying out new activities,” which were the most enjoyable college experiences for her so far. Among those moments, her 13-hour road trip to Colorado with her skiing club friends is definitely one of the most memorable. “The longest drive I have ever been on was 4-hours long,” she recalled. “I had never thought I’d be spending that much time in a car, but I really enjoyed it.” 

Mercedes finds her ISEP exchange program to be a very valuable experience. She encourages other international students to take advantage of the opportunity and get involved with their new communities. “Avoid cliques of similar friend groups, do activities, join clubs.”

ISEP Alumni from UPAEP met up in Puebla at Chocolatería y Cafetería R&E for some good conversation about their various study abroad experiences.  Thanks everyone for making our first reunion in Mexico a blast!

There will be more in-person meetups planned for those who couldn’t make this one, including one in Mexico City on May 13.  These events provide an alumni an opportunity to network and share stories of their experiences and time abroad.  Current and prospective ISEP students, supporters, as well as university and community partners are also welcome to attend.

If you are interested in helping with an in person event in your city, please reach out so we can chat about it.  Cheers!

ISEP Study Abroad se complace en invitarte a una reunión local de alumnos y alumnas en CDMX, el día 13 de mayo 2023, a partir de las 14:00 hasta las 16:00.  Enviaremos la ubicación una vez que sepamos cuántas personas están dispuestas a asistir. 

ISEP Alumni está comprometido con un amplio rango de carreras y campos de estudio, todos ellos comparten la experiencia ISEP, que los une en un nivel más profundo. Así que, asiste y comparte tus experiencias, haz nuevas conexiones y ten un momento relajante y de diversión.

¡Esperamos verte pronto!

When: 3 May 2023 5:30 PM, CDT
Where: 71090, La Paz, 72090 Puebla, Pue., Mexico

EVENT DETAILS:

Estimados, 

A ISEP Study Abroad le gustaría invitarles a una reunión local de Alumni en Puebla el próximo miércoles 3 de mayo de 5:30 - 7:30 pm en Chocolatería y Cafetería R&E ubicada a unos pasos del Paseo Bravo. 

El Alumni de ISEP está involucrado en diversas áreas y campos de la industria, pero todos han vivido la experiencia ISEP que los hace compartir experiencias de vida. Con esto en mente, ven y comparte tu experiencia, crea nuevas conexiones y disfruta de una excelente tarde en compañía de otros Alumni de ISEP.

¡Esperamos verlos pronto!

Take care for now, and be back in touch soon!

Shared from the U.S. Department of State:

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 12pm PT/3pm ET

Calling all students from college freshmen to Ph.D students! Looking for a flexible and remote internship option to gain experience? Want to be a part of projects that advance U.S. foreign policy?

Join us for a virtual information session on the U.S. Department of State’s Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) Internship Program and learn about the wide range of experiences you can gain from working as a virtual intern. We will discuss program details, eligibility, and application tips, AND you will hear from current VSFS interns about their experiences in the program!  U.S. citizenship is required. An equal opportunity employer.

Click on the blue Register button to sign up to receive the Zoom link, and see you on April 18!

Register here to get the Zoom details: https://lnkd.in/gZhSzUif.