As a strong advocate for celebrating diversity, cultural identities and global education, I am proud to manage a division that empowers UCF international students to reach their dreams via educational opportunities and advancement. The celebration of cultural identity through art, music, literature, and dance not only unites us, it taps into the deepest part of what makes us human; a sociological need to reinforce the collective identities which make our social environments meaningful. I am proud to be a part of a division that values the vast representation of our students’ cultural identities here at UCF and I look forward to the numerous cultural events we are solidifying for Spring semester!
I want to share a few highlights from International Education week at the University of Central Florida!
Here our students participated and led "A Taste of Our Culture" during International Education Week, hosted by Global UCF. We served delicious international cuisine from various countries on Memory Mall on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 from noon to 2 p.m. This was an amazing event where students, staff, and faculty joined together to learn about international cultures and traditions.
International Education Week is a huge success here at Global UCF. Thank you to all of our amazing students, representing over 40 countries, for your passion to share your culture and traditions within your greater UCF family. We honor your diversity, global perspectives, and the richness of thought you add to our lives every day.
Event Planning at Global UCF is always a very exciting time! As a member of the Student Services Team, we managed multiple trips, cultural events, cross-cultural celebrations, and career events throughout the year for our international students. We had a total of 400-600 students enrolled in the pathway program. We typically had an intake of 150-250 students in Fall, about 70-100 in Spring, and 50 in Summer orientation. Typically, each trip and cultural event had about 50-75 student attendees. Some of our trips were to Medieval Times, Kennedy Space Center, Busch Gardens, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Universal’s Halloween Horror Knights. We held Cultural Celebrations as well, such as Lunar New Year and Ramadan. We collaborated with UCF Global and departments across campus for International Education Week, where we host our yearly Taste of Our Culture event, including food, games, and group activities representing all cultures. Our process and goals for planning these events are designed in relation to the Global UCF Student Success Plan, composed of 4 distinct focus areas tailored to support international students:
Academic Assimilation
Social Integration
Cultural Association
Career Development
Once we establish a budget based on predicted registration, we follow through with selecting our venue and date of the event. We continue with planning the program itinerary and confirm sponsors, food, and speakers. Finally, we connect with Global UCF Marketing to create a promotional plan. Lastly, we determine how to evaluate of event to make sure it met the goals defined in the Global UCF Student Success Plan.
Comments