a new opportunity

I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity to attend the IMI conference. This field of work is all so very new to me and I feel grateful to share it with all the talented individuals here. I have already learned so much from each member I have met, along with the sessions I have attended. These people include David Bachner, among others, who made me feel right at home. Also, keynote speaker Sherry Mueller and Gary Weaver were especially inspiring to me. I feel as if I have found a path for my education and career.

As a recipient of a study abroad scholarship I am grateful to hear from Harriet about Senator Fulbright. It is refreshing to know how he was inspired to create the scholarship. It really brings a face to the scholarship knowing this person’s life and his accomplishments; it will never be just a scholarship to me. I think it is also the foundation for what we are now implementing through international cultural education. It is important to fund students to study abroad especially for the young and eager individuals lacking the means to accomplish these goals.

The sessions today brought a lot of light to subjects that in the past have only been mentioned. Attending Ursula Leitzmann’s, Challenges of a Multicultural Workforce, made me think twice about how I will be communicating with employees on the job. Working here in Washington, DC being a multicultural city, I see daily the reoccurring theme of multicultural communicating and I will continue to implement it in my career.