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A Week of Global Learning

Joyce at Global Village in a conference center Jpeg 1

By Joyce Nimely (YES 2016-2017, Liberia, placed by CIEE in Newcastle, TX) 

I attended the 2021 virtual component of the Global Village through a scholarship awarded to me by American Councils. Because of the pandemic, we were unable to attend the in-person component of Global Village that year. During our virtual meeting, however, I still learned a lot of things. I built a strong relationship with my fellow villagers, even virtually! 

Joyce with fellow villagers during the week for Global Village

From July 9th to the 17th of this, I had the opportunity to join the 2022 Global Villagers at Lehigh University to celebrate the Iacocca Institute Global Village’s 25th anniversary. It was great to be able to participate this year in the in-person component! This past week has been one of the best weeks of my life. I met so many YES alumni from around the world, learned new concepts, interacted with villagers from different countries, and even volunteered. During this time and through my interactions, I learned the importance of innovation and teamwork. I learned how to not only be a leader but how to be a flexible one as well. 

I was able to live with my fellow villagers for a week as we celebrated the 25th anniversary. With so many people from different cultures and backgrounds, living with them for a week taught me the importance of diversity and inclusion. To me, Global Village wasn’t just about entrepreneurship and leadership skills. It was also about building future leaders from a diverse group of people. Being a part of this international week gave me the opportunity to form a relationship with my fellow villagers and has given me new tools I can use to thrive in a global community. Thank you to American Councils and the YES program for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this life changing experience.

Group photo of Villagers at the Institute

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