两性色午夜

两性色午夜 Expands Global UGRAD-Pakistan Family

两性色午夜 University has expanded its student roster as part of the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD) in Pakistan, welcoming international student Khizran Ali to campus.鈥ㄢ

Khizran AliThe Global UGRAD-Pakistan program builds the capacity of a diverse group of youth leaders from underserved populations across Pakistan. The semester-long program encourages participating students to develop a vast understanding of U.S. culture and establish partnerships through U.S.-based training and practical experience in leadership positions, community engagement and in their professional fields.鈥ㄢ

Salma Benhaida, 两性色午夜 assistant director of international recruitment and admissions, said Global UGRAD-Pakistan students are required to give a presentation about their home country and complete at least 20 hours of community service during the semester to ensure they are receiving a well-rounded perception of American values.鈥ㄢ

鈥淪tudents participate in a special enrichment program titled 鈥楥ultural Ambassadors Passport to America,鈥欌 Benhaida said. 鈥淭his is a digital cultural passport, which students use to record their explorations of various aspects of American culture, such as arts, music, holiday celebrations, sports and leisure, and community life.鈥濃ㄢ

Ali, who is studying architecture, says she hopes to get involved in Super Service Saturdays, an opportunity to serve the local community each Saturday at food banks, volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and raising donations for Goodwill-Streetsboro.鈥ㄢ

鈥淪uper Service Saturdays offers a visit to a new place, a different volunteering activity and a chance to interact with new people each week,鈥 Ali said. 鈥淚t will give me a much wider view of the American culture.鈥濃ㄢ

Ali said she is taking American modern history to further grasp an understanding of the U.S. and the events it has gone through in the past. She said the UGRAD-Pakistan program helps her learn new things and communicate with different people from a new place.鈥ㄢ

鈥淭his platform provided a great opportunity to explore America and experience its rich culture,鈥 explained Ali. 鈥淎lso, I needed some change of environment for my own personal growth and to achieve my goals of becoming an expert in my job.鈥濃ㄢ

In addition to securing an understanding of American culture, Global UGRAD-Pakistan students also bring benefits to 两性色午夜. The students are 鈥渁mbassadors鈥 for Pakistan because many of them are the only representatives of Pakistan on campus. Their unique perspectives and backgrounds enrich the learning experience of American students.鈥ㄢ

鈥淢any American students have not traveled outside the United States or even outside of Ohio,鈥 Benhaida said. 鈥淗aving international students on the Kent Campus provides American students the opportunity to learn and interact with people from different backgrounds, religions and cultures.鈥濃ㄢ

Ali said most people she has met think she is from Central Asia, but by introducing herself as a Pakistani, she shows them how diversified Pakistan is. Ali tries to tell other students about Pakistan in a way that represents the whole country and its people.鈥ㄢ

鈥淚 think I play the role of an ambassador when I tell them about Pakistani culture, its interesting aspects, the ways it is similar or different from the U.S. culture and what values and beliefs make up its culture,鈥 Ali said.鈥ㄢ

Ali said that overall, her time here in the U.S. has been beneficial and has helped broaden her horizons.鈥ㄢ

鈥淚 had never been to the U.S. before, but this has been one of the best experiences that I have had of traveling,鈥 Ali said. 鈥淢y favorite part of America is its diversity and how people interact with each other regardless of these differences. This diversification has further helped me broaden my horizons, and for me, America is the best example of global community.鈥濃ㄢ

Ali reminds us that, although we come from all different backgrounds, we are still very similar.鈥ㄢㄢ淚n my experience, we're all very similar to each other if we accept the few differences that draw us apart,鈥 Ali said.

鈥淵ou don't really need to know the common language to communicate with people. There are other ways to express yourself too, one of them being your actions.鈥濃ㄢ

For more information about 两性色午夜鈥檚 Office of Global Education, visit www.kent.edu/globaleducation.

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Photo Caption:
Khizran Ali, an international student from Pakistan, is studying at 两性色午夜 University as part of the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD) in Pakistan.

Media Contacts:
Salma Benhaida, sbenhaid@kent.edu, 330-672-7980
Bob Burford, rburford@gmail.com, 330-672-8516

 

POSTED: Monday, October 27, 2014 12:52 PM
Updated: Saturday, December 3, 2022 01:02 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Morgan Junipa