Thank You and Goodbye!

It is with a combination of sadness and excitement that I write this farewell blog post to all of you fabulous Reach volunteers. I've been the program assistant with Reach for about a year now and I have learned so much in the position. I have really enjoyed meeting all of you - even if our only interaction was via email!

This is me and my little sister
at the graduation ceremony with Bucky!!

What's next? Currently, my path is pretty clear and open. I've recently accepted an internship with the Four Lakes Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Madison. Ever since I was a little kid, I've loved animals and considered becoming a veterinarian. So I will see if that's still the path for me. I am also thinking of doing a term with a program called Americorps - it's kind of like the Peace Corps, except it tries to solve problems right here in the U.S. rather than abroad.

I will still be around Madison though, so I will probably attend a few Reach socials and hopefully even the banquet at the end of this spring semester! Some of you who have been in the program for over a year will be happy to learn that the former Reach Program Assistant, Maggie Streeten, will be returning to the position in the spring. Maggie spent a year studying abroad and is excited to bring her new knowledge and fresh perspectives to the program.

I wanted to write this blog post mostly just to say "thank you!" to all of you. It has been such a pleasure planning and coordinating events for the Reach program and I have truly appreciated the enthusiasm and energy brought by all of our volunteers. If there is one thing I've learned throughout my time at this university, it's this: things don't work if people don't participate! It seems simple, but it's a huge problem here on campus. So many people see issues and are quick to complain about them. Few actually take steps to corrects those issues. One of our most pressing and important challenges here on campus and throughout the world is overcoming racial and cultural  prejudice. Like anything, our program is not perfect - but with your willingness to volunteer and with your hard work, we come closer to a community where people understand and embrace the differences that make us all unique. Thank you so much for being in Reach and thank you for being a global ambassador. It's hard to take on the responsibility of speaking for your culture - it's something that shouldn't have to be asked of us, but you all do it with grace and the community in which we all live is so grateful for that.

In appreciation and until later,
Kassie

November Newsletter

Program Updates ·         Our LAST Volunteer Training of the semester will take place on Tuesday, November 27th from 6:30-8pm -- this session will be focused on intercultural communication and is the rescheduled version of a training that we were supposed to have in October, but cancelled due to President Obama's campus visit. Evite will be sent out soon!  ·         We're hiring! The position of Reach Program Assistant is open for spring semester and beyond. See job description at the end of this newsletter if you're interested in applying.

Busy Mid-Semester for Our Volunteers! ·         Thursday, October 25th - Mariko Hasebe, a veteran Reach volunteer from Japan, presented to attendees at the NAFSA conference about our program and its purpose in a globalized age. The very next day, Mariko visited the Lussier Center and had lunch with senior citizens followed by a presentation about her home country and culture.  ·         Sunday, October 28th - Agathe Merle, Zi Sen Chong, and Muge Niu spent their Sunday afternoon reading stories from their childhood to a group of elementary-school-age kids.  ·         Thursday, November 8th - Audrey Forticaux (pictured above) travelled south to Janesville to give presentations on her home country of France to the attendees of a French-themed Cultural Cuisine Night.  ·         Monday, November 12th - Reach volunteers Arif Fazil and Jin Han made their way to Middleton High School for a presentation on the Millennium Development Goals for the school's annual Human Rights Week.  ·          Wednesday, November 14th - Mariko Hasebe, Kelly Wang, and Rui Li will meet with a first-year-undergraduate seminar to discuss the experience of international students on the UW campus. ·         Sunday, November 18th - Kanyuan Huang, Alyssa Ramirez Stege and Yeonju (Lisa) Oh will attend the second storytime event and read their own childhood stories to a group of young kids. Here is a HUGE shoutout and THANK YOU to all of you volunteers who have already contributed to the program and to all of you who will in the future! We appreciate you all very, very much!

We're Hiring!!

Program Assistant Job Description and Application Information ISS Job Description: International Reach Program Coordinator Assistant Would you like to help foster intercultural relationships on campus and in the local community?  Consider working with International Student Services (ISS) as the program assistant for International Reach, which is a unique program designed to promote global education. International Reach places UW international students, scholars and family members in local schools, campus venues and community organizations to give presentations about their home cultures and their experience as international visitors. Objective: To promote, coordinate, facilitate and monitor the International Reach program under the auspices and guidance of the ISS International Reach program supervisor/ coordinators. Responsibilities: § Create promotional materials including fliers and displays § Prepare materials for volunteer orientation sessions § Help recruit new international volunteers § Help market the program to potential requestors on campus and in the community § Communicate with international volunteers and requestors § Facilitate contact between international volunteers and requestors to aid in arranging successful presentations § Maintain administrative files and databases § Work with the ISS web technician to maintain the Reach webpage on the ISS website § Compile resources and write a monthly newsletter for international volunteers § Other tasks as assigned Qualifications and Skills: Must be very self motivated. Excellent oral and written communication skills, strong organizational abilities and attention to details, knowledge of facilitating presentations, leadership experience, strong interpersonal skills. Good computer skills in word processing, database management, and general graphic design, including Microsoft Word, Access and Excel (Adobe InDesign & Illustrator experience a plus). Interest in working with international students as well as campus and community members. Number of Hours: 15 hours per week for Spring semester (19 weeks) with a preferred start date of January 7. Some training in December is required.  Renewal of appointment possible. Rate of Pay: $10.00 per hour. Hourly position. *This is not a PA position. To Apply: Application deadline: November 15.  Submit an electronic copy of a cover letter describing how past work/ course experiences have helped develop skills that are relevant to the position. Applications will not be accepted without a cover letter. Also include a resume with the names of references and contact information. Applications may be sent to Katie Wirka: wirka@studentlife.wisc.edu. Preference will be given to those who can work through Spring semester and continue on for the 2013-2014 academic year. ISS is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.

UW Archives

Cool! Check this out:

http://uwmadarchives.tumblr.com/post/31272896632/international-students-then-and-now

Getting Ready for Fall Semester 2012!

Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had wonderful summer vacations and feel energetic and rejuvenated for the new school year!

Here's what's up for Reach this semester: 

Tuesday, September 18th 5-6pm New Volunteer Orientation Session (Mezzanine C Red Gym)

Tuesday, September 25th 5-6pm New Volunteer Orientation Session (Room 106 Red Gym)

Tuesday, September 25th 6-7pm KICKOFF EVENT for ALL volunteers! (Room 106 Red Gym) 

Thursday, October 4th 5-6:30pm First Fall Training Session (Mezzanine A/B Red Gym) 

Tuesday, October 16th 5-6:30pm Second Fall Training Session (Room TBD) 

Thursday, November 1st 5-6:30pm Third Fall Training Session (Mezzanine A/B Red Gym) 

Thursday, November 15th -- *First Annual International Reach Symposium 

The Reach Symposium mentioned above will be an exciting experiment this semester. We'll be talking more about it at the kickoff meeting but for now I'll just say that the symposium will offer volunteers an opportunity to showcase their interests and skills for diverse audiences like never before. For this event, Reach will be doing some of the actual event planning rather than waiting for community and campus requests -- it'll be an experiment like I said above, but it should definitely be a fun one! 

See you all very soon! And please tell your friends about the program and encourage them to come to one of our orientation sessions! 

Peace. 

Almost There

Summer is in the air (well, it would be if only this gloomy weather would go away!). It's the last week of class and -- probably like most of you -- I am so excited to be done with school for a while. Over the weekend, I went to the Farmers' Market and picked out three kinds of herbs to grow on my deck. Seeing them in their cute little pots, all green and delicious smelling, makes me really look forward to one of my favorite things about summer time: the food. I love fresh fruit smoothies, salads, and summer vegetables. With the basil plant that I got at the Market, I want to try a recipe for avocado pesto. It's basically ripe avocado, a bunch of basil, some spinach, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts blended together and eaten on pasta or bread. I also can't wait for caprese salad season -- basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese...best thing ever! Oh and I almost forgot homemade mint iced tea (this year, I also want to try a lavender lemonade...yum!). Now I just have to get through 3 finals and a big paper. Luckily the incentive to reach the finish line is a great one! 

Speaking of summer, are you going home before school starts in the fall? If so, don't forget about International Reach! Cultural items (e.g. pictures, clothing, toys, treats) can be very fun for use in Reach presentations. If you think of something interesting, bring it back to Madison with you and we'll make sure you get a chance to share about it at a Reach event!


Also, we need to update our volunteer spreadsheet. Please take a moment to fill out this very short survey if you have not already done so: Reach Volunteer Survey 

Spring Break Stories

Did you do anything fun for Spring Break?? Any travels?

Tell us about it in the comment section below! 

--

I spent my time off in the desert-y Southwestern state of New Mexico. The state is known for its green and red chilies, Route 66, and its rich culture.

 I visited the capital city of Santa Fe and the sprawling, urban metropolis of Albuquerque along with the well-traveled through town of Gallup. New Mexico is very different from Wisconsin; the desert-like climate, snow-topped mountains, and countless adobe buildings only start to paint a picture of the contrast between these two regions. The best part of my trip was spending time with my partner who is currently teaching Middle School kids in Gallup. We explored the bigger cities -- shopping, eating, and seeing the sights -- but also spent some time relaxing and even saw the new Hunger Games movie! 

Overall, I'd say it was one of the best Spring Breaks I can remember. Too bad it had to go so fast!

Now I want to hear what you all did!